The 9 Best Family Photographers in Milwaukee

Searching for the best Milwaukee family photographers? Then you’ve come to the right place! At Peerspace, we make it our mission to amplify and highlight the creative community. We’re the largest online marketplace for hourly venue rentals, including photo studios and other photogenic spaces, so we see a lot of photography. We also want to make your search for the perfect photographer for your family images easy, which this list should help do.

As Henri Cartier Bresson once said, “You just have to live and life will give you pictures.” We have to agree with this sentiment. There is something beautiful about looking through the family album and remembering what those days from yesterday were like. Thankfully, photography has evolved from stoic portraiture to the authentic documentary family photography we see today. If you’re looking for someone to help you document a day in your life, or even an hour in your life, contact one of the following fabulous Milwaukee family photographers.

1. Katie Bingen Photography

A mix of playful childhood shots and tender moments power Katie Bingen’s portfolio — a little girl is thrilled with her balloons, siblings run freely down a forest path, parents lovingly glance at their little ones — each shot is emotional. Her signature editing style adds to the nostalgic feeling: beautifully contrasted and slightly warm hues are reminiscent of film. However, don’t let the sentimental touches fool you since Katie is ultra-modern in her documentary approach, capturing only the authentic moments from her subjects. She is one of our top Milwaukee family photographers for a reason — her portraits transcend portraits and become art

2. Codi Shandel Photography

A highly-developed sentimental eye is perfect when you need a photographer to document the moments and details you want to remember forever. And in fact, Codi Shandel is delightfully sentimental. Her family portraits are non-traditional twists — you don’t see families standing in lines, smiling broadly. Instead, her portraits are filled with real emotion. She uses depth of field in a creative way, as sometimes what is out of focus allows you to feel the photo instead of merely viewing it. Codi Shandel’s up-close and personal style ensures that the face fills the frame and contributes to the feeling in the viewer that they are witnessing something unique and beautiful.

3. Talia Laird Photography

By her own admission, Talia Laird would drape the whole world in white if she could. And since she is a photographer, she essentially can. Her signature high-key-almost-overexposed editing is perfect for fine art style photos, and the elegance and simplicity of white backdrops make her subjects pop. Besides, what is more dreamy and romantic than glowing white? Participating in the styling of her models also allows Talia to create the perfect bright, angelic look that is her signature — beautiful, soft, and always perfect.

4. Blimie T Photography

Blimie has an unmatched authenticity. So much so, that her in-home sessions truly capture the full breadth of a day in your life. Her use of a wide-angle lens allows for beautiful environmental portraits with a photojournalist flair. She is also the co-founder of the Storytellers Photo Conference, the first of its kind dedicated solely to family documentary photography. A true visual storyteller, Blimie is our top pick for a documentary-style Milwaukee family photographer.

5. Melissa Steinseifer of Little x Little Photography

Melissa uses her keen eye for unique, endearing moments. This she combines with a nostalgic, almost-retro editing style to make timeless photographs. Slightly desaturated colors, perfect high contrast — all overlaid with warm tones — create the perfect visual representation of a childhood summer. Browsing through her portfolio, you feel emotion for her subjects: a child happily playing in the grass, parents so in love with their newborn that you can feel it, and so forth. Evoking emotion through a photograph is the highest form of art, and Melissa does it every time.

6. Erika Ehley

A film photographer, Erika Ehley’s work has the timeless sharpness that only film can bring. Working with film allows her to play with the medium itself — light leaks create impressionist style portraits, original double exposures appear that simply can’t be beaten by digital, and the various colors of the film itself allow for endless variation and creativity. Her experimentation shows her comfort with an element of photography that is almost gone. We admire Erika’s devotion to creating with this always-interesting format.

7. Katrice of K Battle Photography

Katrice is a body-positive and human-positive photographer — perfect for when you want to work with someone that knows what angles work for all bodies. She captures shots that are full of natural smiles and easy poses. In fact, she is utterly passionate about making her subjects feel comfortable as well as beautiful. A slightly retro, vignetted editing style is her signature, and it suits her quirky photos perfectly. Choose Katrice when you want to authentically celebrate yourself and your family in all your true beauty, as her expertise will astound you.

8. Tia Brindel of Little Giant Photography

With a bachelor of arts in fine art photography, Tia knows exactly what she’s doing behind the lens and can give expert advice on what to do in front of it. She specializes in fine art portraiture and it’s her refined eye that makes her work something to behold. Simple does not mean plain — it means elegant — and Tia knows that instinctively. Her perfect cropping also tells the story she wants it to in just one frame.

9. Katie Fromstein Photography

Katie Fromstein was ranked as the Milwaukee area’s best portrait photographer three years in a row, and it’s obvious why. Her work is simply stunning! From her Sussex studio (it’s worth the drive, we promise), she perfectly styles your newborn to deliver personality-packed portraits. Looking through her work, you can feel the soul of each subject — kooky, fun, and even sleepy. Katie’s immense talent makes the intangible visible, which is one of the hardest things for a portrait photographer to accomplish. 

Be sure to check out some of her loving reviews on her website! Here is just one example: “I feel so lucky that I found a photographer like Katie. Her pictures of my daughter are ones that will hang on the walls of our home for years and ones that I will cherish for a lifetime. Not only has she become my favorite photographer but also a friend. We just love her!”

Bonus: Heather Cook Elliott Photography

We simply couldn’t narrow down our list of the top Milwaukee family photographers to just nine. And we absolutely would be remiss to leave out a professional like Heather Cook Elliott! She and her team are some of the best family and wedding photographers in Milwaukee and are adept at capturing natural family moments with ease. But these are not just any family moments. With their ethereal style lighting and documentary approach, they capture special moments between loving families who just happen to look incredible. We truly appreciate their natural style that celebrates you and your family just being yourselves.

Peerspace + Milwaukee family photographers = winning combination!

If you’re a photographer in Milwaukee looking for exciting new spaces to shoot, count on Peerspace. You can book a professional studio, a luxury home, a cabin in the woods, you name it. All spaces are available by the hour and hosted by local creatives just like yourselves.

Find a unique space in Milwaukee on Peerspace