Heather Aitken is the former President and Lead Photographer at Beat Studios, a Chicago advertising production studio she founded in 2003 with her husband John Aitken. Heather and John moved their business to Venice Beach, CA in 2019 to be closer to family and the beauty of the American West. Born in Vancouver, British Columbia she has worked and studied in the US, Canada and Italy in a variety of disciplines including Photography, Illustration and Calligraphy. A graduate of Columbia College Chicago, Heather is inspired by nature, geometry, and light with much of her fine art work celebrating the forms found in the natural environment. One of her exhibitions titled Anthropomorphism examined the human characteristics displayed in the shapes and contours of trees, while another exhibit, Translucency, was an exploration of the character of light and how it passes through, and reflects from, various objects.

In commercial photography work Heather utilizes these same principles to capture the essence of her subject whether it’s a portrait or a product. “Light and how it interacts with objects in space are at the core of any great photograph,” she says, “and my job is to capture that interaction for the best result.” Heather shoots for a variety of clients including Lalique, Ogilvy, Simple Mills, McGarry Bowen, Pabst, BMO Harris, Element 79 Partners, E Morris, Stargate Studios, Two by Four, and Wrangler. She is also proud to be associated with The Art Institute of Chicago, LACMA, Chicago Creative Coalition, National Women Business Owners Corporation, and the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce

When she’s not shooting in studio, Heather enjoys swimming, traveling, cooking, and spending time with her husband, John and their family.