The 8 Best Cityscape Photographers in Nashville

Nashville, Tennessee, is the largest city as well as the cultural capital of the state. This creates unique opportunities for local photographers to showcase the Music City in ways that give outsiders a perspective that’s starkly different from what’s expected of this state. That’s why we think the work of the 8 best Nashville cityscape photographers is well worth exploring. Both residents, as well as outsiders, will find angles worth appreciating in their work!

1. Anthony Swindell

Anthony Swindell of Up the Ante Productions is a Nashville cityscape photographer and a wedding and general landscape shooter. His work explores the Athens of the South from various angles that only a local would so well showcase. Harmony Fountain, the Korean Veterans Memorial Bridge, and the cityscape reflected over the Cumberland River are just a few perspectives here to enjoy.

Anthony favors a modern color grade with punchy colors and tonal shifts that highlight teals, oranges, and other complementary hues better. While the cityscape plays a major role in his portfolio, Anthony also takes on occasional journeys to the surrounding countryside of Tennessee, where fall hues and waterfalls give us a better perspective on the state’s scenic landscapes!

2. Philip Hart

The work of Philip Hart really excites us because he can masterfully use high contrast lighting and edits without distracting from the naturally appealing aspects of a scene. He favors wide-angle to normal views that supply loads of fine details, leading lines, and even storytelling power if you’re a Nashville local!

Philip’s color grading ranges from saturated yet natural to more non-representational in style, with deep oranges and crushed shadows. This makes sense, given his preference for dramatic natural light conditions that include sunsets and swirling cloud patterns. He is also an avid nature photographer, bringing a macro perspective onto flowers, insects, and other subjects that offer a delightful contrast to the gritty perspective of downtown Nashville!

3. Sparrow Digital Media

Nashville and Northern Alabama are the photography hunting grounds of Sparrow Digital Media. His work features spaces from perspectives not often considered by ground-dwelling residents. Sparrow’s urban shots are often taken from a drone’s eye perspective where symmetry in buildings, sports courts, and residential districts stand clearly revealed.

We also enjoy the natural to slightly matte, toned down style of color that Sparrow favors. Warm shifts give many of their images a nostalgic quality that would make them ideal for fine art wall prints. And the elevated perspectives allow us better to appreciate the land and cityscape from untraditional vantage points!

4. My Nashville Photos

Andy Lopusnak is a California import turned Nashville cityscape photographer whose work we think you’ll enjoy. His images portray the Music City from a wide range of perspectives, from aerial drone shots to wide-angle scenes taken from the ground. In all of them, Andy favors colors and scenes where the lighting and clarity of the view add natural contrast. Motion also plays a strong role in his portfolio, thanks to busy streets and long exposure photography techniques.

Andy shoots landscapes and sports and portrait photos as well. He also loves more abstract images where repeating patterns taken out of the greater context of a subject changes how we appreciate the scene!

5. Denny Carr

Denny Carr uses Nashville as the main subject and as a backdrop for his creative portraits. After all, the city has no shortage of street art, bar signs, and other ways to add interest to his urban portraiture. Denny artistically uses just enough depth of field to include storytelling and lifestyle elements without allowing them to distract from his human subjects.

He’s also a Nashville cityscape photographer, moving beyond individuals to showcase the city in its natural splendor. Denny is a fan of more dramatic lighting conditions found at sunset, as well as the endless tapestry of night lights that the downtown scene provides. Coupled with his rich contrast and wide-angle perspectives, we get an intimate look at just what Nashville locals see in the Music City: an energetic, lively place that’s the cultural heart of the state of Tennessee!

6. J.Mathis Photography & Design

John Mathis is a wedding, lifestyle, and Nashville cityscape photographer. It’s very unusual to find a creative with such a diverse style. But we love to see it! He favors lifestyle and wedding photography with an eye for intimate, storytelling captures. The background often, but not always, takes a back seat to his subjects’ emotions, eye contact, and expressions. In fact, his Nashville lifestyle photography is an ideal blend of these genres, showcasing people moving within the greater context of the city.

And then we have his cityscape photography, where wide-angle perspectives and complex compositions of lines take center stage. Yet, in both styles, John sees moody contrast in the form of deep shadows and dark clouds that showcase a world transformed by the setting sun. 

7. Rocky Top Photography

Rocky Top Photography has just the right perspective on Nashville’s skyline if you prefer aerial views over those from the ground. Specializing in drone’s eye views, Rocky Top uses a very natural grading style that avoids adding too much of a personal twist to the hues on display. This makes their work ideal for both professional aerial imagery and fine art lovers who don’t want a stylized, unrealistic view of the world. Rocky Top’s skyline shots often feature foreground elements instantly recognizable to residents, such as the Nissan Stadium and Korean War Memorial Bridge. This makes the shots especially delightful for locals to contemplate!

8. Sara Murphy

Sara Murphy of Your Nashville Friend is a photographer, real estate agent, fine dining connoisseur, and lover of interior design! These passions contribute to her love of showcasing spaces in the Music City from a perspective that not enough photographers explore. Sara’s vision involves natural focal lengths and ground-level perspectives that present space from a normal view. She also has an eye for abundant yet nicely recovered natural highlights and gentle shadows that are recovered without an overly HDR quality.

Find unique photoshoot locations in Nashville on Peerspace