Russ Hickman Photography

Look no further - you have found your wedding photographer in Russ. It's hard to know even where to start with him. He's a superstar, a magic-maker, a coordinator, an instant friend, and perhaps a generational talent.

Yes, the photos he took of us were perfect. Yes, he captured the joy we felt in a way that felt raw and real. Yes, he took engagement photos of us in 95-degree weather and did it with a smile on his face. But I'm not recommending Russ for any of those reasons. I'm recommending Russ because he is the person that you want running the show on the most important day of your life. Russ brings joy to the process. He was never too serious, never moody, never negative.

And there were plenty of reasons to be. Just as we started portraits the day of the wedding, it began downpouring. I'm not talking like a little bit of rain. I'm talking total, torrential, 100-year flood level rain and loud cracks of thunder. Russ ran through the rain with us, and changed our entire portrait plan at the last minute. He captured us and our group at City Hall and you literally cannot tell that it's raining. He laid down in puddles to shoot us. He used the wind to make a perfect portrait with my cathedral veil flowing. His assistant dove into our trolley to catch my veil from falling in a puddle. And Russ never let any sort of stress show. It was amazing.

And importantly, Russ made us and our family feel so supported. He used just the right amount of push to get everyone to listen on the day of. And he worked with some complicated family dynamics that he never once made us feel were anything less than normal.

If you are looking for pictures that are joyful and bright, you have found your person. If you're looking for photos that feel just like you remember the moment, you have found your person. If you're looking for fair prices and an incredible value, you have found your person. And if you're looking to spend a day with the kindest, most genuine vendor in Philadelphia, you have found your person. Stop looking.

Our hired photographer, Lora, wasn’t available on our date :( So she sent two of her close associates, Russ and Lexy, who perfectly matched her style and approach.

Russ, the lead photographer, was incredible to work with. He kept the entire day easy, breezy, and on schedule, all while making us and our families feel comfortable in front of the camera. He had a great sense of humor and helped lighten the mood whenever things felt a little hectic; exactly what you want on a wedding day!

Russ and Lexy stayed with us for nearly 10 hours, from getting ready through the ceremony and almost to the end of the night, and never missed a beat. We’ve already received our preview gallery, and the photos are stunning! Beautifully composed, natural, and full of emotion. We can’t wait to see the full set once Lora finishes editing.

If you’re looking for a photographer that’s professional, creative, and truly cares about capturing your day in a genuine and stress-free way, we can’t recommend Russ enough!

I am modest and have an 'a type' personality. Weddings are chaotic. Russ from the start was able to handle the chaos and family dynamics extremely well. He attempted every shot and the ones he took were so stunning. I am in awe of his ability to share it with brides and grooms! Hope everyone has a great wedding and finds their perfect memories, as we did with Russ's photos.

Wow, Russ couldn't have done a better job knocking out family portraits and doing it ahead of schedule! Russ is excellent at pivoting as needed while still capturing stunning photos. We've only seen a few proofs, but they captured the day artfully. He takes initiative to find photogenic spots but takes your ideas in stride! Russ was easy to work with and made us smile during stressful moments. Thanks so much!

Russ was the favorite vendor at our wedding and we had a lot of great ones! My aunt and brother were taking a lot of photos and videos during our wedding and he was way more accommodating than he needed to be (we didn't need the extra photos, I just put that there to highlight his flexibility). Everyone he interacted with said he was great and we couldn't agree more. He went with the flow of the day how we wanted, took a tour of the site before shooting to make sure we had all the best light and settings, took many posed and action shots, and overall did a perfect job capturing our special day. He has competitive prices and will arrange a package that best works for you. If we lived in the area, we'd want to hang out with him and Heather (his assistant), they're that incredible. We loved everything about his work- I mean, just look at those pictures! Go hire him, he's THE BEST!

I cannot recommend Russ highly enough. Aside from being extraordinarily talented, Russ is warm and friendly and easy to connect with, which I believe is essential when picking a wedding photographer. Russ makes shooting lots of fun and is as strong of a storyteller as he is a photographer. He also has a deep supply of TV recommendations should you be in need! :)

My wife and I initially had a tough time picking a wedding photographer. Choosing the best photographer for our big day was one of the most important decisions of the wedding planning process. We met with a number of different photographers and became frustrated trying to find the best choice for us. That all changed when we met Russ. At our initial meeting, we hit it off. We immediately knew that he was the one. His upbeat and relaxed personality perfectly matched his confidence and skill. His long time experience in the field along with his samples proved to us that he is a true professional with an excellent knowledge of his craft. After our meeting, my wife and I, got in the car and looked at each other, both nodded and said “we found our photographer”! With the package we choose, we were privileged to have Russ take our engagement photos. We spent pretty much an entire day at Valley Forge National Park. He took the lead the entire way yet was open to ideas--it really paid off. The photos looked fantastic!  Russ turned around our photos quickly so we had them for our save the date cards. With more than 300 photos to choose from, it was a daunting, but fun, experience.  Russ’ rigorous post production skill was obvious and the payoff was unbelievable. Next up was the big day. Russ, another photographer, and a lighting assistant all were there for the whole day. From makeup, to the church, to the reception. We had an amazing set of photos. We had family portraits, action shots, architectural shots, the whole lot. The best part of the day included a special gift to me from my wife. Unbeknownst to me, Russ had taken a boudoir photo shoot of my wife. Absolutely beautiful and breathtaking. My wife and I are planning on starting our family soon. Guess who will be there to take the maternity shots and the baby shots? Russ. Without a doubt, he is best photographer in the business. My only regret is that we didn’t meet sooner in the wedding planning process.

When we started the search for our wedding photographer, my now husband and I agreed that our photos would be one of the most important pieces of our wedding. After all, you spend tons of time and energy planning this one day that is over in a flash. Of course we wanted beautiful pictures capturing it all! We also realized that we would basically be spending our day with our photographer so it was important that we "clicked". Russ was the perfect fit! He was professional, creative, and so much fun to be around. He made us feel so comfortable and was super effective in managing time on our wedding day. The moments he captured on camera were simply incredible. Russ, thank you for your amazing work!

So my fiance and I are Chicago natives that currently live in Houston. For our engagement pictures, we wanted to capture the love we have for each other, but also the love we have for Chicago. With various locations in mind and no previous experience getting pictures taken of us, we were a bit nervous about the whole experience.

Russ went above and beyond to not only conduct an amazing photo session but he did it with a great balance of professionalism and levity. His demeanor and masterful execution caused us to get the most out of of each location. His keen perception allowed him to craft and achieve genuine pictures of my fiance and I. His artistry was palpable and collaborative as he always checked in with us to make sure we were comfortable and happy. Also, as someone who is not a Chicago Native, he made sure that he had researched areas and familiarized himself with the city beforehand. This level of preparation really amazed us.

And probably most important was that my fiance and I had fun! A lot of fun! We have amazing pictures but we also have fantastic memories of that day. Not only does Russ provide excellent service, he also brings his authentic self. He is kind, patient and hilarious. Spending time with him was a treat in itself. I couldn't imagine having anybody else making these memories with us.

Russ was an absolute delight to work with! We couldn't be happier with our choice to hire him for our engagement and wedding photos. He did not miss a single detail or photo opportunity, and his experience in the industry really shines through in real time and in his finished work. His kind heart, genuine honesty, sense of humor and flexibility, I think, set him apart from other vendors that you will work with. You spend your entire wedding day with your photographer, and we truly feel that we gained a friend in Russ. He was very patient and receptive to our ideas, and always open to chat about them to help us achieve our vision. He has mastered the delicate balance of being direct and getting the job done, without reducing the sentiment of the most important day of your life. We were so thrilled with our engagement photos and are even happier with our wedding photos! If you are looking for a photographer with a creative impulse and an artistic eye, you will love what Russ does with your day. There are a lot of great photographers out there, but Russ's work offers a level of creativity that you won't find anywhere else. We've gotten so many compliments on the uniqueness of both our wedding and engagement photos, and we couldn't agree more! Bottom line: if you work with Russ you will have FUN and beautiful and thorough documentation of your special day, and if you're lucky, even a new friend