The 8 Best Lifestyle Photographers in Charleston

As one of America’s most liveable cities, Charleston is home to a wide variety of delights — warm weather, miles of beaches, and centuries-old sycamore trees, just to name a few. It’s no surprise then that it has gained the attention of creative types who have formed a thriving artistic community. If you are in search of the best Charleston lifestyle photographers to capture your family or to help you create eye-catching branding shots for your business, look no further. The following artists run the gamut from commercial style to curly documentary and each has a particular area in which they shine. Read on to find your best match.

1. Carolina Rain Photography

As one of the most notable Charleston lifestyle photographers, Angela Kinard loves the boho aesthetic. Her style is free-spirited and captures moments of pure emotion, neutral colors, and warm tones. When combined with the South’s outdoor landscapes of gorgeous sunlight and romantic treescapes, her style is a recipe for easy-going and eye-catching photos.

In fact, her camera is always at the ready to capture spontaneous outbursts of love. Angela thoughtfully composes her shots, directing the eye to what is important and thoroughly telling a story in just one picture. Her editing uses a bit of contrast for richness, as well as warm toning for a simultaneously nostalgic and modern bohemian feel.

2. Alyona Photography

If you’re in search of a lifestyle photographer with a streak of wanderlust and an eye for framing the perfect shot, look no further. A lifelong creative artist, Alyona is inspired by the world around her and often uses elements of the landscape as supporting storytelling elements in her shots.

With a focus on bright and joyful moments, she edits her photos to enhance that feeling. Her images are full of natural light and the pastel sunsets the coast is famous for. Her focus on a happy feeling in her work makes it particularly well suited for weddings and family sessions.

3. Emerson Grace

Charleston lifestyle photographers like Emerson Grace are driven by a desire to preserve the intangible nature of love. Throughout her portfolio, you can see the threads of affection, the joy her subjects feel when in the presence of those who truly love them. You’ll also note the presence of a photographer who makes them feel both comfortable and seen.

As a witness to life’s transitory moments, her work is at its best when peering into those times in life where we know, once we cross through them, we will be forever changed. Photographing weddings and baby bump maternity shots fit her style to a tee. After all, they are both times of transition and indescribable emotion.

4. KB Photography

Kimber Bougan is a Charleston lifestyle photographer with an airy, breezy style. Her high-key style is well suited for the sand-dotted landscapes throughout the South Carolina low country and is perfect for bridal portraits.

Beginning with her first fascination with the camera and its ability to freeze time, she developed a passion for the art of photography. We especially love how her special combination of artistic ability and outgoing personality have helped her build her clients’ loyalty. She spends time getting to know her clients and often shares repeat milestones with them as they grow.

5. Kayla Rochelle 

Kayla Rochelle loves love — between couples, shared with family members, all of it. And she documents this common yet completely ineffable emotion in her vibrant, photojournalistic style. Working mainly in natural light, she creates environmental portraiture. It’s a natural fit for in-home lifestyle sessions as well as playful outdoors sessions.

If you like the feel of candid photography but need a bit more polish, she’s a great pick. She also carefully composes and edits her shots but the moments they portray are all real.

6. Amanda Bouknight

Amanda Bouknight is a published photographer and graphic designer with a love of striking compositions and natural light. She has worked with Charleston magazine as a cover artist to try to distill some of the magic of living in the area into eye-catching art.

In fact, she brings that same energy into her family and lifestyle shoots. Perfect for branding portraits and family shoots, her work is full of breezy moments by the shore and a sense of play.

7. Emily Lethco

Emily Lethco has a fine artist’s eye. This means minimal composition, neutral color palettes, and just the right amount of texture for interest. She brings out the best in her subjects and also makes it a point to capture all of the details. The twinkle in a bride’s eye as she walks down the aisle, the first wispy hairs on a baby’s head, the play of light and shadow as a family relaxes in their home.

Emily’s images have a raw and emotional feel that makes them beautifully suited to all kinds of lifestyle photography, including in-home sessions and weddings.

8. Hungry Ghost Photography

Lauren McDuffie brings a fascination with the human experience and a love of faces into her work. So much so that she specializes in portraits that represent the whole spectrum of emotion. From quiet wonderment to childlike joy, her portfolio feels intimate and real, full of power.

She uses soft natural light and shadows to enhance the emotional appeal of her subjects and keeps her editing to a well-contrasted, neutral palette reminiscent of film for a timeless feel. She also creates powerful black and white images that will remain gorgeous for decades to come.

9. Tamera Wharton of Tami Photography

If you are looking for a photographer with a vibrant style and spirit, you’ve found your match. Whatever she is photographing, Tamera Wharton brings her bold energy to her shoots and the result is pure happiness distilled into a photograph. Working with natural light and bright colors, Tamera creates lifestyle portraits that buzz with their own life— perfect for branding sessions and couples portraits.

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