AGARANDE CORNELUS
Agarande Cornelus is the studio of Mathieu Cornelus, a French photographer and filmmaker specialised in luxury hospitality, based in Phnom Penh.
Behind the studio, there is a name, and a story. Agarande and Cornelus are two family names from the French Antilles. Two island names, from lands surrounded by water. Years later, I find myself on the other side of the world, photographing water every day, pools, reflections, the sea. It was there from the beginning. So blue became the signature. Water as root, blue as signature.
Over fifteen years behind the lens, I have built a complete mastery of the image, from the first frame to the final grade, photography, film, drone, editing. This immersion carried me through two years as in-house visual lead of a Cambodian hospitality group of ten brands, from a Michelin listed address to lifestyle venues, across more than three hundred productions.
This immersion sharpened something precise, an eye, a sensibility for the world of luxury hospitality. My approach is rooted in storytelling. I capture atmospheres, textures and details that translate the soul of a place. And beyond the single image, I understand the strategic role of visuals in building a brand, a vision shaped by my Master's in Digital Marketing and Social Media from CREA Geneva, and by a decade watching how a coherent body of work shapes perception and makes a place unforgettable.
I work where craft meets strategy, combining the technical precision of a photographer, the eye of an art director, and the strategic mindset of a brand builder.
Today, through Agarande Cornelus, I bring this vision to hotels and resorts around the world. Photography, film, and visual direction, to give each place an identity no one forgets.
Water as root, blue as signature.