Top 6 Landscape Photographers in Grand Rapids, MI
With its shimmering lakes, idyllic islands, and bounty of outdoor pursuits, the state of Michigan is a landscape photographer’s dream. For a lucky few, it’s also the place they call home, with plenty of inspiration right on their doorstep.
Read on to learn about 6 of the top landscape photographers in Grand Rapids and get a glimpse of their work.
Steven Huyser-Honig
Steven Huyser-Honig says that he has always been captivated by the natural beauty of Michigan, ever since he first vacationed on the shores of Lake Michigan as a child. Eventually, he moved to a lakeshore community to start college and has stayed there ever since, honing his photography skills along the way.
As a self-taught photographer, Steven is on a mission to share the beauty of his adopted home and preserve it for future generations. He creates fine art prints that are of the highest quality and launched Grand River Giclee to enable other photographers to do the same at affordable prices.
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Neil Weaver Photography
Another self-taught landscape photographer on our list is Neil Weaver, who has been photographing throughout Michigan and the Great Lakes region for more than 20 years. He is originally from the Upper Peninsula and says that he would spend endless days as a child exploring the shores of Lake Superior, Lake Huron, and Lake Michigan.
Neil’s favorite subjects include lighthouses, waterfalls, and beach scenes, and his work has been featured in numerous magazines that include “Outdoor Photographer,” “Pure Michigan,” and “Lake Superior Magazine.”
In 2018, Neil launched a workshop series alongside his talented photographer friend, Aubrieta Hope, to help other budding landscape photographers improve their skills.
Jon and Lori Arvey Photography
Jon and Lori Arvey are a husband and wife photography team who are dedicated to documenting the natural beauty of their home state, Michigan. Their portfolio at Naturally Serene Photos is filled with stunning images of seascapes, forested trails, and cascades, with the couple saying their cameras are their “constant companions” as they travel the highways and back roads. Their landscape images can be transformed into beautiful prints to hang on the wall, with a variety of sizes and customized options available.
The Fourniers
While Leidy and Josh of The Fourniers are technically fine art wedding photographers, we think their ability to incorporate stunning landscape scenes into their work makes them worthy of inclusion on this list.
Through the use of film photography, the duo creates stunning, editorial images that are full of radiant light and capture all of the gorgeous natural details in their surroundings. While based in Grand Rapids, the couple loves traveling for both work and pleasure and they have a team of talented associate photographers with whom they collaborate. Aside from capturing inspiring landscape scenes, The Fourniers strive to make “every step of the journey feel effortless and blissful.”
Steve Jessmore Photography
Steve Jessmore is an award-winning bird and wildlife photographer, who moved from his hometown of Saginaw to Grand Rapids in 2018. He is a five-time Michigan Press Photographer Association Photographer of the Year and previously worked as a photographer and photo editor for Central Michigan University.
When COVID-19 hit, Steve suddenly had time on his hands to pursue a new challenge, kayaking, which led to him documenting birds in their natural environment.
Today, he dedicates his time to freelance nature photography, drawing on his more than 30 years of experience in the industry. In 2021, Steve won first prize in the 2021 Audubon Photography Awards and received the only professional honorable mention.
Nick Irwin Images
Based in Rockford, Nick Irwin is a native Grand Rapidian who says that he enjoys everything about Michigan’s outdoors lifestyle. His photography journey began in 2017 and has always centered around his passion for the natural world, together with his interest in urban landscapes and the people he meets.
Nick’s interest in landscape photography has inspired him to travel the world, with the photographer documenting the caves of Arizona, the thundering waterfalls of Iceland, and the Aurora Borealis dancing in the skies of Alaska.
As a professional photographer, he has collaborated with Allegiant Air, Experience Grand Rapids, and has had his images published by “National Geographic.”