My name is Phil Porto and my goal is to give amazing couples the perfect balance of real moments and fine art. Yes I want you guys to look freakin' hot in your images but I also want your photos to take you back to the raw emotions you felt in that moment. I don't want you to say "The photos are so great. Phil did a great job telling us to shut up and stand there". I want you to say "These photos are amazing. I remember exactly what we were laughing about or what you whispered in my ear."
Besides one another, I am believing that working with the Portos will the best decision you can make on your wedding day. I know that sounds prideful, but that is not a statement I would ever say about myself in pride, It is what my couples have said to me. As a photographer I truly value connection with my couples. If you are looking for a transaction experience, I am not the guy for you. Trends will come and go so I do not want to focus on that, I want to focus on you. Each couple has their own story and personality and that is what I strive to show in my photos!
Along side my team of videographers, my goal is to bring you the best photos and videos possible!
we are the squad you need.
My wife Christa and I started the Portos in 2013 as an outlet to our creativity and passions as well as a chance to spend more time together. After a few years, when Christa was 8 months pregnant, she shot her last wedding by my side and switched her focus to being the best mom she can be while also going back to school. i still consider her an equal partner in this business. She is the one who taught me it wasn't about the coolest shot but the flattering of the brides chin and arms. She is the one who helps me when my pride starts to show its ugly face or lift me up when the pressure of running a business starts to bog me down. Though the cameras in my hand, she will always be the backbone.
Phil (from the perspective of Christa) is an ambitious New Yorker with big plans and daring schemes. Really. One of the things that first attracted me to him is that he wasn’t afraid to take chances and that’s definitely to my benefit. I’m timid and scared of change, but he balances me and is proof that life really isn’t about playing it safe all the time. He loves tattoos (duh), the arts, a good bourbon, our families, and hip hop. He’s competitive, sometimes to a fault, but it’s a positive when it counts. He will work hard to make sure that your event is the best that it can be. He invests himself in people; he’s not interested in working just to get paid. He actually cares.
“Friendship is a deep oneness that develops when two people, speaking the truth in love to one another, journey together to the same horizon."
-Tim Keller
We are Phil and Christa Porto, best friends who, despite our vast differences in personality, upbringing, interests (to name a few), couldn’t image life without each other. We started the Portos as an outlet to our creativity and passions as well as a chance to spend more time together.
Phil (from the perspective of Christa) is an ambitious New Yorker with big plans and daring schemes. Really. One of the things that first attracted me to him is that he wasn’t afraid to take chances and that’s definitely to my benefit. I’m timid and scared of change, but he balances me and is proof that life really isn’t about playing it safe all the time. He loves tattoos (duh), the arts, a good bourbon, our families, and hip hop. He’s competitive, sometimes to a fault, but it’s a positive when it counts. He will work hard to make sure that your event is the best that it can be. He invests himself in people; he’s not interested in working just to get paid. He actually cares.
Christa (from the perspective of Phil) is a home-grown country girl from the corn fields of Cory, IN. Don’t know where that is? Neither did I. First thing that caught my eye was that she was/is a total babe! No, I’m not shallow but there’s not much you can know about someone from a Myspace Top 8. As I got to know her, I couldn’t help but fall for her tough-on-the-surface but soft-on-the-inside personality. She is kind of like the sour patch kids slogan, first they're sour, then they're sweet. I’m a dreamer and sometimes I reside too long on cloud nine and she snaps me back into reality. She loves her family, a good book, Buzzfeed, a glass of wine, mushrooms (yuck), and her stud of a husband. She is the best tag-team partner I could ask for. She sees things that might slip by me, she is the head when I’m busy being the heart, she corrects my grammar, and she encourages me to always give my all. She handles all the things a business needs to stay in business.
- Traveling – I crave the excitement of going somewhere I've never been and killing it!
- Adventurous brides and grooms – give me something outside of the parameters of the usual wedding traditions and I will swoon. Warning: Trespassing may happen!
- Golden Hour! Love the way I use light in our photos? That’s the key. Trust me!
- Happy tears and ugly cries ALL DAY!
- COFFEE!
- Brides & Grooms who have prioritized photo and video over an expensive cake, caterer, or floral arrangements. Don’t get us wrong, those things are all important and will add to the beauty of what I do, but only the photos & video will last a lifetime.
- Pinned poses! I like posing couples based off who they are and having natural moments, not whats “popular” on Pinterest. I want couples to be themselves on their wedding day and not feel like they have to nail a certain "pose" they saw online.
- Wedding professionals who are care more about their agenda then about the bride & groom! It’s about you guys, not us!
- Walmart at night. It’s not safe, people!
- Drunk & belligerent bridal parties. Have some drinks, feel free to give us some, just don’t go all Joe Pesci in Casino on me.