Mario Schmolka is an Austrian-American photographer and director based between Vienna and Los Angeles. His work spans intimate portraiture, fashion, beauty, and advertising — but the through-line, across two decades, has been a particular way of seeing people: present enough to be in real relationship with the subject, withdrawn enough that they don't feel performed-upon. The portrait as encounter, not extraction.

This approach was first articulated in his 2006 monograph INTENSE (DAAB Publishing), where he deliberately stepped back from directing to let his subjects emerge on their own terms. Twenty years later, it remains the artistic core of his practice.

Alongside this body of intimate work, Mario has built a substantial commercial career. His client list includes Cartier, Ermenegildo Zegna, Swarovski, L'Oréal, Estée Lauder, Palmers, OLYMP, H&M, Leica, Rimmel London, Wella, Karen Millen, and Procter & Gamble. Editorial work has appeared in Vogue Germany, Vogue China, GQ Germany, Vanity Fair Italy, L'Officiel, TUSH, AMICA, and Glamour Germany.

His portrait subjects include Heidi Klum, Gerard Butler, Elle Macpherson, David Duchovny, Lars Ulrich, Bar Refaeli, Tommy Hilfiger, Daphne Guinness, Big Sean, Aerin Lauder, Manolo Blahnik, and Karim Rashid.

Mario has appeared six times as a guest photographer on Germany's Next Top Model with Heidi Klum, most recently in the Season 22 Finale (May 2026). His work has been recognized with the Austrian Fashion Award (2012) and inclusion in 100+80 Jahre — a survey of 180 years of Austrian photography history featuring 70 selected photographers. Solo exhibitions at Westlicht Galerie Vienna and UFO-Space Frankfurt. Guest lecturer at the Art Institute of New York.

He is currently working toward his second monograph, returning to the intimate portrait practice that INTENSE first named.

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