Portrait photography isn’t always just about creating a portrait, it’s about capturing someone’s story through their photograph. A good portrait photographer connects with and empowers their subject so they are comfortable enough to let their story shine through. This week we’re featuring a group of Sony portrait photographers who connect with their subjects to create powerful and professional portraits that stand out from the rest. For your chance to be featured on AlphaUniverse.com, tag your own Sony shots with #BeAlpha, and follow @sonyalpha for your daily dose of creative inspiration. 

Tag your Sony shots with #BeAlpha for the chance to be featured on AlphaUniverse.com, and follow @sonyalpha for your daily dose of creative inspiration.

Jermaine Horton – @theartofconfidenceproject

Jermaine Horton is a Sony Artisan and Naperville (Chicago) area wedding and portrait photographer. He started The Art Of Confidence Project to empower youth across the country and restore their confidence through the art of imagery. Learn more about the story behind some of these powerful portraits here and follow @theartofconfidenceproject for more on his latest series (which was just featured on CBS This Morning this week). Check out his other accounts, @jermainehortonphotography and @jermainehortonportraits for more of his impressive work!

Brian Smith – @briansmithphoto

Brian Smith is a Sony Artisan with over 30 years of experience creating iconic portraits of popular people. His bold work captures the larger-than-life personalities of his subjects and tells so much of their story in a single frame. He took this shot below as part of the Sony Shootout at Portrait Masters Live using his Sony α7R IV and Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master. Learn more about his workflow for editorial portrait shoots here.

Me Ra Koh – @merakoh

Me Ra Koh is a Sony Artisan and renowned portrait photographer who uses her work to inspire and build stronger families. She says that, “A portrait session can heal the heart, transform how someone sees themselves, and leave them with confidence,” which is why she gets to know her subjects personally and tells their stories through portraiture. Check out the portraits she took below and read the post’s caption to learn more about how this particular portrait session helped a young girl realize her beauty.

Rhonisha Franklin – @rdione

Rhonisha Franklin is a portrait photographer with a passion for contemporary portraiture. She’s also the first 2020 Sony Alpha Female+ Grant winner. She specializes in photographing people of color and in 2019 she completed “Profile Noire,” a personal project that came from her desire to showcase the beauty of women of color. She’s now working on a companion project, “The Subtle Strength Of Kings,” and the Alpha Female+ Grant will help Rhonisha complete its first phase. Give her account a follow for more bold and beautiful portrait work in your feed.

David Troeger – @jetlag

David Troeger is a commercial, fashion and underwater photographer based in Germany. Using his Sony α7R IV, he creates brilliant portraits. He combined it with the Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master to get the shot below. You can learn more about how he created it by transforming a small apartment studio into a floral photo shoot studio here. Follow his account to see more colorful portrait photography.