There are a lot of amazing portrait photographers vying for your attention. It can be hard to know who to follow, so in line with our current Portrait call for entries we’ve asked our friends at Format Magazine to round up some of their favorite talent you should have on your radar.
These photographers shoot a variety of subjects—from colorful portraits that outshine standard headshots, to an inside look at the music industry, to challenging how and who we prioritize and give voice—but they all have one thing in common: top-tier work that manages to showcase both the photographer’s style and highlight the subject in an interesting, and sometimes thought-provoking way.
Aundre Larrow
Brooklyn-based photographer Aundre Larrow’s rich, color-saturated portraits highlight how effective photography can be as a story-telling device. Whether he’s capturing shots at fashion week, athletes on the field, street photography, or celebrity portraits (like rapper Chief Keef), Larrow’s work gives a brief but intimate glimpse into its subjects’ lives.
Larrow also served as an Adobe Creative Resident for 2017-2018, where he created a visual essay titled stories from here, exploring the impact of American socio-economics on which stories we see—and why.
Kevin Wong
The names alone in Kevin Wong’s portfolio are enough to make anyone do a double take: Kanye, The Weeknd, Drake, Demi Lovato, Lana Del Rey, John Legend, Lexus, Lamborghini, and Rolex to name a few.
But the LA-based photographer’s work is just as impressive as his client list. Wong’s philosophy is to photograph according to your own feelings to make your work unique, and simplicity is the foundation of everything he does.
Mark Clennon
New York based photographer Mark Clennon documents stories from the African diaspora with his poignant portraits while also detailing own journey through an open and honest blog.
“My main focus is to photograph people. I take particular interest and documenting and capturing the stories of humans of the African diaspora—put shortly, black people. I feel as though it is my responsibility to provide a wide scope of what it means to be a black person in this era.”
Charmaine Poh
Combining photography with research, text, video, and installation, Chinese-Singaporean fine art photographer Charmaine Poh focuses on issues of memory, gender, youth, and solitude in the Asian context.
Often working with the form of narrative portraiture, she considers the performance of self and the layers of identity we build. Interested in the stories that make us who we are, Charmaine works with communities in a collaborative process that holds space for introspection, intimacy, and sharing.
Charlotte Patmore
With a portfolio that includes shots of Tyler the Creator, Charli XCX, and Kate Nash, London’s Charlotte Patmore is a name to remember when it comes to music photography.
Patmore frequently travels with her subjects, enabling her to get behind-the-scenes shots as well as more stylized editorial shots loved by record labels and music outlets alike.
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