As bloggers who constantly test and review photography gear, we are the very first to admit that it is surprisingly easy to let gear obsession get in the way of “real” photography–the people behind the photos, the results.
It is for this reason that we make a habit of regularly visiting the personal websites of photographers to explore their portfolios. Visiting the work of others momentarily draws us away from the gear aspect of photography and immerses us in the true essence of the hobby. Much like a Scorcese film can easily be distinguished from a Kubrick, we find it fascinating how one photographer’s photos can differ so greatly from those of another, despite the fact they use similar (or the same) gear.
Below, you will find a list of 13 ‘mirrorless photographers’ whose work continues to inspire us and our photography.
Some have switched to the mirrorless system completely, while others use it to complement another system for important assignments. The one thing they all have in common is that they have a body of work that will keep you coming back for more!
Paul Rogers
Paul is an extremely talented Hertfordshire-based photographer who has recently added the Fuji X100s to his collection. If I were to choose a photographer to shoot my wedding, he would be the one, folks! He was previously an editorial photographer for the Times newspaper, but has since moved on to documentary wedding photography, a genre which has won him numerous awards over the years. He frequently uses the X100s for weddings and editorial work in tandem with his Canon 5D III.
Follow him on Twitter!
Nathan Elson
Nathan is an official Fuji X Photographer from Calgary, Canada. Though he does various kinds of photography from wedding to corporate, I am most fond of his fashion and portrait work, which can be described as bold and highly expressive. One of my favourite projects of his so far is ‘Beauty in Motion’ where he uses flash and long exposures to create exotic portraits of women. With still many years left in his career, Nathan is definitely a photographer we should be keeping our eyes on!
Follow him on Twitter!
Johnny Patience
I would describe Johnny’s photography as “photography that makes you feel”. All his images have an airy and whimsical feel to them, and you’ll notice immediately that he loves to play with light. With his Fuji X Pro-1, Leica MP and Hasselblad 503CW, he travels the world shooting both film and digital with his wife Rebecca, who is also a wonderful photographer. Oh, and he’s a great guy to boot!
Follow him on Twitter!
Riley Joseph
Canadian photographer Riley Joseph has recently become an official Fuji X Photographer. He has an excellent body of landscape, portrait and street work, with his most stunning gallery being from the grand city of New York. Riley’s work is so engaging that I feel as if I am right there on the streets with him amid the sounds of the cars, the hurried feet of the people, and the smells of the city. Though originally a Canon DSLR user, he is now faithful to his X100s and X-Pro1.
Follow him on Twitter!
Simon Stringer
Simon is a 30-year-old photographer from Northamptonshire who uses the OM-D E-M5 for weddings, portraits, street and commercial photography. While photography has long been his passion, he finally decided to open up his own business in 2009. His entire portfolio is excellent, but I am particularly drawn to his beautiful body of street work from the great city of London.
Follow him on Twitter!
Simon Peckham
Simon work covers a wide breadth of photographic genres including fashion, portraiture and commercial work. His cameras of choice are the Fuji X-E1 and X100s, and he has a keen interest in strobe lighting as you will see from the content of his blog. He also curates an interesting Scoop page dedicated to Fuji X series photography. When he isn’t on professional assignments, you will find him touring about the beautiful British countryside, photographing it as he goes.
Follow him on Twitter!
Paula Thomas
With her trusty Olympus OM-D E-M5 and M.Zuiko 45mm by her side, Paula engages in all sorts of photography, but her main focus is on food photography. When she isn’t shooting food and making it look delicious, she spends her time working on fine art photography and portraiture, and writing for Small Camera Big Picture.
Follow her on Twitter!
Dominik Fusina
Dominik uses a wide variety of gear for his work including the Nikon D3s, D300, Fuji X-Pro1, X100s and X20. He is a self-proclaimed art photographer, and has a great interest in portraiture. Our favourite series so far is his Ariana “pin-up” series which he post-processed to resemble a 1950s Coca Cola advertisement. We cannot wait to see what else he manages to create using the Fuji X series!
Follow him on Twitter!
Anurag Sharma
Anurag, otherwise known as ShutterLeaf on his photography blog, is a fabulous wedding photographer who shoots with three…yes three Olympus OM-D E-M5 bodies. Why three? Well, he feels it is much easier to have three fast primes attached to three light bodies than to constantly change lenses, and we cannot help but agree. Looking at his excellent body of work, it is impossible to doubt the OM-D’s ability to deliver on the most important day of a couple’s journey together.
Follow him on Twitter!
Tom Nguyen
Tom Nguyen is an extremely versatile artist. Not only is he a talented portrait photographer, but he is also an amazing comic book illustrator, having worked for the likes of DC Comics and Marvel. A well-known pin-up painter, he has worked with top Playboy models and high-placing beauty pageant competitors. His deep understanding of the female form helps him create portraits that are both tasteful and sensual at the same time. He has sold all his Canon gear and has been working strictly with the OM-D E-M5 since the beginning of 2013.
Follow him on Twitter!
Tammy Lee Bradley
Florida-based Tammy Lee Bradley was once an accountant, but you can now find her exploring beautiful South Florida with her arsenal of cameras, one of which is the Olympus OM-D E-M5. She is a former Olympus Visionary Pro and an Olympus PenReady Photographer. We are personally great fans of her macro work, much of which she has made available in the form of greeting cards and prints.
Follow her on Twitter!
Trey Ratcliff
Trey is already extremely well-known in his own right. He runs one of the most popular photography blogs on the web, Stuck in Customs. Just recently, he decided to drop his Nikon in favour of the Sony NEX 7 for professional work. You can see the full article here. Oh yes, and did I mention that Trey takes some of the most extraordinary landscape photos I’ve ever laid eyes on?
Follow him on Twitter!
Christopher Frost
Christopher has achieved an amazing feat in the blogging sphere–he has posted a photo on his website Nottingham Daily Photo everyday since he started it seven years ago. His photos deal with the happenings in his hometown of Nottingham, and for the last eight months, have been shot with the Olympus OM-D E-M5. He has also recently started using it on model shoots and likes it so much that he hardly uses his Nikon these days. His work is not to be missed!
Follow him on Twitter!
Do you know of a mirrorless photographer who you think deserves a mention here? Are you a professional photographer who shoots with mirrorless cameras? If so, do not hesitate to let us know in the comments section as we’re planning to create more of these lists in the future! Remember, the more we make ourselves known, the more other professional photographers will hop onto the mirrorless bandwagon as well! 😀
