The 5 Best Event Photographers in Pittsburgh

The Steel City is a destination for artists, with some of the finest sporting events, concerts, conventions, and creatives to be found in the country. With so much going on, it’s no surprise that Pittsburgh is also home to dozens of talented shutterbugs ready to document it all. It was quite the challenge sorting through multitudes of stunning portfolios to find the top Pittsburgh event photographers, but we managed to do precisely that. Enjoy!

1. Alan Baldi of Cut ‘N’ Run Studios

Founded in 2005 by Jordan McMillen, Cut ‘N’ Run Studios (CNR Studios) is a team effort of five talented Pittsburgh creatives who collaborate on commercial, event, portrait, and green screen photography projects as well as videography for clients. Their main photographer, Alan Baldi, formally studied video production and photography at Robert Morris University and, after breaking into the world of freelance photography and videography, he eventually became CNR Studios’ lead shutterbug.

CNR Studios has worked with national and international brand names, including TEDx, the Pittsburgh Marathon, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s clear CNR Studios succeeds at providing comprehensive visual media coverage for a range of events and clients both large and small.

2. Sam & Nathan of Porter Loves

Sam Laffey and Nathan Shaulis are the two talented creatives behind Porter Loves. Nathan works as the lead portrait and event photographer, while Sam covers the design elements of the business. Nathan’s expertise stems from both an intrinsic love of the art form as well as formal study of the film world in high school and college. While nature photography will always hold meaning for him, it’s images of people that provide the most impact.

Several local and national publications have recognized Nathan’s impressive photography, including the Pittsburgh City Paper, Whirl, and The Jewish Chronicle. Together, Sam and Nathan create works of art that both document and showcase their combined creative vision in fresh and exciting ways.

3. Alisa Innocenti of Alisa Garin Photography

A versatile photographer of events, weddings, and music performances, Alisa Innocenti is herself a musician, which gives her a unique perspective behind the camera lens. She is a masterful photographer, playing with shutter speed, composition, and color to create images of music performers that suggest sound as much as light and visual storytelling. Alisa brings us up on stage with the performers through well-chosen vantage points and her own inside knowledge.

She best explains her dual artistic expression in her own words, “Being on stage all those years made me realize that while I love to play the viola, there has to be another way to express my deepest and innermost feelings to those who were listening.” Through her camera, she brings the element of time into her work and immortalizes it as a permanent record for future generations of music lovers.

4. Edisa Kelso of ZaiKelso Photography

Pittsburgh event photographer Edisa Kelso sums up her personal philosophy best in her own words, “Capturing emotions is one of the most important parts of my work. I feel strongly about making the photographs that I can connect with.” Connections come in all sorts of forms, from occasions like weddings and engagements to birthdays, Christmas parties, maternities, and proposals.

We see her love for connections and emotion in her intimate captures; Edisa appears to favor documentary-style candid moments where people show us who they are without scripted poses. She’s also adept at a range of editing styles, using both a natural color palette, as well as extra editing to invoke moods, from joyous to whimsical.

5. Beth of Kukucka Photography

Though she excels at creating thoughtful portraits, Beth Kukucka’s favorite events are undoubtedly weddings. With over 15 years of experience as a wedding photographer, her work has seen publication in esteemed magazines, including Time and Rolling Stone. Beth’s photography is about finding moments where the story is told most clearly with as few distractions as possible.

Her work is intimate and minimal in character, with closely composed images and uncluttered backgrounds that allow the narrative to unfold in no uncertain terms. Beth is always in the thick of things when covering events, and it gives her work a refreshing personality. Plus, she rocks at capturing the essence of musicians at their most sincere, as seen in the above featured photograph.

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