Check Out Julia Schweiss’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Schweiss.

Julia, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Today, I photograph high-end weddings with a personality. I take on a wedding from a hybrid editorial/documentary approach, meaning that my clients get elevated, frame-worthy artistic images, and they also get those candid, once-in-a-lifetime moments captured. That approach is shaped as much by what I didn’t want as what I did. I started in the corporate world after studying business, and while it looked successful from the outside, it never felt aligned. I knew pretty quickly I wanted to build something more creative, more personal, and more connected to people.

My photography journey actually started through travel. I spent a summer backpacking through Europe with a camera and came home frustrated by how bad the photos were because of how little I understood my camera. That frustration turned into a deep dive—I became obsessive about learning, shooting constantly, and figuring out how to translate a moment into something that actually holds weight. What started as a personal pursuit quickly turned into client work, and eventually, a complete career shift.

After moving from Denver to Los Angeles in 2019, I started approaching photography with real intention—building relationships, assisting, and putting myself in rooms where I could grow. I left my full-time job in 2021, and around that same time, I was introduced to weddings through a mentor. It clicked immediately. There’s nothing else quite like the combination of emotion, design, and unpredictability, and I was drawn to capturing it in a way that didn’t feel overly directed or formulaic.

Today, I focus primarily on weddings that are thoughtfully designed but still deeply personal. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good trend, but I’m more interested in how something feels—pulling influence from fashion, film, and travel rather than repeating what’s already been done. Alongside weddings, I take on select brand and lifestyle projects and continue to shoot travel work. That range keeps my perspective fresh and allows me to approach every wedding with a clear point of view rather than a template.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has absolutely not been a smooth road! When I left my full time job, I just couldn’t wait any longer to jump into full time photography, but I had just moved to LA and was still growing my network and building my portfolio, all while the pandemic was in full force. In short, I quit my job WAY too early and struggled to gain momentum in my business. I ended up finding a mentor who really took me under her wing and believed in my craft. By the end of our first season working together, she brought me onto her team to shoot an A-list celebrity wedding. That first year really grew my confidence as a photographer and gave me so much more experience and helped me grow my craft very quickly.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
These days, my main focus is wedding photography, and I’m especially drawn to what I think of as high-end weddings with a strong sense of personality—celebrations that feel elevated without being stiff or overproduced. I care just as much about how a wedding feels as how it looks, and that really informs my approach. My editing style stays true to color with a subtle nostalgic edge, and I often incorporate both 35mm and medium format film to add depth and texture to the final body of work.

On a wedding day—or full wedding weekend—I’m completely immersed. I don’t cap my hours because I don’t want to experience the day through a time constraint. That level of presence allows me to build real trust with my clients and the people around them. By the end of a weekend, it’s not uncommon for me to be hugged goodbye or told I felt like part of the family, which is something I’m really proud of. I’m known for bringing a calm, grounded energy into high-emotion environments, which helps people relax and show up as themselves—and that’s where the most honest, compelling images come from.

What sets me apart is both how I see and how I approach each wedding. I’m not interested in recreating the same gallery over and over again. I take inspiration from outside the wedding industry—fashion, film, design—and apply that perspective in a way that still feels true to the people I’m photographing. The result is work that feels refined, but never formulaic.

I shoot all over the Southern California region, but I also travel the world capturing stories, including weddings in Italy, Greece, Rhode Island, Montana, Mexico, and dozens of other destinations.

What matters most to you?
In my personal life, my highest values are presence, family, connection, creativity, and freedom.

I have always been a deeply nostalgic person, and any given moment feels too fleeting for me. Photography became a way for me to truly encapsulate a moment so that I can return to it, and I want my photos to feel that way for others. I want them to be able to look back on their photos in 30, 40, even 50 years and be transported back to the day, the way that getting a whiff of a certain scent can transport you right back to a memory.

I also place a high level of importance on making others feel seen and beautiful, which of course translates to how I show up with my clients. Weddings and big productions are inherently stressful and chaotic, and I like to be an antidote to that on a wedding day. Making people feel calm, present, and like they can be themselves and trust me. My faith is extremely important to me, but I don’t want that to get twisted – I am a complete judgment free zone and I genuinely think that all love is beautiful because it’s love. All are welcome in front of my camera!

Pricing:

• Wedding day: $8,000-$12,ooo
• Wedding weekend: $10,000-$15,000
• Photoshoots: $800-$1,200

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.juliaschweiss.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliaschweissphoto/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliaschweiss/
• Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@juliaschweissphoto

Image Credits
Images taken by Julia Schweiss Photo