18 Best Kansas City Portrait Photographers

Based in Overland Park, Adrienne Maples PhotoStudios is an internationally award winning studio published with Modern Bride, The Knot, Southern Bride, to name a few as well as featured on TV shows like David Tutera’s My Fair Wedding and Girl Meets Gown. This full service studio offers professional portraits, commercial photography services, senior pictures, as well as maternity and family photography.

Bella Boudoir of Kansas City seeks to highlight the beauty of women of all ages, shapes and sizes through sensual angles, lighting, and poses. Petra of Bella Boudoir directs two- to three-hour sessions starting at $425. Albums, wall art, and digital collections start at $600. One happy client said, “I was nervous about being nude in front of someone I didn't know. I'm modest by nature. Petra made me feel so comfortable. It was like hanging out with a close friend or a sister. All my fears quickly went away after we started taking pictures. Petra is a sweetheart....by the time I left, I felt I'd made a new friend.”

Bliss Photography in Overland Park offers posed photography sessions for high school senior pictures, family portraits, professional headshots, modeling portfolios, and more. Owner Carol Bliss has over 10 years of experience in photography and has a working partnership with professional hair and makeup artist Chanda Hutton, who has accumulated over 17 years of experience after attending Sunset Gower Studios Makeup Academy in Hollywood. Bliss Photography has a gallery and current specials posted on its website.

Bokeh Story Photos is a portrait photography studio in Liberty, Missouri. Lai, the photographer, describes her style as classic and timeless. Bokeh Story Photos specializes in couple, family, fashion, headshots, kids, maternity photography, and more. They strive to be masters in telling stories and building memories. Due to the high-quality outcome that they want to achieve, they accept limited clients per month.

Brant Brogan Photography is a portrait photography agency based in Kansas City and serving clients in the greater metro area. Mr. Brogan has almost 20 years of experience as a photographer. He takes headshot photos for business people, actors, and models, and he has experience in capturing portrait photographs of families and children. Wedding photography is one of the specialist services offered by the agency. Studio and location-based photoshoots are available.

Cathy Quarles Photography specializes in capturing images that are somewhere between journalistic and posed, resulting in geometrically stable yet natural photographs of families, couples, and individuals. Located in Kansas City, Ms. Quarles has over 15 years of experience capturing the best of people in images that look good in family albums, on wall canvas, or online and in social media. Session details and prices are available on the company's website.

Colleen Christi Photography, based in Kansas City, Missouri, specializes in natural-light portraits and prefers styled or theme-oriented sessions. Christi is a multi-award-winning, published newborn and children’s portrait photographer who photographs babies, children, tweens, families, and high school seniors. Colleen Christi Photography has collaborated with fashion designers and also hosts “MOMtography” workshops for moms who wish to learn how to best capture the personalities of their children.

Fountain City Studios is a Kansas City photography and videography service that focuses its talents on senior pictures, lifestyle and family portraits, and commercial photo and video presentations and promotions. In the past, Fountain City Studios has served clients like McDonald’s, AAMCO, Lennox, and more.

Freeland Photography is a business in Lee’s Summit that specializes in weddings, photographing newborns, children, and families, and senior portraits. Michael Freeland of Freeland Photography has over 20 years of experience in these areas and has recently expanded services to include headshots, corporate events, and other commercial photography needs. The studio’s work has been featured in advertising campaigns for companies like Comcast and InterContinental Hotels and has created images for clients like Taylor Swift, Barack Obama, and others.

JP Shots is an Overland Park, KS-based wedding and portrait photography studio that has been serving clients in the Kansas City area for over fifteen years. The studio uses state-of-the-art equipment and offers fixed pricing for wedding photography packages. The package includes capturing all the important moments at the wedding as well as a free engagement photo session. Photographer JP has studied photography at the University of Central Missouri and has also won multiple awards for his work.

Lake Forest Photography Studio offers a range of services from wedding photography to headshots, family portraits, and lifestyle photography. Lifestyle photography aims to capture the “magic of the everyday,” whereas commercial photography sessions by Lake Forest Photography Studio work to shape a business’s public image and to give customers an inside look at that company’s “personality” and products. The studio also shoots boudoir sessions.

Laurel Austin Studio is a photography business in Olathe that specializes in fashion photography and portraits of children, families, and high school seniors. Laurel Austin Studio has referrals for professional makeup artists on its website and has a page of preparation tips for those who may have a photo session coming up. Senior picture packages start at one hour of shooting, including three different looks, for $225.

Lit Headshots is a portrait photography service based in Kansas City, Missouri, that exclusively focuses on photographing headshots for professionals, seniors, and senior students. The business is owned and operated by Amy Martin, a local photographer with more than 15 years of experience shooting portraits. During her sessions, she guides clients through natural poses that bring out their best features. Emailed images are generally sent to the client two days after the photoshoot.

Melissa McGee Photography is a Kansas City studio that serves clients throughout the Kansas City metro area and surrounding communities. Founded in 2010, the studio offers several photography services and packages, including senior portraits, pet portraits, sports and dance photography, professional headshots, personal brand photography, and content creation. Photographer Melissa McGee can travel to provide destination and on-location photography. Melissa McGee Photography has won several awards, including the 2020 Hulafrog's Most Loved Award, and was recently featured in Shutter Magazine. She strives to make each session a fun experience while creating technically-excellent portraits.

Random Photography in Kansas City specializes in commercial and product photography, senior portraits, sports photography, pictures of pets, and creative works, like aerial photography and other styles. The photographer received training in photojournalism but has since focused his talents on these areas. Random Photography is willing to travel outside of Kansas for its clients.

Sara Marie Photography is a business in Overland Park that shoots weddings and engagements and is comfortable with capturing intimate moments in either natural or posed settings. Sara received her BA of Fine Arts in Photography from Kansas State University and was recognized as a “Best of Weddings” photographer by The Knot in 2016. Her business has also been featured on Midwest Bride and Borrowed & Blue.

The Headshot Studio in Kansas City coaches an individual during the photography session to bring out his or her defining traits that will help project the professional’s desired image. Shea of The Headshot Studio points out on the business’s website that “headshots aren’t just for actors [and] models anymore.” She aims to help each person develop his or her “brand identity” with a powerful headshot. The company’s website also contains a section of tips for session preparation regarding hair and makeup, clothing, and accessory choices.

Wirken Photography and Wirken Films in Kansas City started in 2013 as a collaboration of photographers with skills in photojournalism and cinematography that specialize in capturing the beauty of naturally occurring moments that take place in weddings and among family members. In 2013, American Photo Magazine named Tyler Wirken, one of the business’s founding photographers, as one of the top 10 wedding photographers in the world.