Behind the name
Little Rebel is Andrew Hewitt — a designer, photographer, filmmaker and occasional director based in Burley in Wharfedale, Yorkshire. The studio is named after Rebel, an Italian Greyhound with a white lightning bolt marking and strong opinions about walks.
We've been making creative work professionally for over twenty years. Not always under this name, not always independently — but always with the same approach: take the brief seriously, bring something real to it, and make something worth making.
How we got here
The career started in research. A doctorate in nonwoven textiles and nearly thirteen years at a University of Leeds spin-out — inventing things on one hand, and producing all the creative work that communicated them on the other: branding, web, film, photography, exhibitions. Learning to bridge technical expertise and clear communication from both sides turned out to be excellent preparation for most of what came after.
From there, a role at the University of Huddersfield that turned out to be more creative than the title suggested: lecturing in Fashion Marketing, teaching Adobe software, design principles and video production, and developing and delivering a Masters course covering human-centred design and communicating concepts to audiences who don't share your frame of reference. That last skill — translating complex ideas into something clear, engaging and visually coherent — turns out to be what most good creative work is actually about.
Alongside all of it, and still running, co-directing productions at Upstagers Theatre in Ilkley. Theatre is a relentless creative education: storytelling, timing, collaboration under pressure, and understanding what an audience actually responds to rather than what you think they should. It feeds everything else.
Little Rebel brings all of it together. The technical rigour from research, the visual instinct from fashion and theatre, the understanding that good work has to connect with real people — not just look impressive on a screen.
Rebel
Rebel is an Italian Greyhound — almost black at first glance, almost deep copper in bright sunlight. For a photography brand, that feels right.
He's 4.5kg of unbridled joy who operates in exactly two modes: pint-sized force of nature, or completely asleep. He loves everybody without exception, stops strangers in their tracks on walks, and his default greeting involves attempting to lick your face off as efficiently as possible. His joie de vivre is, genuinely, infectious.
The name came first — Little Rebel was always the plan — and then he arrived and made it inevitable.
The right tools for the job
Every project is different, and having the right kit gives us the flexibility to approach each one properly.
Little Rebel is equipped for professional photography and video production, with multiple camera systems, a wide range of lenses, studio and portable lighting, professional audio and plenty of ways to get a different perspective — from aerial and 360° capture to compact cameras that can go where a conventional setup can't.
For photography, that might mean bringing a complete portable studio to you. For video, it could mean a multi-camera 4K setup with wireless and location audio, professional lighting and camera movement. And with multiple cameras, lighting and audio options available, there's backup kit when it matters.
The kit changes with the job. The aim doesn't: use what's needed to get the result, without making things more complicated than they need to be.
How we work
Every project starts with a proper conversation. We want to understand what you're actually trying to achieve — not just what you think you need — because sometimes those are different things and it's worth knowing early.
From there, we work clearly and directly. You'll always know what's happening, when to expect it, and what it will cost. We don't disappear for weeks and reappear with a surprise. We don't pad projects. And if something isn't working, we'll tell you rather than quietly deliver it anyway.
We're based in Wharfedale and work across Yorkshire and beyond. Most projects involve at least one meeting in person — we find it makes everything go better.
This is the way....
