Lee Gonzalez Photography, St. Cloud

Lee Gonzalez first got his hands on a camera at age 9—it was a Polaroid camera, and using it quickly became his obsession. By 13, he had a standard film camera and regularly burdened his parents with Ziploc after Ziploc of film rolls he demanded they drop off for development, or he wouldn't do his chores. In high school, his love of a landscape photography class made him believe he'd never be a portrait photographer, but that changed. As he got older, he started taking photos of friends as a favor, and when a buddy enlisted him to help shoot a wedding, Lee learned something surprising: he loved it. And ever since, he has worked as a wedding photographer. He snaps striking documentary-style photos of couples, resulting in natural-looking images that capture their personalities and true moments of happiness vs. those that highlight stuffy poses and fake smiles.

While nuptials are Lee's specialty, he also trains his lens on landscapes and architecture, crafting an ever-evolving portfolio whose virtuosity matches that of its emotive power.