Top 30 Creative United States Wedding Portrait Photographers for 2024
Page Updated: January 31st, 2024
Wouldn’t you just love to hire a top creative United States wedding photographer to create artistic portraits on your big day? The Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association is here to help! Wedding photojournalists are, first and foremost, photographers — creative artists, in other words. In the AG contests, WPJA members exhibit their skills at digitally enhanced United States couple portraits.
Four Artistic Guild contests for United States wedding portraits are held annually, entered and judged separately from the regular WPJA competitions of moments. After each creative photo contest, we add another collection of award-winning portraits to our member profile galleries.
Want to have a top United States creative wedding photographer take some unique and artistic portraits? In a portrait (for these purposes), the photographer has staged the couple, the bridal party, or other participants or groups — such as family, friends, or children — on the day of the wedding. One distinguishing feature of portraits is that the subjects are aware of the camera and are maintaining their positions for the sake of the photograph.
Seattle-based wedding photographer Marla Manes excels in artistic detail shots and scene setter images for adventurous couples. Emphasizing environmental sustainability, she prioritizes creating a comfortable space for all clients with her expertise in wedding photojournalism and portraiture.
Justin Edmonds is a seasoned photojournalist with 14 years of experience. He has worked with renowned clients such as Getty Images, The New York Times, and Sports Illustrated. Justin specializes in unique wedding couple portraits, using off-camera lighting techniques to capture stunning shots at night or during the enchanting lighting at dusk. He also enjoys using off-camera flash to fill in subjects during daylight,...
Bonnie Sizer, a wedding photographer and Colorado State University art graduate, specializes in crafting stunning portraits. With expertise in off-camera lighting, she excels in capturing unique landscapes and beautiful natural places.
Nicolas Bastien, a travel-loving 30-year-old from Quimper, is a photographer specializing in artistic adventure portraits for bold couples. Inspired by his belief in the enriching power of travel, he captures unique moments in weddings and landscapes.
Lucy Schultz, an artistic wedding photographer with a flair for unique imagery and off-camera lighting techniques, specializes in creating captivating pictures that capture the essence of each couple's special day.
Cindy Brown is a well-educated wedding photographer who travels across the globe to capture weddings with a keen eye for detail and a focus on portraying emotion and sensitivity. Her unconventional approach to photography results in energetic and emotive images, with a creative vision that embraces balanced and symmetrical framing. She particularly enjoys working in black and white, adding a timeless touch to her images.
Kate Crabtree is a wedding photographer from Maine who captures beautiful photos of couples on their special day against the backdrop of stunning landscapes. She specializes in creating unique portraits near water, such as the ocean or docks, and loves working with the soft, warm light of the sunset and golden hour. Kate is known for her symmetrical framing and creating balanced images.
Hailey Crabtree specializes in artistic wedding photography, capturing emotional moments with a creative fine art touch in Maine and New England. She combines her love of storytelling with photography to document love stories.
Mike Kory is a talented wedding photographer who brings a creative touch to his portrait sessions. With a background in Mechanical Engineering, he uses off-camera and dusk lighting to capture stunning night shots. Known for his symmetrical framing, Mike has a knack for making his subjects feel at ease and enjoy the photo shoot.
Chris Werner is a highly experienced artistic wedding photographer with a career spanning over 25 years. He has a remarkable ability to capture the love and individuality of engaged couples using his distinct and creative style. Chris began his photography journey with black and white film in 1994, which has since evolved into a fine art approach.
Erica Dietz is a wedding photographer who captures candid and heartfelt moments using her artistic eye and mastery of light. Having previously worked as an intern for Valley News Dispatch, she has honed her skills in creating stunning portraits that make couples look and feel relaxed and beautiful on their special day. Erica's passion for photography extends to capturing intimate and romantic shots, as well as...
Trent Gillespie is a Colorado wedding photographer with a Journalism degree from the University of Northern Colorado and experience in photojournalism. He specializes in creative portraits of couples, often taking advantage of natural mountain and rustic barn settings. Trent is skilled in off-camera lighting techniques, capturing beautiful shots at dusk and in low-light situations. He also has a talent for using flash in...
Joyce Perlman, a US-based wedding photographer, stands out for her unique approach to capturing weddings through a combination of contemporary and documentary-style photography. With a background in fine art and visual design, Joyce's artistic eye shines through in her portrait sessions, often taking advantage of natural settings like trees, the wilderness, and the golden hour to create stunning images.
Penny McCoy is a wedding photographer from Minneapolis who loves capturing genuine moments with her southern charm. She has a passion for creating artistic portraits of couples, using bright and bold colors, as well as playing with graphic designs and lines. Penny also excels at capturing stunning night shots and favors using the beautiful lighting at dusk. She brings her expertise in off-camera lighting to create creatively...
Sean Lara, a Rocky Mountains wedding photographer, has a unique style of capturing love stories against stunning landscapes. His expertise in off-camera lighting elevates his creative and storytelling portraits.
Eliza Slobodzian is a wedding photographer who specializes in capturing authentic feeling portraits. She loves creating artful and eye-catching imagery, especially in unique and beautiful landscapes. Eliza is particularly drawn to photographing portraits at the lake and in scenic natural environments.
With a keen eye for creativity, Will Tee excels in capturing the essence of weddings through his unique portrait sessions and detailed imagery. His work is distinguished by its symmetrical compositions and harmonious visuals.
Song Johns, a professional wedding photographer with over a decade of experience, specializes in creative fine art wedding portraits and artistic wedding day details, with a focus on creativity.
Born into a family of photographers, Paolo Blocar finds inspiration in the cityscape and exquisite lighting of the golden hour. His portfolio reflects a passion for unique, intimate wedding portraits and detailed, close-up shots.
John Ryan is the owner of J&J Studios in Philadelphia and has been capturing weddings since 2011. He offers photography, video, aerial, and live streaming services. John is known for taking striking wedding portraits with creative lighting techniques in beautiful outdoor locations.
Bryan Aleman specializes in capturing the emotions of weddings, engagements, and elopements with a romantic and natural approach. His artistic, symmetrical shots reflect his love for black-and-white photography.
Corey Butler, a wedding photographer from New England, is inspired by nostalgia and his background in photojournalism. He aims to capture genuine and authentic moments for couples on their wedding day. Corey especially enjoys shooting in the trees and creating artistic and captivating portraits. He also has a knack for capturing the romance and passion between couples, as well as playful and fun bridal party portraits.
Wedding photographer Scott Josuweit specializes in using off-camera lighting to create beautifully balanced and symmetrical images, capturing important images with a unique and authentic approach.
Dennis Crider is an artistic wedding photographer who specializes in capturing authentic moments that reflect the unique personalities and styles of each couple. He has a talent for using light and composition to create striking and emotive images that evoke a dreamlike quality. His close-up shots and clever use of shadows and contrast add a touch of mystery and excitement to his work, resulting in captivating and dramatic...
Andrew Morrell is a professional wedding photographer who sees things in a different way. He combines his love for music with art and technology, bringing a unique touch to the weddings and elopements he captures. His clients are playful, cheerful, and love bright and bold colors.
Lexus Marquise Reynolds, a professional photographer with 12 years of experience, specializes in creating artistic and stylized portraits for couples. Reynolds is also known for boudoir, weddings, high school seniors, and family photography, capturing over 300 weddings and boosting confidence levels through boudoir sessions.
Madi Ellis, a wedding photographer, brings acting skills to create authentic and unique love stories through her photography. Known for symmetrical framing and capturing intricate details in portraits, she excels at representing couples. Off-duty, she enjoys exploring new places through travel.
WPJA contest judges have been recognized by their industry peers, winning top awards as staff picture editors, staff photojournalists, and newsroom mentors while working for these and other leading publications and journalism organizations.
