The 6 Best Fine Art Photographers in San Francisco

Fine art photography is about emotion — perhaps ones instilled from the photographer, but emotions can also come from the viewer. It’s an art category that is broad in its subjects, but the core of the definition is an appreciation for something purely for its aesthetic value. Given both the visual appeal of the City by the Bay and its population, there was bound to be rich pickings for our list of San Francisco fine art photographers. Needless to say, we were not disappointed. Spanning various subjects, the spectacular photographers on this list are united by their use of the camera as an instrument for art.

1. Peter Samuels

Having won national awards and boasting a roster of big-name clients like AT&T and Nike, Peter is a noteworthy fine art photographer. More than a portrait photographer, Peter is a personality photographer, capturing each subject in studio-lit perfection. What makes his portraits special are his primary subjects: animals. He anthropomorphizes our furry friends in his shots. Each creature has its quirks on full display, and it’s through this vulnerability that we see ourselves. His portraits of humans are no less an exploration into personality — absolutely beautiful portraits, no matter the species. 

2. Christopher Dydyk

There is impressionist magic in Christopher’s work. His photos are romantic interpretations instead of literal representations of the world, elevating his shots into art. He takes a familiar scene and turns it into something new and fresh. Everything he shoots becomes a dynamic dream and blurred energy — the hubbub of a city’s streets, the movement of a tree canopy, and even buildings take on a life of their own with Christopher’s techniques. There is something about his use of the camera as a paintbrush, with his subjects as strokes, that we find intriguing and alluring.

3. Radostina Boseva

Radostina loves simplicity. Her minimalist approach, combined with white and clean lines, is the definition of elegance. Each one of her photos uses negative space as a visual element, giving the subject room to breathe and lending a sense of airiness — think of being held aloft on a cloud, and you will instinctively understand her aesthetic. Favoring neutral tones, her work is organic, with a touch of romanticism and modernism, a recipe for beauty if we’ve ever seen one. Not to mention, her use of film brings richness to her prints that cannot be surpassed in our digital world.

4. Dan Kurtzman

With his preferred subject being landscapes, Dan is a San Francisco fine art photographer who works largely within the city and Bay Area in general. He often captures the famous fog and clouds around landmarks with an almost sensuous eye. He uses light to showcase his subjects, as well as the shadows they cast, as composition elements. Dan’s photos have a large depth of field, perfect for drawing you into the scene and allowing your mind to wander over the details of each shot. 

5. Adam Jacobs

As an ambassador for Manfrotto, a company famous for its photography gear, Adam surely knows his way around a camera. His eclectic portfolio of famous faces, “urban symmetry,” and sports gives away his diverse interests. He also has an immense appreciation for the aesthetics of urban decay and exploration, as represented through his haunting Abandoned Spaces series. His shots generally use saturated colors as a design element to lend vibrant energy to each shot. In addition, he often works with pattern and repetition, creating almost abstract images of common objects. His study of line and pattern within facades offers an interesting take on the urban landscape. Numerous world-renowned museums and galleries, as well as prestigious collections (including the Sir Elton John Photography Collection), have featured Adam’s work.

6. Richard Koci Hernandez

Visual genius Richard is a wildly accomplished photojournalist and the assistant professor of new media at the Berkeley School of Journalism. (Make sure to check out his mobile photography project — it is incredible). Almost exclusively in black and white, these photos are like looking at fine art printed on newspaper — impressionist shapes, graphic imagery, grain, and often a sense of discord. Richard’s masterful eye sees the beauty in the most common scenes, streamlined into their most simplistic and elegant lines. 

As San Francisco is brimming with art and culture, curating this list was one hard task with rich rewards. We hope you agree that all of these San Francisco fine art photographers are artists at the top of their game!

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