Respect The Shooter: Mike Lerner Speaks On Shooting Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, & More

“If people like my work, it must be good,” is a philosophy in which Mike Lerner lives by. This makes sense in regards to the Brooklyn-based photographer, because almost immediately after his interest in photography began, Lerner had already begun shooting live shows for acts like The Bravery. It wasn’t too long after that that he found himself shooting two of pop music’s biggest stars, Katy Perry and Justin Bieber. He really must be that good, right?

The Long Island, New York native attributes his comfort behind the lens to the recognition he’s garnered for his skill. “As my Tumblr page started to get more attention, I started to feel validated,” says Lerner, the official tour photographer for Bieber. “It added to my confidence.” Here, Life+Times takes a look through some of Mike Lerner’s favorite photographs of J. Cole, Paul McCartney, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber and others.