Best Portrait Photographers in San Francisco

While anyone can capture a shot of a family or friend on their phone, there’s a lot of skill that goes into the artistry of professional portrait photography. It’s about capturing the personality of a subject through the use of lighting, backdrops and poses while creating images that are dynamic and alive.

In the San Francisco area, there are professional photographers dedicated to everything from modeling portfolios to corporate headshots, family and wedding portraits, in a diverse range of styles. In this list, we’ve included some of the best who have left their mark on the industry.

Elisa Cicinelli Photography

Specializing in portrait, fashion, beauty, wedding, engagement, and boudoir photography, Elisa Cicinelli has worked in the industry for around 20 years. There’s something about Elisa’s portraits that perfectly capture the humanity and personality of her subjects. She studied film and fine art and was mentored by Sue Bryce, as well as working closely with the British photographer Platon in New York City and Frank Ockenfel in Los Angeles. Drawing on soft light and subdued shadows, there’s a vintage touch and timeless quality to her images.

Nancy Rothstein

Based out of a studio in Oakland, Nancy Rothstein is a skilled portrait photographer who works throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2004, she graduated with a BFA in Fine Art from Mills College and has worked as a professional ever since, with clients that include Neustar, The Hewlett Foundation, and the Stanford School of Engineering. Nancy captures both posed and improvised shots during her portrait sessions, with a natural eye for composition and an obvious connection with her subjects.

Portraits to the People

Sarah Deragon is the photographer behind Portraits to the People and says she picked up a camera in her 30s when she became burned out at her day job. As a self-taught photographer, her passion is centered around capturing the best version of people, whether it’s a corporate headshot, an online dating profile image, or the playfulness of a child. Sarah loves utilizing natural light and creative backdrops, and her work has been featured in “Oprah Magazine”, “The Huffington Post” and “Bust Magazine”.

Mike McGee

Born and raised in Oakland, Mike McGee is an agency-approved professional photographer who specializes in fashion photography. While he started out in landscape photography, he now exclusively shoots portraits, including modeling, corporate, and beauty headshots. Not only is he signed with the RAE Modeling Agency but he is also a member of the Nikon Professional Services group. While Mike regularly photographs at his studio space, he also travels throughout the Bay Area to shoot on location.

JCo Studios

Established in 2010, JCo Studios is the photography company of Jeremy Cortez who shoots headshot portraits, marketing material, and events for a wide range of clients. His high-end client experience was inspired by his own wedding photographer and he goes above and beyond to understand what they need. He’s skilled at making his subjects feel comfortable in front of the camera, with a certain playfulness to his images. Previous clients rave about his personality, professionalism, and the experience of working with him.

Kingmond Young

Kingmond Young is a full-service photography studio that’s known for its content-driven and artistic portraits. Kingmond works on advertising, collateral stock, and editorial projects either on location or in his studio, as well as offering location scouting, prop search, and casting services. Working throughout the United States, he has a reputation for really getting to know the backstory of his clients (which have included Safeway, Opera San Jose, and Kodak) and reflecting this in the images he captures.

Tiana Hunter Photography

Tiana Hunter is a top portrait photographer in San Francisco specializing in fashion, commercial branding, and lifestyle shots. Tiana captures dynamic images that clearly and creatively convey client brands and visions by keeping personal empowerment and wellness front and center during shoots.

Tiana channels positivity and passion into her sessions and taps into her own experience as a photo model to help subjects feel comfortable and confident. When you need authentic, powerful portrait shots to deliver your individual or brand message, don't miss a chance to work with Tiana Hunter Photography.

S72 Business Portraits

As its name suggests, this San Francisco-based company is dedicated to capturing business headshots and portraits. It’s led by Jeff who has been a commercial and editorial photographer for more than 15 years and established S72 as he didn’t think the quality of headshots he was seeing was up to scratch.

He’s photographed ad campaigns for Apple, Cadillac, and IBM and has had his portraits featured in “Forbes”, “Esquire”, and “The Wall Street Journal”. He strives to capture business headshots that set individuals apart from the rest while matching their personality, branding, and style.

Studio Iverson

Kaare Iverson is the photographer behind Studio Iverson, which specializes in portraits, lifestyle, and fitness photography in the Bay Area. Canadian born and growing up in the Pacific Northwest inspired an intimate relationship with nature that Kaare has pursued throughout his photographic career.

He has a photojournalistic style and a knack for storytelling, saying that he’s here to “elevate the stories innate in you, your product, and your business”. A highlight of his portfolio is his environmental portraits that capture people doing what they love.

Russ Levi Photography

Hailing from San Diego, Russ Levi now calls the Sonoma County Wine Country “home” and has been photographing weddings since 2009. He says he loves that every part of the day requires a different genre of photography, from documenting candid emotions to romantic portraits and all the action of the reception dance floor. When he’s not shooting weddings, he works with individuals capturing engaging headshots and travels around the world documenting people, places, and events.

Anna Wu

While most of Anna Wu’s portfolio is dedicated to her wedding photography, she’s also a highly talented portrait photographer. She believes that there is beauty in imperfection and values that in photography, capturing authentic moments and images that are not only compelling but natural.

When it comes time for portraits, she provides enough direction so that her clients feel comfortable while also allowing them to do what feels right. One look through her portrait portfolio and you’ll find shots of joyful families and strongly bonded friends that exude radiance.

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