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Jose Villa

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Jose Villa
Born
Jose Villa

(1980-09-15)September 15, 1980
Los Guerrero, Mexico
NationalityAmerican
EducationB.A. photography
Alma materBrooks Institute of Photography
Occupationphotographer
Years active2001 — date
Style
Spouse
Joel Serrato
​
(m. 2011)​

Jose Villa (born 15 September 1980) is an American fine art wedding photographer known for his work with natural light and film photography. He is the exclusive photographer of various celebrity weddings, including those of Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin,[1] Demi Lovato and Jordan Lutes,[2] Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Allen,[3] and Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas.[4][5] He was named among the top 10 wedding photographers in the world by Harper's Bazaar and American Photo,[6][7] and his work has been featured extensively in publications such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, People, Martha Stewart Weddings, Instyle Weddings, Brides, Essence, Town & Country, American Photo, Hello!, Fortune and New York Times.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]

Background and early life

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Villa was born in Los Guerrero, Mexico and moved to Solvang, California where he was raised on a farm ranch.[16][17] He developed an interest in photography during his high school years, initially focusing on portraiture.[18][19] He pursued a degree in photography at the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California, where he developed a passion for film photography.[17]

Career

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Villa began his career photographing children’s sessions before transitioning into wedding photography.[16] After eight years in the industry, he gained traction when he photographed the wedding of Martha Stewart’s niece in Las Vegas, a milestone that led to full-page spreads in Martha Stewart Weddings magazine.[20] The exposure opened the door to more high-profile assignments.[21] According to Vogue Australia, Villa has photographed four of the eighteen most extravagant weddings in the magazine’s history.[22] He was named one of the world's top 10 wedding photographers by Harper's Bazaar and by American Photo in 2008.[23][6][7]

Villa has served as the exclusive photographer for the weddings of numerous celebrities, including Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra.[24][25][26] His photograph of the couple appeared on the cover of lifestyle magazines Hello! and People[27][28]

Additional celebrity weddings phtographed by him include Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin,[29][30] as well as Paris Hilton and Carter Reum —both featured prominently by Vogue and People magazines.[31][32] He also captured the weddings of Samira Wiley and Lauren Morelli,[33] Tobias Alexander Engel and Ivy Getty,[34] Demi Lovato and Jordan Lutes,[35] Adam Housley and Tamera Mowry,[3][8] and Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Allen.

He authored the book Fine Art Wedding Photography: How to Capture Images with Style for The Modern Bride,[36] and he created his preset collections on DVLOP titled For the Love of Film: Kodak, Fuji, B&W and Studio, to recreate his signature film look using digital tools like Lightroom, Camera Raw, and Capture One.[37][38]

Style

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Jose Villa’s style is defined by soft, romantic, and ethereal imagery, often achieved through natural light and medium format film.[38] He also incorporates digital photography in his works atimes.[18] His work blends fine art and fashion influences, resulting in photographs that are both visually striking and emotionally resonant.[38] He credit his upbringing on a farm ranch in Solvang, California for shaping his appreciation and perception of light and warmth.[18][39] Villa’s signature look is achieved using the Contax 645 medium format film camera paired with Zeiss lenses and Kodak Portra film—a combination known for producing soft, romantic images with sharpness, natural color, and wide exposure latitude.[40]

Personal life

[edit]

He is married to photographer Joel Serrato and is established in Santa Barbara, California.[41][42]

References

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  1. ^ "Hailey Baldwin and Justin Bieber's Wedding Photographer, Jose Villa, Shared Never-Before-Seen Photos Giving a Glimpse Inside Their Reception". Business Insider. 2018-07-09. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  2. ^ "Demi Lovato and Jordan Lutes Are Married! Everything We Know About the Wedding". Brides. Retrieved 2025-06-07.
  3. ^ a b "Tamera Mowry Gets Married!". People.com. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  4. ^ "Priyanka and Nick Wedding Photographer, Jose Villa, Reaches Jodhpur, Shares Photos From Venue". India Today. 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  5. ^ "Priyanka Chopra & Nick Jonas Share Favorite Wedding Moments: 'It Was What Dreams Were Made Of'". People. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  6. ^ a b "Our judges – Australasia's Top Wedding Photographers 2021 – Jose Villa". Capture Magazine. Retrieved 2025-06-05.
  7. ^ a b "BAZAAR Bride's Little Black Book: The Top Wedding Photographers in the World". Harper's Bazaar. 2020-09-17. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  8. ^ a b "Photo Fab: Tamera Mowry-Housley Shares Mother-Son Picture". Essence. 2020-10-27. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  9. ^ "The Best Wedding Planners in the U.S., Canada, and Overseas". Vogue. 2016-02-24. Retrieved 2025-06-05.
  10. ^ "A Rustic Vineyard Wedding With Touches of Texas". Brides. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  11. ^ Grillo, Emma (2023-05-04). "In the Digital Age, Wedding Film Photography Has a Resurgence". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  12. ^ "Couples Spend Thousands on a Wedding Photographer For That Perfect Shot". Fortune. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  13. ^ "The 9 Biggest Weddings of 2021". Town & Country. 2021-12-29. Retrieved 2025-06-05.
  14. ^ "BAZAAR Bride's Little Black Book: The Top Wedding Photographers in the World". Harper's Bazaar. 2020-09-17. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  15. ^ "Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas Open Up About Their 'Emotional' Wedding: 'It Was All Tears'". People. Retrieved 2025-06-05.
  16. ^ a b "Interview with Jose Villa". Feather Factor. 2011-06-22. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  17. ^ a b "Jose Villa: Redefining Success with Fine Art Wedding Photography". The Wedding Biz. 2018-04-16. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  18. ^ a b c Filip, Oana (2023-06-15). "Interview with Jose Villa – presentation and client communication are key". Pixieset. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  19. ^ "Podcast Recap with Celebrity Photographer - Jose Villa". Jai Long. 2021-06-07. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  20. ^ "Intimate Winter Wedding at San Ysidro Ranch with Jose Villa". Tyler Speier Events. 2020-08-04. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  21. ^ "Podcast Recap with Celebrity Photographer - Jose Villa". Jai Long. 2021-06-07. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  22. ^ "18 of the Most Extravagant Weddings in Vogue Brides History". Vogue.
  23. ^ "Official Website". josevilla.com. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  24. ^ "Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas' wedding photographer reveals where fans will get to see exclusive pictures!". The Times of India. 2018-12-04. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  25. ^ Risch, Conor (2019-02-04). "Jose Villa Dishes on Photographing Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra's Highly Publicized Nuptials". Rangefinder. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  26. ^ "Nickyanka Wedding Official Photographer, Jose Villa, Share Latest Pictures From Jodhpur". Filmfare. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  27. ^ "Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas's stunning wedding photos - EXCLUSIVE". HELLO!. 2018-12-04. Retrieved 2025-06-06.
  28. ^ "Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas Open Up About Their 'Emotional' Wedding: 'It Was All Tears'". People. Retrieved 2025-06-05.
  29. ^ "Take a Look Inside Hailey Baldwin and Justin Bieber's Whimsical Wedding Reception". People.com. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  30. ^ "Remembering Every Detail of Justin and Hailey Bieber's Dream Southern Wedding". E! Online. 2021-09-30. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  31. ^ "See Every Single Stunning Photo from Paris Hilton and Carter Reum's Wedding". People. Retrieved 2025-06-06.
  32. ^ "Every Single Dress Paris Hilton Wore During Her Marathon Wedding Weekend". Vogue. 2021-11-18. Retrieved 2025-06-06.
  33. ^ Hendricks, Jaclyn (2017-12-21). "The Year in Celebrity Weddings". Page Six. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  34. ^ Macon, Alexandra (2021-11-08). "Inside Ivy Getty's Fantasy Wedding Weekend in San Francisco". Vogue. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  35. ^ Macon, Alexandra (2025-05-27). "Inside Demi Lovato and Jordan "Jutes" Lutes's Wedding at a Historic Estate in Santa Barbara". Vogue. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  36. ^ "Jose Villa Book: Fine Art Wedding Photography: How to Capture Images with Style for the Modern Bride". Amazon.
  37. ^ "Jose Villa: For the Love of Film". DVLOP. Retrieved 2025-06-05.
  38. ^ a b c "Best Lightroom Presets for Incredible Results". SLR Lounge. 2025-01-21. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  39. ^ "Jose Villa Book: Fine Art Wedding Photography: How to Capture Images with Style for the Modern Bride". Amazon.
  40. ^ "Jose Villa: Capturing Love Through the Lens - A Look at Wedding Photographer". About Photography. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  41. ^ Risch, Conor (2017-07-12). "A Revealing Q&A with Wedding Superstar Jose Villa". Rangefinder. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  42. ^ "Jose Villa + Joel Serrato: Their Intimate Rustic Wedding". Green Wedding Shoes. 2011-12-23. Retrieved 2025-06-05.
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