Boston Musician & Artist Portrait Photographer — Craig William Johnston Studio
Your image is the first thing they hear.
Musician & artist portraits · SoWa, Boston · By appointment
"Craig takes such profoundly human and intimate portraits. He has a real intuition for this medium — it's actually kind of startling." — Carlos Dengler | Founding Member of Interpol
The press shot lands before you do.
The editor sees it before they read your bio. The label sees it before they hear the record. The booker decides from your thumbnail before they click play. Your image is already making an argument about you — the question is whether it's the right one.
This is a private studio. One artist at a time. I've spent years working with musicians, and I know the difference between a session that produces a press shot and one that produces the portrait the next chapter of your career deserves.
Past subjects include Carlos Dengler, Rick Berlin, The Fixx, Adam Green, The Thermals, and Viktorina Kapitonova of Boston Ballet. Most of the work, though, is for artists whose names aren't famous yet. The image matters either way.
Selected work
"Much of a successful photoshoot is what sort of 'bedside manner' the photographer has. As an especially gifted portrait photographer, Craig William Johnston is terrific on everything that counts. I consider him Rembrandt with a Camera." — Rick Berlin | Boston musician
How it works
Sessions are tailored. Pricing depends on what you actually need — final images, prints, wall art for the studio or the road. We walk through it on the 15-minute call.
Bands and group sessions are quoted by project.
A 50% deposit secures your date. Sessions typically book 3–4 weeks out. Start with a 15-minute call — we’ll talk through your release timeline, what you need, and whether this is the right fit.