The portrait is one of the oldest forms of photography. And it has remained one of the cornerstones of the photographic arts ever since.
We’ve compiled a list of the best contemporary portrait photographers. They’re a highly talented group of artists producing some of the finest portrait photography we’ve ever seen.
This list is the perfect place to find inspiration to start your own portrait photography journey. Learn from the modern masters so you can create fantastic portraits with your camera.
20 Contemporary Portrait Photographers To Know
This list is the perfect place to find inspiration to start your own portrait photography journey. Learn from the modern masters so you can create fantastic portraits with your camera.
Omar Z. Robles | @omarzrobles
Omar Robles is a portrait photographer from Puerto Rico, now based in New York. He’s a dance and documentary photographer. And his portraits focus on dancers in different and unusual settings. He has a love for photography and dance.
Rosie Matheson | @rosie_matheson
Rosie Matheson is one of the UK’s leading portrait photographers. She works with traditional film, mainly using medium format cameras.
Her style is casual, but her portraits are deeply intimate. It’s like we’re close friends with her subjects. Eye contact plays a leading role in the composition of her portraits, which demands the viewer’s attention. Her photos are bright, but the tone and atmosphere are soft.
Rosie came close to winning the Portrait of Britain Award in 2016. And her work has only continued to improve since.
Sasha Arutyunova | @sashafoto
No one has more mixed experiences than Sasha Arutyunova. Born in Moscow, raised in Florida, based in Brooklyn, she is a multi-tasking photographer. Her passions range from portraits on the street to documenting artists on stage.
Justin Hogan | @thankscamera
Justin Hogan is predominantly a music photographer, taking portraits of singers and musicians. His black and white portraits are very compelling. They stand out due to their crispness, quality, and creativity.
Most of the images are staged and constructed. But don’t let that distract you from the artistry involved in creating these stunning portraits.
Nirav Patel | @niravphotography
Nirav Patel is the still-life photographer who beats all others. Her scenes have a magical, ethereal air to them as if all the scenes she captures are from cinematographic movies. She manages to bend and use light as if it belongs to her. Her portraits are atmospheric and moody.
Jordan Voth | @jordanvoth
Jordan Voth is a portrait and wedding photographer based in Seattle, Washington. His images not only capture the wonderful atmosphere of a wedding, but his portraits of the happy couple are to die for.
Jovana Rikalo | @jovanarikalo
Jovana uses portrait photography to teleport you to a magical world. Her elaborate floral and dreamy designs bring fairy tales to life. She creates characters and tells stories through her magical style of portraiture.
She’s a master with the camera and an imaginative costume and set designer. Her work is elaborate with a strong and distinct style. Female elegance is combined with natural themes, often using plants and animals in her photos.
Jared Kocka | @jaredkocka
Jared Thomas Kocka is a New York and Los Angeles-based pop photographer. Much of his editorial and fashion photography is shown as torn collages. This is a bright, fresh, and brash style. Follow for far-from-the-standard inspiration to help take your work in a new direction.
Ire Chernova | @irachernova
Ira Chernova is a race and culture-conscious portrait photographer. She’s based in the US but has a huge following worldwide. She’s very much in demand right now. She covers bands in live and staged settings and photographed Cage The Elephant’s album cover. She’s a must-follow.
Olivia Bee | @oliviabee
Olivia Bee is a photographer from Portland, Oregon, based in New York and Los Angeles. She is intrigued by the beauty of everyday life. And she explores how beautiful memories touch us.
She doesn’t just do portraits. Her series are character studies that demonstrate she is deeply interested in people and their personalities.
Clement Pascal | @cgbp
Clément Pascal was born in Paris, but his photography career took off in Dakar, Senegal. Since then, he has moved between Paris, Cairo, and New York.
His work includes fashion, portraits, and documentary film photography. He’s been featured in The New York Times, T Magazine, The WSJ Magazine, and Dazed & Confused.
If you are amazed by his cool and hip portraits, you are on the same page as us. We love his authentic and candid shots of all the people he comes across.
Andi Elloway | @andi.elloway
Andi Elloway was born and raised in Southern California. Her work is influenced by the vibrancy of the West Coast and skater culture. She uses her eyes to capture photos depicting glamour, self-discovery, and indulgence moments.
Her studio work is minimal, exciting, creative, and fresh. Exactly what we need in this portrait-saturated world.
Her clients include Rolling Stone, i-D, Nylon, and The New York Times.
Omar Victor Diop | @omar_viktor
Omar Victor Diop has a strong sense of style that shines in his portrait photography. His images are stylized and considered with bright and vibrant colors.
He uses portraits and self-portraits to explore ideas of identity and history. His style has influences from 19th-century portraiture and Orientalism. He combines classical portraiture with a modern sense of humor.
Caroline Mackintosh | @carolinemackintosh
Caroline Mackintosh is somewhat of a glamor photographer with a natural aesthetic. She explores the female figure and experience with beautiful portrait photography. She incorporates nature and nudity into her work, which gives an authentic free-spirit perspective.
Rhiannon Adam | @rhiannon_adam
Rhiannon Adam is an Irish photographer based in London. But she never stays in one place for long. She’s a natural traveler, documenting the people she finds on her journeys.
Portrait plays a massive role in her documentary photography. Her stories are about the people, their personalities, and how they relate to their environment. She’s an excellent storyteller with the camera and the pen.
Ciro Galluccio | @cirogalluccio
Ciro Galluccio is an Italian portrait, fashion, and fine art photographer. The detail in her work is immense and sometimes intense. The tension and atmosphere she can create within a still image are incredible. Her concepts are as strong as her skill with a camera.
Chiara Lombardi | @xchiaralombardix
Chiara Lombardi is a determined and scrupulous photographer. She shows a genuine love for the arts, craftsmanship, and science of the photographic process. Her images may look simple, but the minimalism is deliberate and well-crafted.
The depth of emotions comes from the atmosphere she creates in her portraits. She uses space and light. And there’s a cold color pallet throughout her photos.
J. Flynn | @flynn
J. Flynn is a British portrait photographer based in London. His portraits are stylish and modern, but he always produces an intimate and relaxed series. He connects with his subjects, which gives his images a personal feel.
He works just as well shooting in the street as in the studio. And he’s fast becoming one of the UK’s top portrait artists.
Bella Kotak | @bellakotak
Bella Kotak has a vibrant and vivid imagination. And thankfully for us, she has the skill to bring her dreams to life. She’s a portrait photographer that works in the realm of magic and fairy tale.
Her subjects are beautifully adorned with floral costumes. And everything you see in her images has been designed with care and precision. Her portraits are magical and surreal. She creates characters and builds new fantasy worlds.
Emily Kai Bock | @emilykaibock
Emily Kai Bock isn’t just an amazing portrait photographer. She’s a cinematographer and director too. Her love of the moving image comes across in her portraits. They have a strong cinematic quality.
She’s worked with companies like Vogue and Yves Saint Laurent. And she’s created music videos for Arcade Fire, Grizzly Bear, and many more.
Conclusion
These fantastic contemporary portrait photographers show us that portrait photography is still one of the most powerful art forms we have. Portraits can be personal or intimate. Or they can be styled and experimental. The are no limits to portraits.
You should now feel inspired and fired up. Now it’s time to get your camera out and start taking your own portraits.
Take a look at our Profit from Portraits Ebook to take your portraits to the next level!
