Houston Photographers who grabbed my attention in 2021
Houston is a huge city with photographers probably on every block. There’s a lot of noise to sort through especially when consuming a metric ton of images through Instagram. My favorite photographers I’ve followed this year rise above not just because the pictures are awesome, but also because of their consistency and commitment to their niche. There’s no rank-order to this list.
Joanna Booth
You can spot a photo by Joanna from 100 yards because her style is so established. Classic studio portraits and family images that will age wonderfully and I’m sure they look epic when printed out large! Lots of attention to detail in the retouching too.
Carl Fehres
Magazine-quality shoots from a film-only photographer. Beautiful models in beautiful places. Black-and-whites are done properly - you can tell this isn’t someone just desaturating a color original. And it isn’t everyday you see so many great Polaroids.
Chris Gillett
As much as consistent technique is required for a good professional headshot, the key is in how he pulls emotion from the sitter. You can tell every one he shoots is having a great time. I’ve really enjoyed the behind-the-scenes Instagram stories showing the process in action.
Laura Burlton
If you thought film was old-school, imagine a time before rolls and sheets of gelatin where you have to make your own light-sensitive emulsion. I can’t imagine the technical difficulties, and commitment that goes into each squeeze of the shutter. Laura’s work is a step closer to that of traditional art in the sense that each shot is unique and impossible to reproduce.
Jenna Barrett
Jenna’s fashion images span the spectrum from classic studio to full-on fantasy. I’m always looking forward to seeing what comes out of her camera next!
Bethany Brewster
Wonderful studio portraits mixed in with personal adventures. There’s a confidence and a boldness that comes out in each image. The recent “Spotlight” portraits particularly caught my eye; every image made the sitter look like an absolute rock-star.
