Capturing lifes beautiful moments
Serving Atlanta GA & Worldwide
Travel area: Within 25 miles See details
Videography services available
Russell Kowalske
OWNER
Typically responds within 24h
AWARD WINNER (3X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Based in Marietta, GA, Russell K Photography is a creative documentary photographer and videographer.
Hi!
If you are looking for someone to capture not only stunning portraits but honest moments from your wedding day, I'm your guy! I love getting to know the people I work with to better serve them and tell their stories in a way that resonates with generations to come.
Do you feel nervous or awkward in front of the camera? Don't worry, I got you. My biggest priority with every couple is to take the time to make you feel comfortable and confident in front of my lens and get to know your love story so your images reflect YOU and your unique personalities! I'd love to work together to design the perfect photography package for your big day, whether it's an intimate elopement or a family-filled celebration. Reach out anytime!
Details
Destination Weddings
Destination Wedding Packages
Photo Shoot Types
Bridal Portraits
Day After Session
Engagement
Trash The Dress
Photo & Video
Digital Files
Film Photography
Photo
Printed Enlargements
Second Shooter Available
Social Media Sharing
Wedding Albums
Photo & Video Styles
Artistic
Classic
Documentary
Dramatic
Lifestyle
Modern
Wedding Activities
Getting Engaged
Rehearsals & Parties
After Party
Wedding
After Party
Awards and Affiliations
Any questions?
Meet the team
Russell Kowalske
Owner
Hello there, I am an Atlanta native, currently living in Marietta with my dog Charlie. I spent a few year in the Marines, then sales before finding my way to photography. I love getting to meet new people and make fast friends. Wedding photography was a natural place to land. My favourite thing about what I do is the people. I love getting to know my clients. Everyone has their own unique stories and I’m lucky enough to tell those stories photo by photo. There is so much power in moments and memories, and photography helps us to capture them.
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.025 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Russell, a wedding photographer, received glowing reviews for his professionalism, kindness, and exceptional photography skills. Reviewers praised him for capturing moments beautifully, being easy to work with, and blending seamlessly into the event. They appreciated his energy, creativity, and ability to make everyone comfortable in front of the camera. Many expressed a desire to work with him again and highly recommended him for future events, emphasizing his role in making their wedding day memorable.Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
Caroline K
5.0
1/10/2026
Russell was BY FAR my husband and I’s favorite vendor we booked! He is personal, funny, prompt, and so many of our wedding guests raved about him! I will recommend him over and ove...
r again! We love him!!!’n
Claudia H
5.0
1/03/2026
There are not enough good words to describe Rusty and his incredible artistry. He captured our wedding day absolutely beautifully, all while remaining calm, kind, patient, professi...
onal and adaptable through whatever changes the day brought on. He was very communicative and responsive through the entire process. My family and wedding guests are still raving about his kindness, his bright personality and his professionalism. I will absolutely, without hesitation, continue booking with him for future shoots. Thank you Rusty!!!
Any questions?
Christin T
5.0
9/22/2025
Russell was our wedding photographer this past summer and he was absolutely WONDERFUL from our engagement session to the big day. He captured every moment, was very prepared, great...
to work with and gelled well with the rest of our Vendors. He was an absolute joy to have during our ceremony/reception, and we still continue to get comments of how infectious his energy was. All of our guests LOVE the photo gallery and we have already gotten many of them printed for our home! I look forward to booking with Russell in the future. Thank you Russell for capturing everything so beautifully, I truly can’t thank you enough and we’ll cherish these photos forever!
Makayla H
5.0
6/29/2025
I recently attended a friend’s wedding and was blown away by the work Russell did as their photographer. From the very beginning of the day to the last dance of the night, Russel c...
aptured every moment with such creativity, care, and professionalism.
Russell had a natural talent for making people feel comfortable in front of the camera. What stood out most was how effortlessly he blended in with the crowd while still managing to be everywhere at once. He didn’t miss a thing, and the way he captured even the quiet, in-between moments was truly impressive.
If you're looking for a photographer who’s not only incredibly talented but also kind, professional, and easy to work with, I can’t recommend Russel enough. He helped make a special day even more memorable.
Morgan B
5.0
6/21/2025
Where do I even start?! Russell is the best guy you could possibly hire to be your photographer hands down! If you are thinking of hiring someone or are even undecided like we were...
before we met Russell, please please PLEASE you need him at your wedding! Out of everything we purchased, the food, the decor, the venue, he was the best investment of our wedding. He did more than just “take pictures,” he made sure we ate, was super patient when I couldn’t make up my mind when the weather was on the fritz, stepped up when we had some chaos in coordinating, and genuinely felt like a best friend, just one of the guys also there to have fun but conveniently does photography! He can even fit in and mingle/ keep at bay with those relatives you know will likely be difficult… trust me, we have VERY difficult parents. He is truly a golden retriever and is so incredibly passionate about what he does. Russell will be our photographer for a lifetime. Russell, you truly made our wedding and were the number one thing talked about! We love ya and you are THE GOAT!
Kelly P
5.0
6/07/2025
Russell is a whole vibe!! From the time we met him he was completely professional and full of energy! Our engagement session was a joy and we can’t wait to see our wedding photos! ...
Everyone at our wedding raved about how amazing he was!! Please booked him as your wedding photographer you will NOT be disappointed!!
Katie O
5.0
4/30/2025
Russell is your guy if you want to have an absolutely fantastic wedding day. He is such a hype man and his description about having a “golden retriever personality” is spot on. He ...
is so much fun to be around, extremely friendly, creative to the max and an overall wonderful photographer. I loved his documentary/candid pictures keep your event photos real and truly take you back to how wonderful the day was. We had an engagement shoot before the wedding and it was such a relaxed but fun time with him getting to know my fiancé and myself. I have a hard time not full out smiling and he was able to coach me through the process and get some of my favorite pictures. I also had him do a video of the day and I am so excited to see it all together. Many of my guests asked for Russell’s information because they loved his energy so much and they’re booking him for family photos as well. Thank you so so much Russell!
Response from Russell K Photography on 05/01/2025
Wow—thank you so much for this incredibly thoughtful review! It means the world to hear ho...
w much you enjoyed the experience. I'm honored to have been part of such a special time in your life, and I'm so glad my “golden retriever energy” lived up to the hype! lol I'm also thrilled to hear that your guests felt the good vibes too—please tell them I’m excited to work with them soon!
Thank you again for trusting me with such an important chapter!
Alexandra M
5.0
4/24/2025
Russell was a joy to have around on our wedding day. We didn’t realize just how much time the photographer spends with us on the wedding day and what an impact it makes to have som...
eone who is kind with great energy. We loved our engagement photos and are excited to see our wedding photos. We can’t recommend him enough!
Joseph T
5.0
4/12/2025
We were blessed to find and work with Russell. He made the whole experience of photographing our special moments very special and stress free. I loved his ideas for the poses, his ...
attitude, his enthusiasm and candor. He took time to understand our likes/dislikes, what we were comfortable with, what we didn't want and worked within those parameters while infusing his creativity and expertise.
I would love another opportunity to work with Russell in the future. I wish him the very best in everything and hope other brides get to work with him
Victoria W
5.0
12/30/2024
Russell was amazing to work with! He made us feel comfortable and was a pleasure to chat with between photos. Several of our guests even commented on how great he was! And the phot...
os turned out great!
Jamie S
5.0
12/26/2024
We can’t recommend booking Russell enough! He was the perfect photographer for our wedding day. We are so happy with how our pictures turned out and especially loved how Russell ca...
ptured the light and love of all of our loved ones.
Russell’s brings a lot of positivity, energy and comfort to your big day. Sometimes it can be awkward posing in front of a camera of a person you don’t know so well but Russell made us feel so comfortable and natural.
Lastly, Russell does a great job fitting into the vibe of your day. He got to know our guests (all complimented how much they liked our photographer) and was a great energy on the dance floor!
Sidney C
5.0
11/17/2024
Words cannot adequately describe what it is like to work with Russell. He was the perfect addition to our wedding day, bringing creativity, humor, and such an easygoing, fun person...
ality to both the engagement session and the wedding day. He was open to trying any ideas we had (and taking one for the team to get the perfect champagne shot lol) and made sure to check in with us throughout the day to remind us to enjoy the little moments. We received so many compliments from friends and family, not only about how much they loved having him be a part of our wedding day, but also about the quality of photos we received.
Not only is Russell so fun to work with, he is also incredibly professional. He quickly responded to any questions we had, scheduled a meeting with us to help us with our planning process, and sent our photos in a very timely manner. We absolutely love Russell and feel like we truly gained a new friend. We cannot wait to work with him again soon!
Onya F
5.0
10/24/2024
I’ve never met anybody like Russell. Very unique, fun and talented. Throughout my wedding process, he was definitely our favorite vendor. We had a pre-wedding engagement shoot wher...
e he got to know us and it was a perfect Segway into the most amazing day of our lives. Those photos were amazing.
Russell and his team spent the whole wedding day making sure they captured images and video of every moment of both our traditional Nigerian marriage, as well as our wedding ceremony and reception. Even though we had two weddings in one day, we got our photos and videos back in amazing record time and everything was beautiful, classy professional, and intimate.
I highly recommend booking Russell and his team for your wedding. You will have the best day of your life with a friend by your side, capturing all the moments for you to have forever.
Isaac D
5.0
10/17/2024
Russell’s work EASILY speaks for itself but I still want to add my take on his awesome work- his photos are a series of immersive gifts that transcend time and emotion. It takes a ...
talented and passionate artist to truly capture the beautiful energy and emotion in a still moment. Russell is a master who caught and enhanced dozens- hundreds- of precious moments for our wedding and engagement this year.
We got to know Russell and experience his complete understanding of our expectations in the INCLUDED engagement shoot. He immediately got my wife and me out of our self-conscious shells and choreographed what ended up being most of our absolute favorite pictures in my wife’s and my 4 year history together. We knew we’d be so excited to spend time with him at our wedding- which is CRUCIAL to have considering how much time you will spend closely with your photographer.
We asked for a very specific type of photo style at our wedding- we described them as “dramatic action shots” and WOW Russell delivered. We can hear the laughter, feel the pulsing of the music, even taste the food in the moments he captured for us. Russell himself has an infectious ability to feel like an old friend, your biggest fan, the life of the party- and then bring the best out of you and your guests to remember forever.
He gave us glamour portraits that belong in magazines, action shots that intoxicate our mind with bubbly excitement, stills that play out entire episodes of the blissful love our guests felt for our wedding.
You’re going to love every part of your experience and results with Russell, we sure did!
Cameron W
5.0
10/14/2024
We hired Russell for our engagement shoot (May 2024) and wedding (October 4, 2024) and, my goodness, we received so much more than “just” photos. Russell captured magic we can fram...
e.
His keen eye found all the moments of joy, love, and happy tears - and his photography and editing skills made them ART.
I had a very specific vision for our wedding photos, in particular: the words I kept using were “movement,” “candid,” “emotion,” “photojournalism,” etc. I emphasized how I wanted to look back at these photos 10 years from now and be able to HEAR the music and laughter, FEEL the emotion, REMEMBER my thoughts. In hindsight I think to myself: what an insanely high standard to set…
Enter Russell.
Russell surpassed not just our expectations, but our dreams. He listened to our vision and executed it masterfully. His warm, infectious spirit allowed even the most bashful of guests to feel comfortable. His humor and genuine nature set myself and my husband at ease - we interacted as if a camera wasn’t even pointed at us, and the pure joy in the results speak for itself.
When finding your wedding photographer, so much is on the line.. your trust, your hard-earned money, your Once in a Lifetime Day. I promise you: Russell is one of the smartest choices you’ll make.
Response from Russell K Photography on 10/14/2024
Cameron! Thank you so much for your kind words. It was an honor capturing not only your we...
dding day but the love and joy between you and Isaac. You both are infectious with your laughter and kind spirits. no wonder you found each other.
Thank you for letting me in, I can't tell you how much this really helps tell the story and emotion of the day. SO MUCH LOVE :)
Lauren A
5.0
10/08/2024
Russell was an amazing photographer, he was so detailed and creative and really took his time to get to know us and all our friends and family. He captured all the special moments ...
and did a beautiful job. All the photos and the video were incredible. Would recommend to anyone! 10/10
Response from Russell K Photography on 10/14/2024
Lauren!
Thank you so much for writing this review it means alot to me. It was a beautiful...
day! You and Kyle are so wonderful, it was amazing getting to watch your story unfold. Your friends and family were so kind and fun to hang out with. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness!
Katy R
5.0
12/18/2023
I don’t have enough positive things to say about Rusty. He is everything you want, and need in a photographer for such a special day. Rusty first encouraged us to get engagement p...
ictures with him so we could get comfortable with him before the wedding. It was a way for Rusty to learn our personalities, and for us to be comfortable with him. It was something I never thought about that made all the difference in the world. Rusty didn’t miss one shot, and he even got some images I could have dreamed up. His attention to detail is spot on. He has a way of truly capturing our personalities in the photos which blew me away when I saw them. All of guest fell in love with Rusty also and some have since used him for some of their special occasions. I promise not only will you walk away with amazing pictures you will walk away with a new friendship .
Response from Russell K Photography on 12/19/2023
Katy! Thank you so much for the kind words. I had so much fun getting to know you and Shaw...
ne and your story! You both are so much fun to hang out with. I look forward to seeing you again soon 😀
Ellen S
5.0
12/15/2023
Our wedding video is my favorite thing we added for the whole weekend. Russell did an amazing job. It completely captured the mood of the day. He tailored to to the things I wanted...
to see or didn't want to see. He got it back to us timely. My husband didn't want to feel like the photographers/videographers were intruding on our weekend or tell us how to act... Russells pictures and video caught us being us. We are so thankful for him!
Response from Russell K Photography on 12/19/2023
Ellen, thank you for the wonderful review. You and Jeremy are so great to be around, yall ...
just light up the rooms you go in. It was a pleasure getting to document those memories for you and your family. See you again soon!
Taryn B
5.0
12/12/2023
Russell is amazing! He set up time with us ahead of the big day just to get to know us a little bit. The day of went flawlessly and the quality of pictures we got are stunning! I l...
ook forward to working with Russell again!
Response from Russell K Photography on 12/19/2023
Thank you Taryn! All the love to you and Brian.
Leigh G
5.0
12/07/2023
There is not enough I can say about how AMAZING Russell is! We used him for our engagement photos and also our wedding day and both experiences were nothing short of amazing. We di...
dn't have a specific vision in mind or even specific photos in mind for either sessions and his creative mind was still able to deliver the most perfect photos for us that showed our relationship/personalities! I cannot recommend him enough to everyone I know or don't know! Even when pictures felt awkward posing for (because let's be honest, posing for pictures just isn't natural), he was still able to capture genuine moments between us. The posed photos we took looked like we literally pose for photos for a living. Aside from Russell being an expert at his craft, he is also SO SO SO fun to work with. He is funny, laid back, and authentic. This is obviously a HUGE plus when choosing a photographer on your wedding day when emotions and nerves are running high! He helped us feel relaxed and comfortable and just take a breath and have fun on one of the most important and unforgettable days of our lives! Not only is he now our go-to photographer, but truly a friend. I wish I could give him more than 5 stars!
Response from Russell K Photography on 12/12/2023
Leigh!
Thank you so much for these incredibly kind words. Your wedding was amazing! The l...
ove between you two and your family and friends was so clear. It was an honor to capture your day!
So much love for you and Jack.
RK
Sarah C
5.0
11/29/2023
Our experience with Russell K Photography was beyond anything we could have imagined from a wedding photographer. People kept telling us that choosing the right wedding photographe...
r was one of the most important parts of the day, and we truly feel we hit the jackpot in choosing Russell. He worked with us leading up to the day not only to help us figure out a schedule that worked and to make sure we could get all the photos we (and our parents) wanted, but also made sure to take the time to get to know us, so that, come time for the big day, we were comfortable and trusted that we were in good hands. When we received our wedding gallery, we were even more blown away - not only did we get everything we asked for, Russell and his co-photographer captured the authentic spirit of joy and love that was so much a part of this day for us...not only in pictures of my husband and me, but also in the beauty of the ceremony and the small moments of love and celebration happening in prep time and at the reception. I wholeheartedly recommend Russell K Photography to anyone!
Response from Russell K Photography on 12/19/2023
Wow! I am blown away by your thoughtful review. Thank you doesn't cover it. I loved gettin...
g to watch you and Alex get married and celebrate with your friends and family. You have a good crew lol. I hope to see you both again soon!
Daniel H
5.0
11/06/2023
My partner and I did a two-day photoshoot with separate locations and outfits. Russell managed both the shoots wonderfully, utilizing both days to bring out the character of our di...
fferent outfits, environments, and props.
Russell was on time, prepared, and incredibly thorough with his shots. He even ensured we had permits for the photoshoot's location (something I didn't even know we needed!) so our day wasn't cut short or our presence cause trouble.
My partner is far more photogenic than I, but Russell was great in directing me and helping me pose with them and the scenery around us. He also worked with our ideas, allowing us to have our own quirks shine through, both in the goofy and serious photos. What's more, the candids he took really did feel like candids - sometimes they feel arranged or artificial, but the shots he took of my partner and I really showed the excitement and joy we brought to the shoot, and for each other.
The final photos themselves were incredible. He even offered to touch up some of the photos, from simply helping to add some missing ambiance, to correcting some more serious gaffes. My family and friends still won't stop talking about them. I heartily recommend him for your next shoot.
Natasha R
5.0
10/26/2023
Russell was incredible to work with and the photos we got back turned out amazing! He truly understood our vision and worked so hard to make sure we got the shots we wanted, as wel...
l as bringing his own amazing ideas to the table. Russell is so easy to work with, and we had so much fun creating our beautiful photos. The photos have been a great hit with friends and family and I would definitely work with him again!
Harrison C
5.0
10/17/2023
Russel is incredible! He made us feel so at ease, and his photographs were perfect. He took the time to give us some serious shots, but made us laugh and the candid shots ended up ...
becoming some of our favorites! Will definitely recommend him to my friends and hopefully use him in the future if we need a photographer for anything!!
Response from Russell K Photography on 10/24/2023
Harrison! It was so much fun getting to work with you both. yall were naturals!
I look fo...
rward to seeing you again soon!
Timothy A
5.0
10/13/2023
My now wife and I had an amazing time with Russell. I can’t not recommend him enough! He took the time to get to know us and any idea that we had he was absolutely willing to help....
We will cherish the photos he took for the rest of our lives.
Service area & Contact info
Travel area: Within 25 miles
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Russell K Photography
Russell Kowalske
|
Owner
Typically responds within 24h
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Russell K Photography
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