12 Best Austin Portrait Photographers

Home to one of the largest music festivals in the world, fabulous BBQ, and great cultural diversity, Austin is an unparalleled destination. It’s not surprising why Austin portrait photographers serve up such hefty doses of creativity. Whether they’re shooting dreamy family photos or edgy fashion portraits, these talented image-makers use their skills to contribute to the growth and sustainability of Austin’s world-famous art scene.

1. Kristin La Voie

Using brilliant highlights and vivid pops of color, Kristin La Voie creates intimate and graceful portraits that accentuate her subject’s best features. Voie’s distinct framing and composition work further to draw attention to her subjects while maintaining visual interest in the background. Her classic boudoir photographs look stunning in warm black and white with a fine film grain.

2. James Freeman

James Freeman’s desire to capture true emotion extends to his work as a one of the best Austin portrait photographers. His unique take on street photography gives his portraits an eye-catching and memorable edge. Using matte shadows and low contrast, Freeman is able to create soft and nostalgic portraits in low-light situations and natural daylight. He is also passionate about collaborating with fellow artists at an event called the Sauce Market Pop-Up Photoshoot.

3. Juan Jose

Juan Jose’s passion for art and photography stems from his lifelong goal of accumulating stories for his children and grandchildren. His warm and dreamy portraits have given him a wealth of experiences and travels, which he then funnels back into his work. With dim neutrals, golden highlights, and soft vignettes, Jose has been able to create intriguing images that feel like beautiful, rediscovered postcards.

4. Veronica Cardoza

With diffused speed lighting and plenty of sun flare, Veronica Cardoza creates stunning portraits that promote unity and love throughout her broad body of work. High contrast and heavy vignettes add extra drama to her cinematic images. Cardoza often includes elements of movement in her photos –– from flowing fabrics to live-action shots –– increasing the power behind her already theatrical aesthetic.

5. Caitlin Rounds

With a background in brand strategy, visual content, and influencer marketing, Caitlin Rounds shoots striking portraits that stand out in the sea of digital photographs on social media. Her use of carefully placed pops of color along intersectional lines gives her images a balanced and editorial feel that draws the eye in. Her use of bottom-up and top-down angles makes each of her portraits feel unique while maintaining a consistent and modern style.

6. Lorenzo Marez

Using a wide lens, high contrast, and deeply saturated tones, Lorenzo Marez brings out the personalities and emotions of his subjects through a mix of lifestyle and street portraiture. His images are visually full –– often using the streets and lush greenery of Austin to fill in negative space. When he’s not shooting, Marez works alongside other artists to promote optimism throughout the local music and art scene.

7. Hoku

Hoku combines elements of dance and fashion photography in his high-impact full-body portraits. Hoku’s compositions use strong lines and the rule of thirds to draw the eye in towards his subject and their position in the frame. His use of bold positioning and striking film effects make him one of the most edgy and sought-after Austin portrait photographers. He boasts over 70,000 Instagram followers, and has participated in multiple collaborations across the country.

8. Chino Angles

Chino Angles has the perfect style of photography for his name –– with bold and unusual angles characterizing his dramatic style. That, along with his use of bright colors, graphic lines, and experimental double-exposures give Angles a style that helps him stand out among other talented Austin portrait photographers. When he’s not shooting, Angles uses his skills to stay connected with his community.

9. Carrin Lewis

Carrin Lewis uses her lively personality and experience as a mother to help her clients leave their anxieties at the door. Her dreamy and relaxed portraits encourage body positivity, self-confidence, and natural interaction over stiff posing. With a focus on children and families, as well as a strong penchant for Texas golden-hour light –– Lewis is able to craft rustic outdoor and lifestyle portraits that capture the joy and ephemeral nature of childhood.

10. Samantha Boyle

Originally from New Hampshire, Samantha Boyle has become one of the best Austin portrait photographers. She uses swaying movement and hazy afternoon sunlight as cornerstones of her distinct style. Boyle’s stunning portfolio is an extension of her ever-growing list of creative ideas that she looks forward to executing, as well as an excellent example of Southern romanticism. Her passion for new experiences, animals, and books shines throughout her whimsical body of work.

11. Leigh Jansma

As a model herself, Leigh Jansma is able to bring her knowledge of styling and positioning to her brand of avant-garde portraiture. Jansma’s experimental images embrace the messiness of natural surroundings and have graced the pages of Vogue Italia –– along with her fine-art nature photography. Her signature style also translates to her work with pregnancy portraits –– highlighting the strength and grit of expectant mothers embarking on a new adventure.

12. Angel Williams

Angel Williams is a talented photographer based just outside of Austin in Killeen, Texas. Her use of limited color palettes gives her images a mature and sophisticated look, allowing the eye to take in pleasant variations of one brilliant hue or another. Whether she’s on a tennis court or out in nature, Williams uses her palettes to compose natural frames around her subjects.

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