Bentonville-based Prisma unveils state-of-the-art commercial photography studio

by Jeff Della Rosa ([email protected]) 1,675 views 

From left, Max Wilkinson, Zach Kennedy and David Adair are the partners in Photography by Prisma, a new division of Bentonville-based creative agency Prisma.

Bentonville-based creative agency Prisma has started a new division and opened a more than 7,000-square-foot commercial photography studio in Little Flock.

Photography by Prisma launched in August and opened the new studio in December. The agency also offers design, web development and video production services.

Partners David and Meredith Adair co-founded Prisma in 2007. About five years later, Zach Kennedy came on board as a partner and co-founder of the agency’s video production division, Production by Prisma. Last year, Max Wilkinson joined as a partner and co-founder of the new photography division. Wilkinson is the senior producer and general manager of the new studio.

“Photography has always been a part of what we’ve done, but it’s been a small part,” David Adair said. In spring 2023, Wilkinson approached Prisma about establishing a commercial photography division. “Zach and I spent about three months looking at the opportunity … and ultimately decided that it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. It was a very good extension of what we do already.”

The focus of Photography by Prisma is high-end product lifestyle photography for packaging and e-commerce, David Adair said. The photography division also offers portrait, architectural and on-site commercial photography. Key clients include Walmart, Sam’s Club and Tyson Foods among others that are also clients of Prisma’s other divisions.

David Adair said the new studio space allows the agency “to run a large-scale photography operation. We can have four to five sets going simultaneously. We can also have very large sets, so we can have shots of very large items. Another big feature of this studio is we have a full kitchen. The kitchen allows us to do very high-quality food photography.”

He said Prisma works with multiple food stylists in the area and nationwide to prepare the food for photography. Along with the client, an art director also works with the photographer in the shoot.

Photography by Prisma comprises five staff and more than 20 contract workers. Prisma has nearly 25 staff across its three divisions.