The 11 Best Family Photographers in Detroit

Detroit has long been a cultural hub in Michigan, attracting creatives from all over the country. Unsurprisingly, there are some very talented photographers offering a range of services in the city. Detroit’s family photographers are some of the best around, putting their talent to work documenting growing families and real moments that clients love to remember. Those on our list routinely rise above the rest, for both their vision and professionalism. Life changes quickly, and kids grow up fast — help slow down time a little with a photo session with one of these incredible Detroit family photographers.

1. Christine Long

Christine creates fun photoshoots centered around spontaneity. Her goal is always to document your family members’ connection with each other in interesting ways, while ensuring that the images remain timeless — after all, they’ll be enjoyed for decades to come. Her family images have deep roots in lifestyle work, focusing more on moments and less on formal posing. Working on location in natural light, Christine is an expert at capturing authentic expression among family members, and she’s easily one of the best Detroit family photographers working today.

2. Genevieve DeVries

Genevieve works on location and in natural light to create stunning portraits. She’s an expert at posing her subjects for a more formal look, but she also knows all the right ways to coax more candid, intimate moments from families. In addition, she captures group and individual shots, creating a comprehensive final set of images. From small to large families, Genevieve knows how to capture the essence of people. Her settings always complement her subjects, and she’s got a great eye for amazing light.

3. Catherine Holden

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With her bachelor’s degree in photography from Columbia College Chicago, Catherine brings expert knowledge and plenty of passion to her photoshoots. She’s always looking for candid moments among her subjects, focusing on portraying emotion in her images. This approach pays off — her portfolio is filled with natural poses and real expressions. Her clients are clearly comfortable on camera and have plenty of fun during their photo session.

4. Jessica Kleinberg

Jessica got her first taste of photography when she started producing pictures of her newborn. Watching her family grow and change has given her a strong appreciation for how quickly kids grow up, as well as how important it is to document your family. Her family photography makes use of nice outdoor locations with plenty of natural light. In each of the images, you’ll find families being expressive for the camera and to one another — this gives each image, even the more traditionally posed ones, plenty of emotional content.

5. Lisa Siesser

Lisa’s work immediately stands out, thanks to her detail-oriented approach to capturing expressions and emotions. She isn’t afraid to get close to her subjects and really explore their moments of connection. She finds even light for her subjects, which results in well-balanced images — her color palettes always complement the subject without ever becoming a distraction. On top of all of this, Lisa has a great eye for creative angles and compositions, so you’ll get a diverse set of images from her that are often surprising, yet always emotionally resonant.

6. Amanda Armitage

Amanda knows the value of using photography to slow down time with your family. As a parent herself, she understands how swiftly life moves. Approaching each photoshoot with patience and empathy, Amanda knows exactly how to coax out personality from children and get everyone comfortable being on camera. Using a documentary approach to family photography, Amanda’s work has a strong sense of both place and narrative. Working in a variety of settings, she knows how to find great light, as well as make available light look great in each of her images.

7. Lisa Carmody

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Lisa is a fun photographer who loves trying new things in her craft, bringing tons of energy to her photoshoots. Her images of family are thoughtful, with amazing natural light and interesting settings. She is able to create portraits that are well-structured, but feel completely natural. High-contrast, slightly muted color palettes give her work a contemporary feel, while also making the families she works with look great in every frame.

8. Dana Rose

Dana approaches photography with an eye for what makes someone unique and how can she portray this in her images. By understanding each client’s experiences, Dana is able to better capture your family’s story in her images. Working primarily in natural light, across all four seasons, Dana creates great portraits that you’ll be proud to hang in your home. Her images are evenly lit and flattering for everyone in the frame.

9. Claire and Steve Nelson

Claire and Steve, the married photography duo behind Ten Seven, see photography as a way to make fleeting moments in our lives a more permanent experience. The team knows good light, and they always manage to find great outdoor locations for their photoshoots. Even color toning gives their images a timeless quality, while their black-and-white shots feel like the classic images of the past. Their strong, center-weighted compositions ensure your family is the main focus of each image, without ever letting backgrounds or lighting conditions distract from the genuine expressions of feeling.

10. Laura St. Clair

Laura prides herself on providing an incredible experience for her clients, in both image quality and customer service. Her work plays with scale, either in close compositions that prominently feature her subject, or wide shots that establish the landscape and her clients’ interaction with it. Working in natural light, Laura has a great eye for positioning her subjects in the most flattering ways. Her skills and creative vision are evident in each of her images, and you’d be fortunate to work with her.

11. Jill Scapelliti

With over nine years in the business, Jill has had plenty of time to refine her craft. With a relaxed style that emphasizes having fun during shoots, Jill is able to catch plenty of genuine moments between you and your family. Her expressive images are always well-lit and colorful, and they never feel overly posed or forced. Her experience and consistency make her one of the most skilled Detroit family photographers you could choose to work with.

If you look at enough photography portfolios, you’ll start to feel like it’s cliche to talk about “freezing moments in time,” a phrase mentioned on the websites of countless photographers. But sometimes a phrase like that has ubiquity and staying power because it taps into something very real — in this case, the unstoppable march of time. Photography is one of the few concrete ways we can preserve memories, and that makes it worth your while every day of the week. Schedule a family photoshoot while your family’s still young, and you’ll have those memories on hand forever.

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