The 7 Best Fine Art Photographers in Phoenix

Finding the best fine art photographers in Phoenix can be a bit of a challenge. After all, there are so many to choose from! Whether you’re looking for fine-art desert landscapes, classic portraiture, or wedding coverage, there are dozens of talented choices in the area. We’ve taken a look through dozens of portfolios and narrowed down the most talented fine art photographers Phoenix has to offer.

1. Chad J. Weed

Chad is the very definition of a fine art portrait photographer. He describes himself best in his own words: “I absolutely love what I do; showing people how truly beautiful they are… My goal is to create for you a timeless work of art that you are proud to display in your home.”

As a 100% in-studio photographer, Chad works with lighting perfectly tuned to sculpt the vision he and his clients conceive of pre-shoot. His work takes on an often vintage character color-wise, with a mixture of monochrome, muted color palettes, as well as clothing and prop choices that create a sense of a subtle tonality. Each subject combines poses, expressions, clothing, props, and lighting that tells a story as much as it shows a face. Covering personal portraits, maternities, families, and more, Chad is a versatile creative.

2. Davin Lavikka

Davin is a commercial, architectural, and fine art photographer based in the Phoenix metro area with a love for objects and scenes long forgotten. Looking through his portfolio, we see his love of empty desert spaces throughout Arizona and Utah. He also finds beauty in the remnants of death, one example being dried flowers rendered in monochrome to emphasize their details and patterns.

His work has a curious emptiness we enjoy, and occasionally we see the suggestions of people, as well as buildings, boats, cars. However, rarely are they the subject or even a major element. Davin also considers encapsulating his personal vision as the most important aspect of his work. As he explains it: “You can look at a master painter’s work like Marcus Pierson, Philip Curtis, or Van Gogh, see a painting they did and automatically know it was them. It’s harder to do that with photography but that’s the goal, to… identify me without knowing the work.”

3. Ashley Rae

As a fine art wedding photographer, Ashley Rae has loads of competition to face! Fortunately, she’s more than up to the challenge; she uses a combination of digital and film photography to document each special day. “Bright,” “white,” “warm,” and “intimate” are just a few adjectives we might use to describe her style.

Ashley Rae uses pastel tones with bright white highlights to create a sense of magic and freedom that makes her photography really come to life. Competing colors are muted in order for skin tones and clothing to grab our attention similar to monochrome, but with far more zest. Ashley Rae’s style focuses on classic portraiture, her subjects showing their very best sides using guided and diverse natural poses. With work that’s gone viral on Buzzfeed and featured on several top wedding publications, Ashley Rae is a rare talent in the world of fine art wedding photography.

4. Mara Schantz of Artistic Impressions by Mara

Mara honors loss and reflects on the fleeting nature of life by immortalizing moments through photography. And her greatest gift is being able to transport her viewers back through time with her work. She photographs babies, maternities, weddings, children, families, and graduates in the Phoenix area. Plus, she’s one of the few photographers to stick entirely to monochrome, a bold choice that helps her stand out as a specialist.

Monochrome is forever in vogue yet takes a different approach from color photography. Color shouts; monochrome whispers. And Mara’s work is a study in expressions, laugh lines, and background elements rather than attention-grabbing colors. We also love how readily she gets up close to her subjects, filling the frame in a way that suggests intimacy and confidence with each one of her subjects.

5. David Lee of Paparazzo Film

Portrait and headshot photographer David is undoubtedly one of the best fine art photographers in Phoenix. He works in studio to present his clients in the best light possible. And even if you’re unsure on how to uncover your “best side,” you’re in luck! With a hair and makeup artist, as well as a fully stocked wardrobe on site, David’s studio will have you ready for your shoot in no time.

His style is classic studio portraiture, with each element from background to props arranged to show a subject’s story. His style ranges from true-to-life to taking on an almost painted appearance, great for gracing a residential or office wall space!

6. Andria and Aslan Shepard

This husband-and-wife photographer duo specializes in fine art documentary wedding photography. One of our favorite forms, documentary weddings focus on using background elements and well-timed moments to tell a story. Each image contains elements, suggestions, environmental cues, and more, with very little classic portrait images. It takes a nuanced eye to pull off, and Andria and Aslan clearly have the talent to do so successfully.

They use a gorgeous muted color tonality that helps emphasize shadow and skin tones without using overly bright highlights. This gives their wedding images a tasteful, timeless quality. Looking at the Shepards’ work, we feel like we’re immersed in the story rather than looking on as viewers.

7. Rachael Koscica

Delivering one-of-a-kind portrait and wedding images throughout the metro area, Rachael is one of the best fine art photographers in Phoenix today. Her style emphasizes shallow depth of field and subject isolation for beautiful, out-of-focus elements.

Rachael also mixes in environmental portraiture to help tell the story of the venue and show locations meaningful to each couple. Her portfolio reflects a special love of outdoor weddings and takes full advantage of Arizona’s vibrant, bold natural lighting to envelop her subjects in a glow that reflects the joy of the big event. 

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