La Dolce Photography, Philadelphia

La Dolce Photography's cofounders Alan Bogusky and Dan Zitofsky began their own photography venture after Alan left his band's photo shoots dissatisfied with the photographer's work. Striving to capture a personal essence that was missing in those photos, the duo works with other seasoned shooters who immortalize over-the-shoulder gazes during photo shoots outdoors or within a spacious studio. The brick-walled space hosts meetings between passionate photographers, in-house professional makeup artists, and their prospective subjects. After sessions, editors retouch images to ensure immaculate skin, flawless lighting, and a background free of phone booths trying to jumpstart modeling careers.

La Dolce's photographers learn to keep subjects at ease and spot their cardboard-cutout replacements with the aid of trainers from affiliated Miami and London studios. For outdoor sessions and workshops, La Dolce partners with outdoor-nature photographer Jeff Berkes, whose lens has captured extreme weather and landscapes for publications such as National Geographic, National Geographic Adventure, and Outdoor Photographer.