The 8 Best Still Life Photographers in Kansas City

We at Peerspace were really pleased to see how many fine art Kansas City still life photographers there are! Kansas City is one of the main artistic hubs of the midwest and a great place to begin looking for a product still life photographer. These creatives use their talents to help businesses and brands get the word out on what they’ve been working on.

Now, let’s get to our list of the top Kansas City still life photographers.

1. Lauren Pusateri

https://www.instagram.com/lauren.pusateri/

Stop-motion, still life, and portraiture are the specialties of Lauren Pusateri. She captures it all in a bright and engaging manner, using pastel tones, exposure that pops, and uplifting emotions. Lauren’s clients include brands like Hallmark Cards, Target, and Procter & Gamble, all of whom are pleased with how flexible she is in crafting still life arrangements.

Lauren produces classic flat-lay images, complex compositions of multiple items, and even lifestyle narratives that tell viewers precisely what sort of person might engage with a particular item. She merges industry-standard approaches with her own fine art vision for the shoot. That way, you get a final product that’s unique yet still reliably reaches your target audience!

2. Kelly Powell

As a commercial Kansas City still life photographer, Kelly Powell has been active in the genre for over 17 years now. She creates studio still life images that showcase the best aspects of apparel, cosmetics, and food photography captured in a studio or on location, where viewers get a taste of the venue’s ambiance as much as the dish.

Kelly is a natural collaborator whose work bridges the needs of viewers, her clients, and her own innate love for the arts.

3. Elise Gagliardi

Elise Gagliardi is a Kansas City still life photographer who refuses to be bound to a single medium. Besides photographs, she also uses watercolor, fabrics, natural materials, and string to bring her creative vision to life.

Elise explores beauty, motherhood, legacy, and other timeless themes that everyone can resonate with. We also love how she explores beauty in organic forms through flower and produce still life arrangements. Black backgrounds offer a sharp contrast to the vibrant colors of her subjects. Elise then includes hints of slow decay as petals fall away and stems wilt.

4. Kirk Decker

Unlike other Kansas City still life photographers, Kirk Decker prefers a moodier approach to the genre. Rather than punchy colors, he embraces the subtleties of monochrome, where tones are pure gradients and there are few distractions from contrast, radiance, texture, and form. Kirk then chooses traditional still life subjects like animal bones and flowers since these invite careful study, reminding us of the extraordinariness of seemingly ordinary items.

Kirk does visit color in his flower film photography, yet the hues hold a subdued character that feels continuous with the rest of his portfolio!

5. Megan Pobywajlo

The still life photography of Megan Pobywajlo has a playful quality to it thanks to how she juxtaposes items. Subjects are suspended using string, suggest stories or themes, and otherwise invite you to carefully consider Megan’s intentions as an artist. It’s just the sort of still life photography that you’d expect to see in a museum or art gallery!.

She is an award-winning artist whose work has been displayed in places like Truman State University and Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art as well as in several magazines, books, and websites.

6. Brian Goodman

After earning his bachelor’s in photography from the University of Central Missouri, Brian Goodman jumped right into the commercial art scene. His photography helps people, brands, and companies illustrate the products, services, and promises they have to offer. That’s why Brian counts Planned Parenthood, Best Western, and H&R Block as satisfied partners of his.

Brian’s still life food and product photography is diverse in character since he needs to match the vision of his clients. Sometimes that is a bright and bold one, meant to resemble an outdoor gathering. Other times, he prefers subdued natural light to mimic interior conditions. Compositions are at times minimalist and other times busy, with supporting accessories to convey a story in a single image.

7. Jaime Russell

Jaime Russell is the founder of Anthem Photography, a Kansas City studio offering product still life, headshots, senior, musician, and family photography. Her work also has a local focus, illustrating the people behind positive change in the KCMO community.

Jaime’s photography aims to convey the extraordinariness of the people, places, and things she engages in. This is most evident in her food shots, where color, quality, and the artistry of chefs are made evident.

8. Gregory Kindred

Gregory Kindred’s visual arts journey began in college, where he studied commercial art, which includes photography, layout, design, and art production. He then took a job as a production artist, then moved on to become an art director. Here, he was able to work alongside a commercial photographer, where he learned how shoots came together. Enchanted by the process, he decided to set up his own home studio and practice, trying to find just the right niche for himself.

Greg now runs a successful Kansas City commercial photography brand that offers product, event, headshot, and even pet photography! Still life photography is often best captured in a studio, where light and compositions can be arranged to perfection. Greg is especially talented at capturing the specular highlights on the reflective surfaces of glass and metal. These are difficult to photograph yet he does so in a realistic way that immediately dazzles you with its quality! Beverages, power tools, apparel, food, home essentials…There are few products that he does not already have experience storytelling with.

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