Photographers I Love to Learn From (and Kind of Idolize)

I love photography, and I love learning.

I learn best from hands-on experiences, but reading and listening to others’ experiences, especially when they speak in a way that I can understand, is a fantastic learning opportunity as well! There are a ton of amazing photographers out in the world, and I have been blessed to connect with and learn from some of the most talented. These are my top ten favorite photographers to learn from (in no particular order!):

Katelyn James: Katelyn is a wedding photographer and online educator out of Virginia. She and her husband were married the month before my husband and I got married (2010), and they are the parents of three adorable children (all under three!). She’s one of the easiest teachers I have read or listened to—she doesn’t talk over your head at all. Her teaching style is so conversational, you feel as if you are just sitting with her, drinking coffee and learning all about photography! Because I am an English teacher and writer myself, I so appreciate her storytelling ability—through her words and her photographs. Katelyn has a plethora of photography education courses, webinars, and free resources in lighting, location, posing, the business side of wedding photography, editing, and more! One of the most unique opportunities she offers is a monthly subscription to be her virtual third shooter, and through the magic of video, she takes you along on real photo sessions and weddings, showing you how she creates beautiful images, even in tough photography situations.
Amy & Jordan: Amy and Jordan are a husband and wife team out of Phoenix, Arizona, and they are my people. They both started out as elementary school teachers who initially had no idea they wanted to become photographers—just like me! After they learned from a lot of trial and error, quit their teaching jobs, and built a very successful photography business of their own, they started coaching and educating others in how to do what they do. Like Katelyn James, they have courses, webinars, and free resources in shooting, posing, and the business side of running a wedding and portrait photography business. Because they started out as teachers, they really know how to teach in a way that just makes sense. They also have a fantastic podcast called Life with Amy and Jordan, where they talk about anything and everything, from photography, to overcoming debt, to raising littles. They are so real, and they are HILARIOUS! They are also the parents of two adorable children and living the dream, preparing to relocate to the Southeast! (Maybe that means I will be able to meet them in person one day soon?!?)
Davina Fear: Before I started my business and was just beginning to learn more about photography, I had the blessing of teaching Davina’s twin daughters when they were in fifth grade. I remember figuring out about halfway through that school year that their mom was an amazing photographer with quite a business of her own! She was the first professional to give me specific feedback (and I still remember what it was—to work on my focus!), and I continued to follow her and her sweet family over the years, watching her develop her business from strictly documentary family photography sessions to becoming an amazing life and business coach through her Warrior Women Challenge, for moms who want to redefine their vision and establish a healthy work-family balance. A couple of summers ago, I lucked up and was selected for a free month of coaching, and Davina helped me think through my work-family balance, photography workflows, and even identified a specialized niche that I hadn’t realized I had developed (extended family sessions). I truly believe she has a gift for observation and revelation, which comes through in her coaching and her photography! She also has a fantastic podcast and newsletter that speak to my soul.
Richard Israel: After I took a few classes at The Light Factory in Charlotte and got on their mailing list, I signed up for a wedding photography workshop taught by this phenomenal photographer—before I even knew who he was! And wow—I had no idea I was in the presence of photography royalty while I was learning from him. Richard was born in London (I could listen to him talk all day long—that accent!) and became a hairstylist and fashion photographer in New York, before moving to Charlotte and becoming a wedding and portrait photographer. He shoots film, digital, and video and has such gift for capturing emotion through his images. He gave me my first wedding photography gallery feedback after I shot my first “surprise” wedding for an extended family member—which was pretty awful because I had NO idea what I was doing at the time—and even though he probably thought my images were quite terrible and inexperienced, he pointed out that I had a gift for photographing children, which has been affirmed over and over again by my family photography clients. His work is simply beautiful, and I love to study his composition and creative use of light.
Chelsea Mowery: I met Chelsea through a mutual photography acquaintance, and we agreed to trade family photo sessions a little over 5 years ago. After our session, we stood out in the cold and just talked for nearly 45 minutes, realizing how much we had in common! Since then she has become a wonderful friend, was able to second shoot a few weddings with me, became one of my greatest photography mentors, and is also my personal photo editor when I am swamped and need to outsource a bit of my editing! She is incredibly skilled at not only working a camera, but also the entire editing process. Over the last few years, Chelsea has established a private photo editing business that allows her the freedom to travel (she has the most amazing RV adventures with her husband and dogs!), has created mobile presets for iphoneographers, and still continues to do family and senior portraits when she is at home in Sandpoint, Idaho. She has taught me so many things over the years, given me some great feedback and constructive criticism, and continues to challenge me in my editing techniques!
Siobhan Lorraine: Siobhan and I met when she was a senior in high school at one of the first classes at The Light Factory either one of us took. She found out I was shooting a wedding for a friend (only my second wedding!) and asked to tag along to see what wedding photography was like. Since then, “the student has become the master”—she graduated from UNC and built a booming wedding photography business of her own, shooting anywhere between 30-40 weddings a year! She travels all over the world, photographing beautiful couples in fantastic locations, and she has become quite an expert at capturing the essence of pure love between her brides and grooms and telling their love stories through her photographs. We still keep up with and occasionally second shoot for each other when we are in the same location (which is rare, these days!).
More Beatty: I connected with More when she moved from Los Angeles to Charlotte and was seeking out photographers in the area to second shoot with. She came along with me to shoot a surprise engagement with me, and we immediately connected over photography and sushi. She also has such a fascinating story! Born and raised in Israel, More moved to LA to pursue acting. She had learned English from watching TV and began her own vlog, but when she had her first son, she discovered photography and never turned back! She has built her business purely on perseverance and educating herself, and she has become a spectacular wedding and family photographer. She second shot a few weddings with me before moving back to California, and each time I worked with her, she challenged me to take control of my sessions instead of just sitting back and letting things happen. She is now working out of Southern California again, has become a mentor for photographers on their techniques and the ins and outs of running a photography business, and just gave birth to her second baby boy! She has a lot of free resources on her website and also schedules mentoring sessions in person or via Skype! Most recently, she has begun sharing fantastic reels on Instagram that hold lots of valuable tips for wedding and portrait photographers…go follow her!
Haylie Jeter: When my go-to second shooters got very busy building their own businesses and traveling a few years ago, I reached out through the local Rising Tide Society chapter in Charlotte to find a few more connections. Haylie was one of the first to respond to my FaceBook post, and I remember meeting her at Starbucks on a cloudy, winter day. She was a commercial photographer for Belk who also worked in the wedding industry, and we immediately hit it off and scheduled a few weddings together. Since then, she second shoots with me several times a year and has become a great friend and photography mentor. Why she agrees to shoot with me is beyond me—she is much more technically skilled than I am, and I learn from her each time we get to work together. She is an expert at lighting, capturing details, and creating unique compositions. Haylie is currently building a commercial photography business that caters to small shops, and she also creates custom watercolor paintings! Her work is absolutely beautiful.
Scott Stockton: I always thought of myself as a natural light photographer and thought flash was only something a photographer used only when necessary, until I discovered this guy. Scott is a wedding and portrait photographer out of Charlotte and is the MASTER at creating phenomenal art with FLASH. Seriously, sometimes I camp out on his Instagram feed and just scroll through and read. He always shares the equipment he uses, his camera settings, and how he composes his images, and I have learned a ton just by studying his art! He has some great educational resources and behind-the-scenes videos on his website. He also seems like one of the most down-to-earth photographers and dads! One day I hope to meet him and get a lesson on using my own flash setup, which I have been working on for the last year and a half or so.
The Light Factory: I have mentioned The Light Factory as providing me with several connections in my photography education. The Light Factory is a non-profit photography institute in Charlotte, NC and one of only a few like it in the United States. (I am grateful I live so close!) There is a gallery with rotating exhibits, and they host a phenomenal series of educational classes and workshops taught by highly skilled and reputable photographers and instructors, offered at all times, including nights and weekends. I have taken several classes there (Intro to Digital Photography, Portraiture, and a couple of Wedding Workshops), and I have visited with my school photography club a few times on field trips, where we learned about and toured their darkroom, learned photography technique, and explored the gallery. The Light Factory also has summer camps geared towards students of all ages which I always recommend to my students!
BONUS—Cardinal Camera: This camera shop in Pineville, NC, is a hidden gem. My friend and photography mentor Chelsea Mowery (see above) worked there for a time, and she recommended some of their classes and workshops. I have only taken one so far on flash photography, but they offer classes and workshops on anything from introduction to DSLR photography to astrophotography, for students and adults. Their instructors are very down-to-earth, and the classes are very affordable!