Previous Issues

This is Rangefinder’s eighth year culling, critiquing and finally choosing the 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography. The 30 Rising Stars are emerging photographers—educators and mentors of the future—who show promise in taking the aesthetics of wedding photography to new places.

Every year, we encounter perspectives that are unlike any we’ve seen, and the pool of talent has grown increasingly international since the competition’s beginnings. Back in 2012, the vast majority of nominated and chosen photographers were based in the U.S., but that scale has truly tipped.

This year marks our most international yet. It includes all kinds of countries from several continents around the world, some of which—Hawaii, Finland, Slovenia, etc.—are completely new to the competition.

We’re proud to see this diverse representation, as well as the wide variety of honed styles—from colorful and editorial to subtle and cinematic. See it all in our online gallery.

At this Virginia wedding, Elizabeth Austin-Davis realized that the venue where it took place was pretty dark. As a film photographer with editorial flair, she knew it was the perfect opportunity to use her Ilford Delta 3200 black-and-white film and, after seeing the window behind the bride, atmosphere aerosol—she always keeps it in her bag, looking for the right opportunity to “enhance the rays of light” pouring in. “I had the bride give me as much curve with her body while being tasteful,” says Austin-Davis, who was chosen as one of this year’s 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography.