Goodness gracious, picking myself up off the floor…. I am currently tied for 5th place, *worldwide* for The Best Wedding Photographers of 2024 with my 3 fearless awards!!

For 2024 there are a few rounds of judging throughout, with judges from all over the world and only the first two are finished right now, as we are only halfway through the year.  The 2024 competition won’t be called until the end of the year, so it would be insanely difficult to keep that rank until the end of the year, but it’s so cool to be there now 🙂

Of the over 19,000 images submitted worldwide, of this most recent round, 235 images were chosen, TWO of those images were MINE!!

When I entered my first international photography contest in 2013, I couldn’t even imagine earning one, let alone 24 Lifetime Fearless Awards!  I’m honored, humbled, and in awe of the other winners’ work– mind-blowing!

I am so very THANKFUL to have been recognized in this way, I couldn’t have done it without the support of every one of YOU!

I’m Ranked #1 in Pennsylvania, Top 10 in the United States, and Top 100 Worldwide!

The world is a big place, with countless incredibly talented wedding photographers I feel so unbelievably fortunate to be currently ranked as one of the “Best wedding photographers in the USA” by Fearless Photographers for 2024.

Awards are given by a rotating panel of judges from all over the world.  They look for innovative photographs that creatively tell a story.  They want to be stunned, amazed, or feel like your images are redefining wedding photography.

Photographers are grouped regionally, so far for 2024, I am ranked:

• #1 Wedding Photographer in PA (for 7 recent awards)
• Top 10 Wedding Photographers in the USA for recent awards (#8)
• Top 100 Wedding Photographers Worldwide for 24 lifetime awards and 7 recent awards (tied for #64)

The competition is intense, and I am extremely humbled to be so highly ranked!

Other Recent Award Winners:

Rankings are based on awards, and I’ve earned 1 Fearless Award in 2023, 4 Fearless Awards in 2022, and 3 Fearless Awards in 2024 so far.  I’ll tell you more about the process, but for now, the award-winning images:

Award-winning Creative Wedding Photography: Worldwide

I’m so impressed with all of the winners from around the world (Rio de Janeiro, Taiwan, Bari, Shenyang)  their creativity is astounding and totally mind-blowing! The color, light, and moments– such incredible images!  These are all winners from collection 80.

(See my photos in the middle of the top and bottom row?)

How does the competition work?

Fearless Photographer rankings are based on the number of awards given by several panels of judges across the globe throughout the year.  Winning photographs are chosen for showing creative imagery, bold storytelling, and consistent vision.  Narrowing the best wedding photographers in the USA and worldwide takes time and there are several steps in the process.

In the interest of keeping the judging as impartial as possible, images are anonymous, the panel of curators changes for each collection, and there are rules/limits (especially on photoshopping, etc).  With so few awards given worldwide, earning 3 in 2024 so far, 1 in 2023, and 4 in 2022 ranked me #1 in PA, Top 10 in the USA, and Top 100 Worldwide.

My secret sauce:

In general, I try to fill the entire frame with a story, capture emotion, have a lot of pop (either vibrant colors, bold contrast, or both), and capture something a little unexpected.  I also keep in mind general rules of composition like the rule of thirds, leading lines, negative space/pattern, reflection, etc.

Of over 10,000 images submitted one of mine was a featured photo for photos of the week. It’s actually from the same “outriders” wedding with the grooms on bikes! Here it is:

Lifetime Achievements:

While current awards put me on “top photographers” lists (as I’ve shared, I currently have 7), Fearless Awards are also tracked over a lifetime, and I have 24 of those.

Want to see my 24 award-winning wedding photos?

Before I show them to you, I want to mention that something very important to me is incorporating the uniqueness of individuals & capturing authentic moments in my photography– I’ll capture pretty portraits for sure, but what really makes me come alive is capturing authenticity whether that is a country scene in grandma’s back yard, a champagne toast that literally makes you feel a little tipsy, the serenity of having a private beach all to yourself or the hilarious moment when your flower girl attacks the chocolate fondue table in her white gown!

1.  My First Award

Country: This is a dress shot from Kyrie & Andrew’s Stormy Lehigh Valley Wedding.   I like the country scene here– a storm rolling in the bride’s gown and her baby’s romper pinned to the clothesline, the woodpile, windchime, cornfield, and the star of the show, her grandma’s dog who just wanted me to throw him a tennis ball!

2.  Wheelbarrowing Groom

This image was from the same wedding and actually taken at just about the same spot in grandma’s back yard, haha!  You can tell from the angle of the field and the mountain in the distance.  I wanted to capture the motion and excitement so I used a slow shutter and panned at the same speed as the groom was being pushed by his enthusiastic groomsmen in the wheelbarrow!

3.  Window of Time

As the bride’s family members gathered in the sitting room, there was something about the scene through the window that really caught my eye.  Part of it was the original glass panes that gave the photo a painterly quality as well as the way they broke up the scene so perfectly if I stood in just the right spot.  Geri & Nick’s timeless Philadelphia Wedding:

4. Tipsy Limo

This one might make you feel a little tipsy, which is exactly my intention.  You might need to take a second look ;).  It is from Lori & Thomas’ fabulous New Jersey wedding:

5. Wedding Toolbox

So many ring shots are surrounded by pretty objects in photographs, I know I’ve taken many photos like that :).  But for this shot, I noticed light beautifully hitting rusted tools and coins, and I thought there was something fun about having such practical tools in the shot, particularly the wrench seems to be tightening the ring.  From Eileen & Kevin’s wedding:

6. Bridesmaid’s Prayers

When I first met with this couple, they mentioned how important their faith is.  They explained their preparation space to me, they said it’s the room in the church where people have Bible studies.  When I arrived I saw a room with conference tables and fluorescent lighting, when the girls were gathering to pray for Tina, I asked if it was ok if I turned off the lights, and they said sure, but when I did the conference table disappeared, so did the flicker and squeal of the fluorescents and what was left is the serene scene you see here.   Khoa & Tina’s Harrisburg Wedding:

7. Mirrored Glasses

It was about then that I noticed that one of my photography idols, Todd Laffler, (currently ranked #1 in the USA for his lifetime achievements) was looking to hire his second photographers for the next year. I had one of the dates open, it was even at a venue I had photographed before.  I reached out and showed him some of my work.  Todd hired me!   He had me photograph the groomsmen getting ready and this is one of the shots I grabbed.

Judges shared, “This show makes you do a little work.  Your gaze enters on the sharp subject in the background, jumps to the out-of-focus men framing the foreground, and then- finally- circles back to the reflections in the glasses.  This little trick of perspective gives the image a nice sense of depth and narrative, plus a dash of humor.”

You’ll definitely want to take a closer look:

8. Baby Turkeys

This was actually the first time I met Ashley & Jake, I have since photographed several of their friends and family member’s weddings, most recently, Jake’s sister, Joanna’s. But at this point, I knew that Jake was a turkey farmer... I was like, do you think we could get some with them, too?  (I love to incorporate unique elements that are significant to the couple whenever I can).  I’ve actually since photographed them in the barn with their two boys!!

9. Waiting Patiently

I still remember the moment I showed Angela this photo, she was like, what??  I don’t even remember you being there!!  So sometimes I go into ninja mode.  Sometimes I just find a place with an interesting scene with key players and good light and I just camp out quietly.  Here the groom is helping Angela’s brother’s out on finishing touches as his father watches from the back window and Angela watches out the window as the guests arrive on the lawn for the ceremony.

10. Beach Zen

A private beach all to themselves… I wanted the tranquility of the scene to be palpable with the billowing clouds above waves below and lone sailboat in the distance.  Moving sooooo far away from Julia & Max was key for me as they just enjoyed the view.  I was shooting with a 200-millimeter lens and was probably 50 yards away because I wanted to get the full compression in the scene.

11. Jumping for Joy!

When we initially talked about her background Sarah shared that she was a cheerleader and that was something I wanted to bring in to her photos if I could find the right moment.  I liked this space, the light and lines, and kind of camped out there.  Sarah was just about to put on her dress and I could tell she was super excited, a ball of pure energy, she lept down the stairs and we wound up with this…

Judges said, “This scene is absolutely spilling over with lines and frames and gestures,  It took an expert eye to combine them into a composition that works so well.  The two brightest areas of the frame link the main narrative events.  The dress and the excited bride, in a happy tale of the wedding-day preparations.  Everything else either slips away into shadow or guides our gaze back to them.  Tilting the camera to make all the lines diagonal perfectly suited the bride’s unexpected pose.”

12. Chocolate Fondue!

Haaaaa, unforgettable– Lauren & Dan’s chocolate-loving flower girl in a white dress and all of the adults are living it up on the dance floor… I used a wide lens here so you could see all the fondue tools to really give a sense of place and filled the frame with elements of the story.

13. Ladybug Kiss

There was luck involved in this image for sure, when Alessia & Tim met me on location for this engagement session, I noticed a bunch of ladybugs hanging out in a very unphotogenic area of the winery, I put on my 100 mm macro lens and headed right for the swarm of them, placing the couple in the best light.

Judges said, “Ladybugs symbolize love, joy, and prosperity– so it’s got to be a pretty good sign to have one land on your engagement ring, right?  The photographer got super close to capturing all of the detail, but didn’t overlook the opportunity to enhance the image with a sweet pose.  Having him hold her hand and lean down to kiss it made the image even more special.”

14. Anticipation

This was the moment that the limo and Bentley arrived for Nancy & Kevin’s wedding.  Everyone is in the same room viewing the same scene, yet they all seem to be thinking something different.

Nancy’s expression is priceless, such focus and anticipation— she shared that she is thinking about how close she is to finally seeing and marrying Kevin.  Her little nephew is at the window saying “limo” in his cute, tiny voice.  Such a sweet, precious moment.  I shot with a tight aperture so that all fo their expressions were in focus.

15. Strike a Pose

Editorially inspired shots like this have become a commonly asked for commodity.  I have always been inspired by this style in magazines, with Annie Leibovitz and the like, but as far as thinking it was doable for me personally.  That credit goes out to my mentor, Sam Hassas, who took the time to walk myself and several other classmates through the process of posing and editorial shot like this nearly a decade ago.

16. Passing Time

For me, this photo tells a story about the passage of time. I love how the flower girl looks up at the wedding gown as the bridesmaids reach to bring it to the bride.  The clock in the background is key.  This photo is from Chelsea & Chris’ wedding at The Lodges at Gettysburg.  I entered it at the encouragement from my classmates (yes I’m taking a photography class this year with Two Mann Studios). I’m so glad they did!  It is from Chelsea & Chris’ wedding. 

17. Grandma

Collin’s grandma was undoubtedly the guest of honor at his wedding.  As we planned his wedding day timeline, and she wasn’t doing well, he said, if she is in the hospital, I will visit her there.  We discussed the logistics of Philadelphia traffic and how tight time is on a wedding day and he was still game!  It turns out she was able to attend and when he greeted her the moment was magical for both of them.  She passed away shortly after this photo was taken.  Sara wrote, “Grammy passed away last month.  Both of us were so happy to have these beautiful pictures to look back on.”  More of Sara & Collin’s wedding here.

18. Layers & Movement

I climbed a staircase above Bethany & Jordan during their wedding after-session to get a unique perspective.  I loved the way Bethany’s dress seemed to glow against the brick below.  Similarly, Jordan’s white suit did the same.  It was a perfect candidate for black and white since the red brick did draw some attention and the black-and-white really played up the contrast.

19. Yum!

I was prepared for this cake-cutting to go down in a multitude of crazy ways. This cake is in a barn on a wooden swing!! The couple is between me and the slightly swinging cake, haha! Huge thank you to my assistant photographer, Jim for running my light stand over from across the room at the dance floor graciously when I asked b/c “I think something fun is about to happen!”Felix surprised me with a huge lick and I was ready!

20. Fly with Me!

I was photographing at The Jefferson Memorial along the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. Initially, I was photographing the couple along the hedge, with the monument in the background. I saw that I would be able to silhouette them against the sky in the distance. I thought it would really pop with the groom’s hat. I had my second photographer take them to the Jefferson Memorial and I hung back to get this “little people, big world shot.” As I prepared to take the shot, I could hear an airplane landing in Dullus nearby and waited for it to get in the frame. With Fearless, there are all sorts of rules about Photoshop, so this is absolutely the real deal!

21. The Horah

First off, can I just tell you that I love photographing the Horah? It’s a traditional Jewish wedding dance to the Hava Nagila. This was a particularly great one. I loved that the bride got comfortable and took off her shoes and just how joyful they and their friends were. Real moments like this are challenging to capture and also some of my favorite to photograph. Compositionally I was trying to fill the frame and use my off camera lighting equipment to it’s full advantage. Yes, I was a little bit worried about getting kicked in the face, haha!

22. Sister Tears

Witnessing this sweet moment between Jamie and her sister was one of my favorite photos from this Mount Hope Estate wedding day.  I love the composition of this photo, that the tear is perfectly framed in her fingers, that their mouths are so expressive and both show joy in different ways.  I chose black and white because I wanted the tear to stand out and for the detailing of the brides gown to pop.    Read more about Andrew and Jamie’s Mount Hope Estate wedding here!

23. First Look with her Man-of-Honor!

This was not staged or photoshopped but a combination of guts, skill, and a *heaping ton of luck*!   This photo features Chris, who is Bethany’s man of honor as he sports his typical beaming smile and -gasp- a custom-fit *pink tuxedo*!!  I photographed him initially at his sister Jen’s wedding, then at Bethany’s wedding, and eventually at his own wedding, too.  I’ve actually *just* photographed his family portraits and seen them all again last month!!  I love this dude.

This is the *second* Fearless award that I earned from Bethany and Jordan’s wedding!!  The first one is of them dancing from above (#18)

24. Orange & Blue Out-Riders

This National Arboretum Wedding united biking enthusiasts, Tony and Mark. Their wedding colors were orange and blue. I was elated when I realized their preparation location was blue (The Canopy by Hilton Wharf) and noticed orange vintage-style bikes– could my luck be better!?!?  I set my assistant on a mission to obtain permission to use the bicycles and to bring them to the dock (yes I said dock, yikes!).   I love how this photo captures their joy, interests, venue, and color palette. See more of Mark and Tony’s National Arboretum wedding here!

Live Links to Current Fearless Rankings

Here are live links to today’s current fearless rankings.  These are constantly changing.  As of the day I wrote this blog, I was ranked as one of the “best wedding photographers in the USA” for lifetime achievement awards at 24 total awards.  I was ranked #1 in Pennsylvania for having 7 recent Fearless Awards.

• #1 Wedding Photographer in Pennsylvania
• Top 10 Wedding Photographers in the USA
• Top 100 Wedding Photographers Worldwide
• Top 100 Wedding Photographers of All Time 

What an incredible honor to have so many of my images recognized and celebrated in such a global way, and to rank as one of the Best wedding photographers in the USA for earning these achievements over the past decade.  I am so fortunate to be able to make a living capturing such incredible and beautiful moments.

International Award-Winning Wedding Photographer Serving DC, PA and Beyond!

Ready to Have Me Capture YOU?  Let’s talk!  Just contact me here.