Philly photographer

October 11, 2021 8:59 PM

The bf and I are taking a trip to Philadelphia, and are looking for a professional photographer to get some good pictures of us - sort of a mini-engagement session, without the engagement. I am looking for either recommendations, or places to find recommendations, such as specific FB groups where others ask questions like this.

I tried Googling, but I was finding the most popular, well-advertised wedding photographers, and for this, I'm looking for the next level or two down. In my city, this is the kind of thing I'd go and ask for recommendations on my local FB community group. I'm assuming those exist for Philly, but there seem to be a lot, and I hope a local can help me pare those down. We'd like some pictures in front of the LOVE sculpture, and maybe another nearby locale that would make a good/interesting background (weather permitting). Thanks in advance!

posted by Sparky Buttons to Grab Bag (9 answers total)

There are several good art schools in Phila - Tyler, University of the Arts, PAFA.
Tyler and UA have photog students for sure, maybe check those for someone.
posted by mdrew at 2:04 AM on October 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

I offer no suggestions; but send congratulations about your "mini engagement" !
posted by mightshould at 3:16 AM on October 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks , but no engagement (yet - by the end of the year, most likely 🥰). That's just the style of photo shoot I'm looking for.
posted by Sparky Buttons at 6:22 AM on October 12, 2021

I think most of the ones I know offhand are toward the higher end, but I do know that Full Circle photography does good work at a lower cost; I don't think she has listed engagement shoots on her pricing page but I imagine that's an option too, considering weddings & portraits being listed.
posted by Tomorrowful at 7:22 AM on October 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Hi! I’m a portrait photographer based just outside of Philly. Have a look at my work and feel free to reach out if you want. I’m happy to help out myself, or point you in the right direction if you can let me know a little bit about what you’re looking for specifically. Have a great trip!

Melissa Kelly Photography
posted by rinosaur at 7:32 AM on October 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

I was a Philly bride, and to find my wedding photographer, I scoured Instagram looking for the style I wanted, followed the hashtag links, and then reached out to the photographers who matched my style.

For specific recommendations, here was our wedding photographer, Daniel Fugaciu - he lives in Philly and is awesome.

The person he brought as his "second" to our wedding, Ryan Eda, is also local and a great photographer, super friendly and easy to work with (especially since we didn't meet him beforehand).
posted by DoubleLune at 7:34 AM on October 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Best answer: The University of Pennsylvania has a copy of the LOVE statue on campus—and it's a lovely campus that might make a better backdrop than LOVE Park.
posted by vitout at 9:38 AM on October 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Can vouch for Melissa Kelly who commented above. She is a fabulous photographer with a lot of great city knowledge and also connections to other photogs who could help you out!
posted by kellygrape at 9:48 AM on October 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Heather Raub of Front Room Images https://www.instagram.com/frontroom_images/ is a gifted photographer who does a lot of work in Philly. She is so good at putting folks at ease, and has a great eye. She can do what you have imagined, or come up with ideas, if you need some.
posted by mmf at 12:11 PM on October 12, 2021