The 8 Best Still Life Photographers in Chicago

Did you know that still-life photography is both artistic and commercially viable? Here in Chicago, brands seek out talented artists in order to get the word out about the products and services they have to offer. Chicago still-life photographers celebrate the form, color, and promise of these products.

Yet it’s also a study in beauty, light, texture, cultural connotations, and emotions. Each one of the top Chicago still life photographers is a master in finding ways to bring ordinary and extraordinary items to life through the visual medium! Which one is your favorite? We’d love to know!

1. Laura Letinsky

Laura Letinsky is a talented multidisciplinary artist. Besides being a top Chicago still-life photographer, she also works with textiles, porcelain, and other mediums to bring her inner vision to life for others to enjoy! Her artwork can be appreciated not only in Chicago, but in exhibitions in Denver, New York, Houston, and other major cities.

2. Simi Jois

Simi Jois credits being raised in an art-sensitive home as critical to her development as a photographer. Not to mention her innate curiosity about light and its power to reveal and celebrate still subjects. Culinary photography plays a major role in her portfolio, with many of Simi’s images finding publication in places like Better Homes, Smart Photography Magazine, and The Hindu Newspaper!

3. Leanne Uzelac

From still life to activism, Leanne Ulzelac’s work covers a wide range of subjects. She is currently studying photography, with a minor in visual arts management at Columbia College Chicago. We found ourselves drawn to Leanne’s floral still life photography, where the delicate shades of color and texture that flowers have to provide an endless array of subjects!

Leanne nicely represents the organic qualities of flowers; the curves, folds, and the dazzling way they seem to explode from a central point. Colors are kept realistic yet well-saturated and her choice of backgrounds is plain; all the better to hold our interest in the main subject.

4. Erika Dufour

Erika Dufour’s still-lifes images favor the beauty and food niche, where cosmetics, beverages, and other everyday essentials come to life through her camera! Like many professionals, Erika has a distinctive style. Rather than using all sorts of color grading approaches, her work is consistent, ensuring that you’ll know what to expect when collaborating with her.

Erika’s use of subdued to pastel shades, bright exposure, and close compositions gives her still-life product images strong contemporary appeal. What’s more, she uses texture in a powerful way, especially where makeup and food are concerned. Details like the slick quality of lipstick or the crunchy appeal of a dessert are immediately presented to viewers.

5. Alan Shortall

Alan Shortall has over two decades of experience honing his craft as a Chicago still life, furniture, and interior photographer. Finding the ways lines, light, and form come together in still subjects. His clients include Crate & Barrel and American Chartered Bank, with work published in places like Chicago Home & Garden.

Alan is very sensitive to the extraordinary quality that everyday objects can reveal if viewed in the right way. This is the very crux of still life photography; how it asks you to look a little closer! As he shares: “The great thing about photographing objects is you can take the time to look at something in great detail, even something completely ordinary and you begin to see all the texture and nuance that everyday object has, and the beauty in that.”

6. Dimitre

Dimitre’s love of photography began at a very young age. At 10 years old, he was already exploring the world through a camera lens. His love of photography helped him preserve a child-like wonder of the world, which is one of the first things you feel when viewing his work.

As an architectural, fine art, and commercial photographer, Dimitre creates still-life images for both business clients as well as for his own pleasure. You can also experience his images in publications like the Chicago Tribune Sunday Magazine, as well as in exhibitions at Chicago Midway Airport!

7. Deborah Fletcher

The still-life photography of Deborah Fletcher is rooted firmly in the food niche. Here, we get to explore how visual cues inform and delight our other senses. As well as our memories of food, its cultural connotations, and so on. But as delightful as food images are, Deborah is just as masterful when capturing product images. She arranges items in ways that artistically represent their shapes, colors, and form. Her approaches range from minimalist to editorial in character, as best meet the needs of a particular partner.

Like many of the best Chicago still-life photographers, Deborah’s images are all about nuance! Subtle lighting shifts, textures, tonality, and composition are all aspects of the image that she engages with. All in order to heighten our sense of curiosity, interest, or other emotional elements. This sensitivity makes Deborah a favored partner with advertising agencies, design firms, and brands like Quaker Oats, McDonald’s, and Coca-Cola!

8. Bethany Puterbaugh

Originally from Cincinnati, Bethany Puterbaugh moved to Chicago to advance her career in photography. As a commercial photographer, Bethany’s work covers a wide range of genres. Fashion, editorial, and portrait photography are all things she excels in. Yet it’s her still-life images that caught our attention today!

Bethany’s style is exactly what brands that create beauty, apparel, and other products are looking for. Clean, modern backgrounds with bright lighting and ideal compositions are her preference. Yet she sometimes delves into classically inspired still life compositions, with chiaroscuro lighting and rich contrast. Bethany is the Chicago still-life photographer you turn to if you want work that’s technically excellent yet doesn’t leave out the artistry.

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