The 9 Best Landscape Photographers in Pittsburgh

Landscape photography offers a window into a new location, offering a depth of insight into a place, its people, and its evolving culture. Famously referred to as “Steel City,” Pittsburgh has a wide range of landscape photographers who capture this dynamic city in all its forms. Each frame freezes a moment of today, immortalizes it, and makes it shareable — which is a pretty amazing skill set. So, let’s take a look at these talented Pittsburgh landscape photographers and their perspectives of this booming city.

1. James Mahathey

James Mahathey is an artist who captures the raw and unfiltered world of the city. He sees the intricate details of Pittsburgh in the daily life of its inhabitants, in its structures and sharpest angles. He also, of course, ventures outside the city limits to snap gorgeous views across Pennsylvania’s expansive countryside. The low-light Pittsburgh landscapes in Mahathey’s work look like the stuff of oil painting. 

These photos exhibit excellent technicality, resulting in photographs that can be marveled at for hours. All of this and more makes James Mahathey one of the Pittsburgh landscape photographers you should know.

2. Adam Rinehart

A brief scroll through Adam Rinehart’s page will take you from downtown urban cityscapes to the wilderness of the Appalachian Mountains. Rinehart loves a super-wide Pittsburgh shot at sunset, but he also loves the great outdoors.

According to Rinehart, perfect shots are all down to capturing the natural light in the right way, and his portfolio is a masterclass in doing so. the technique of a perfect snapshot resides in playing with the natural light. Through his work, we get to see the familiar Pittsburgh landscapes in a whole new light, both literally and figuratively. 

3. Dan Brettholle

Pittsburgh landscape photographer Dan Brettholle says he shoots “places and faces,” but he doesn’t brag about how well he does it. His model shots are absolutely wonderful, but today we’re here for the landscapes — and thankfully, he’s got a deep portfolio of them.

Brettholle’s work documents Pittsburgh from the ground and air (he’s an awesome drone photographer/videographer), but he also gets out into the great outdoors often. When he does, look for vivid golden hour colors and soft, dreamy contrast. We can’t get enough.

4. Chris Persic

Pittsburgh landscape photographers like Chris Persic are masters at capturing seasons. His stellar take on the cold and scenic beauty of the Pittsburgh winter is a visual treat. White sheets of snow, moonlit sky, and the brief presence of sun rays on train tracks — it’s all enough to make you crave a cup of hot cocoa.

Of course, he’s great all year round, and the other seasons give him ample opportunity to display his editing style, which is highly saturated and almost painterly. Check him out!

5. Nathaniel Holzer

It’s said that cities best reveal themselves at night. Pittsburgh landscape photographers like Nathaniel Holzer specialize in night shots, and for our money, he does some of the best in all of Pennsylvania.

His portfolio covers a large span of excellent long exposure shots — to get those great moving car light lines — which gives his night shots a dramatic neo-noir vibe. Holzer’s daytime shots are just as engaging and showcase his tremendous eye for color correction and editing.

6. Daniel Thompson

Daniel Thompson, like a few other Pittsburgh landscape photographers on this list, loves to make eye-popping use of Pittsburgh’s frequently foggy weather, and we never get tired of seeing it. His landscape work tends towards the epic, especially with his shots taken on his travels to places like Colorado and Utah.

Shooting in urban environments and shooting in wilderness environments are different animals, with different technical and creative challenges. Thompson’s versatility speaks to his knowledge of his equipment, as well as his strong foundation of photography fundamentals. Basically, every landscape photo he takes is a good one.

7. Alisha Swalin

You’ll see as much close-up macro photography in Alisha Swalin’s portfolio as wide landscape shots, and that’s because she’s fascinated with capturing the soul of the places she documents. Her loyalty isn’t strictly to the form of photography itself. We get the sense that she takes an exceptionally thoughtful approach to her work, and that’s reflected in her witty and reflective captions.

Swalin captures modern buildings, murals, graffiti, flora, and fauna alike, presenting each with technical proficiency and unabashed authenticity. Swalin’s knowledge and love for Pittsburgh simply shine through her intimate and natural approach, as if we’re joining with her on a walk through a city she knows well. 

8. Eric R. Heath

Check out Eric Heath’s Instagram feed, and you’ll see a cool mixture of Pittsburgh night shots (with huge moons!) and lush, green photos of the great outdoors. We appreciate that in addition to the wide-angle landscape photography we’re all used to, Heath also nails macro photography, giving us both the big, wide images and the tiniest of details to marvel over.

Seasonal flowers, buzzing bees, and crawling caterpillars perfectly accompany his landscape shots, reminding us of the life teeming within each expansive view of a mountain range or babbling creek. He’s certainly one of the most talented Pittsburgh landscape photographers in the field today.

9. Matt Stark Photography

Look to Matt Stark for a love of exploration. It’s evident in his fascination with space exploration, and it’s evident in the landscapes he chooses to document. Many of them feel like you’re being invited to check out a place not everyone’s aware of, a place Stark has trekked to find just the right composition.

But he’s also a highly talented drone pilot, and his aerial landscape views are something to be envied. Check out his super-sharp captures from high above Pittsburgh, and you’ll see what we mean.

Pretty in Pittsburgh

The best Pittsburgh landscape photographers invite us to view familiar places in new ways and to reconsider the familiar. In this way, we can gain a new appreciation for places we take for granted. Often they work far beyond their own city limits, offering you a glimpse into their far-flung travels.

There’s something special in that, and it’s probably why landscape photography has endured for as long as cameras have been around. Check out the work of these amazing photographers, and we think you’ll be itching to get outside and explore.

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