Allan Mestel is a photojournalist and documentary photographer based in Southwest Florida. Originally from Canada, Mestel spent many years in Toronto's advertising industry, where he directed and photographed national and international TV commercials for major advertising agencies. His work earned numerous accolades and awards.

In 2014, Mestel relocated to Florida, where he shifted his focus to photojournalism and documentary photography. He opened a commercial photography studio and began capturing powerful images that have been featured in exhibitions across the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom. His work primarily revolves around human rights and social justice, often highlighting the plights of migrants and refugees. Notably, he has documented the migrant crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border and the refugee situation in Ukraine, with his photographs being published by major media outlets such as USA Today, CNN, NBC, and PBS.

Mestel's photography aims to tell the untold stories of conflict, grief, and resilience. He has traveled extensively to capture these narratives, including trips to the US-Mexico border; cities in the US during social and political protests; Uvalde, Texas after the school shooting; and various locations in Ukraine. His work serves not only as a visual record but also as a call to action, urging viewers to empathize with and respond to human suffering. He has recently returned from his fourth trip to Ukraine documenting the war from the front lines.

Allan Mestel lives in Sarasota, Florida, with his wife and two children. He continues to contribute to various human rights and social justice organizations through his impactful photography.

Allan can be reached at allan@allanmestel.com and +1 941-807-7676

Allan in the Media

FOX Channel 10 Tampa Bay: Sarasota photographer captures war in Ukraine

Sarasota Magazine: Unity Awards: Allan Mestel Uses Photography to Connect Sarasota to Conflict Around The World

SRQ Magazine: Allan Mestel Captures the Cost of War in Ukraine

USA Today: A War Travelogue: Two Florida photographers recount harrowing trip to document the Ukraine war

Sarasota Magazine: A Sarasota Photojournalist’s Latest Images From Ukraine Depict Both Devastation and Resilience

The Observer: Local photographer captures another side of Ukraine war in new project

Spotlight Ukraine: The Scale of Destruction and the Seeds of Hope – captured by documentary photographer, Allan Mestel

Spotlight Ukraine: Allan Mestel, Documentary Photographer – At the Borders of Humanity

FOX 13, Tampa Bay: Bradenton photographer tells 'profoundly moving' story of Ukrainian refugee crisis

WUSF Public Media: A Bradenton photographer uses his camera to humanize the Ukrainian refugee crisis

ABC 7: Bradenton photographer captures heartbreaking images of Ukrainian refugees

Spectrum News 9: Manatee County photographer seeks moments of hope in Ukraine photos

KHOU-11: Photos show what it's like at the U.S.-Mexico border

SRQ Magazine: RADD to Host Scenes of Ukraine Exhibit

The Bradenton Times: Photography Exhibit: Scenes of Ukraine

Sarasota Magazine: A Bradenton Photographer Traveled to Poland to Document the Ukrainian Refugee Crisis

Sarasota Magazine: These Pictures Tell the Story of the Ongoing Russian Attack on Ukraine

The Observer: Longboat human rights photographer recounts travels to Ukraine

Patch: Bradenton Photographer Who Documented Refugees Returns To Ukraine

The Observer: Local photographer documents migrant crisis at the border

The Observer: Up close and personal: Longboat Key photographer makes an impact with recent exhibit

The Observer: Longboat photographer captures decisive moments in studio and out

The Observer: Humanizing homelessness

South x Southeast Photomagazine: Election 2020: What Matters

Sarasota Magazine: Streets of Paradise Establishes First Office in Sarasota

Sarasota Magazine: Streets of Paradise Puts Homelessness in Focus