The 12 Best Editorial Photographers in Denver

Curious to see who made our list of the top Denver editorial photographers? At Peerspace, we get it! Denver has quite the publishing scene, trailing right behind spots like New York and Chicago. And that’s not counting the smaller presses and magazines that pop up around these communities. So, it’s not a shock to find many quality Denver editorial photographers around. Here are twelve of the best of the best in town.

1. Kevin Mohatt

Freelance editorial photographer Kevin Mohatt is a regular contributor to Reuters, TIME, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and other news media outlets that want pictures from Mohatt’s Colorado and Rocky Mountain West beat.

As a hardcore news photojournalist, Mohatt isn’t just a warm body with a camera who happens to be in the right place; his ability to spot and capture dramatic and storytelling imagery from unfolding events is an instinct clearly and consistently evident in his work. That’s why they come back for more.

2. Matt Nager

Since his start in 2007, Matt Nager has amassed quite a roster of big-name magazines he’s worked with that reads like a newsstand who’s who, including Smithsonian, Psychology Today, and Runner’s World.

With a photojournalistic and documentary look and feel, Nager’s editorial pictures are often best seen as part of the set they belong to for the full narrative impact, but that’s on purpose, we think, with his sensitivity to environmental detail and composition skills letting him generate really powerful standalone images, too!

3. Jimena Peck

Jimena Peck’s work is the closest compositionally to artwork we’ve seen among Denver editorial photographers. Hers don’t look technically complex, with simple lighting — natural or available — and often sport an overcast appearance. The amount of detail is also minimalistic, with subjects often visually isolated.

The way Peck frames and composes her shots, however, is where the magic happens. We like it, and a peek at her remarkably robust list of editorial clients — including Conde Nast Traveler, Travel & Leisure, even Fortune — tells us they like it too!

4. Theo Stroomer

Theo Stroomer’s portfolio is a diverse mix of subjects. There’s a series of industrial-sized computing equipment shots for a Wall Street Journal piece on using supercomputers for climate forecasting. Then a bunch of active, lively, outdoor images of runners over 50, for the AARP. And also something for TIME, CNN, and NatGeo Travel on — we’re not kidding — donuts!

That’s just a small sample. What’s common is they’re all visual narratives, typically accompanying long-form journalism. Stroomer’s mastery over his craft is clearly unquestionable, whatever the subject.

5. Doug Gritzmacher

We can sum up Doug Gritzmacher’s editorial photography this way: He’s one heck of a concept guy. Of course, he possesses the requisite visual talent and technical skills shared by top Denver editorial photographers.

However, looking through his shots and knowing what and who they’re for, we can see a lot of subtle touches that give more meaning and purpose to the image he’s producing for his client. His work isn’t just pretty; it’s also smart.

6. Edward DeCroce

Edward DeCroce’s experience is a given; he took over the family’s legacy Denver studio 43 years ago. His established reputation, incredible body of knowledge, and experience must be reassuring to his commercial clientele.

That won’t mean much if his photos are less than stellar, but a browse through DeCroce’s portfolios makes that a non-issue. He doesn’t list publications (frequently trade) that his editorial photos representing featured clients have appeared in, but you’ll often see them mentioned as you go through DeCroce’s shots.

7. Jennifer Olson

A 13-year restaurant career plus a photography degree turned Jennifer Olson into a food and lifestyle photographe. And now, two decades later, she’s among Denver editorial photographers of note. She has steadily built a robust clientele and list of national and local publications she’s worked with, including The New York Times, Food & Wine, 5280, and Edible Aspen.

That’s not surprising, given the often lively and colorful images Olson produces, whether of scrumptious cuisine or people, imparting an appealing, positive aura that’s just perfect for her genre.

8. Daniel Brenner

After honing his documentary and storytelling style as staff photographer for a succession of newspapers, Daniel Brenner went independent. He still works newspapers, adding huge players like the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times to the mix, while extending his reach to magazines, including TIME and Sports Illustrated.

Brenner’s right-in-the-thick-of-it photojournalism and newsy style ensures a constant flow of local assignments. He’s covered contentious school board meetings for the WSJ, and snowstorms for the NYT, and stories for both national and local outlets.

9. Kiddest Metaferia

Demonstrating remarkable versatility, freelance photographer Kiddest Metaferia’s portfolio reveals her shooting a lot of food, portraits, and events/concerts. Her ability to seamlessly move between genres, adapting her style as needed, is quite noteworthy. It makes it difficult to peg her innate style and sensibilities, however, particularly since she’s consistently good from genre to genre. If you’re local, you’ve maybe already seen her work, with frequent appearances in 303 Magazine and Become a Champion.

10. Frankie Spontelli

Frankie Spontelli calls himself a freelance adventure and lifestyle photographer, and yes, it’s as alluring as it sounds! His idyllic photos of spectacular landscapes, and fascinating scenes from exploring/living outdoors, can be mesmerizing, even enviable. It’s an incredible workplace, where he goes to shoot for tourism boards and for his clients’ branding and editorial needs, often for multiple days at a time.

Spontelli is also a great example of the new breed of citizen photojournalists, with a popular Instagram account where he provides stories and details behind the gorgeous images he shares.

11. Ric Stovall

An architectural photographer for nearly a quarter of a century, Ric Stovall and his often stunning images are not unfamiliar to leading home magazines.In fact, he’s been published in like Mountain Living and Luxe Interiors + Design.

It’s doubly impressive when you consider that the image quality standards for this particular genre are high. They demand a meticulous level of attention to technical and visual elements, both photographic and architectural, and under uncontrollable environmental conditions too. Stovall’s work, however, leaves no doubt he’s the man for the job.

12. Jake Holschuh

You could say that Jake Holschuh took the “create” in creative photography to heart. After getting his BFA, he immediately created a freelance career. Now, over a dozen years later with an established practice specializing in editorial and advertising photography, he gets to create pictures for a living.

His simple visual concepts do a tremendous job showcasing the products, portraits, and lifestyle images he shoots, and his success proves his clients love them. He also gets to do all that creating for books, and magazine covers and features too! It’s quite a gig.

Mile High Talent

Denver’s gorgeous, right? Nobody’s denying it. It also makes perfect sense that the art coming out of Denver is just as jaw-dropping and inspiring.

The best Denver editorial photographers bring their strongest effort to every shoot, and the results speak for themselves. We look forward to watching their work for years to come.

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