John Gress Photography

John Gress Photography is a Chicago-based photography and video production studio led by photographer and Director of Photography John Gress, serving commercial clients, portrait subjects, and photography students from his studio at 5339 W Lake St., Chicago. Gress works across lifestyle, advertising, portraiture, and video content for the beauty industry and professional sports leagues, and is recognized by Professional Photographer Magazine as one of the nation's foremost experts on lighting. Active for over 25 years, Gress has photographed for Fortune 500 clients including Nike, the NBA, and Hyatt Hotels, with work published in Time, Sports Illustrated, and The New York Times. In 2025, he received a Professional Photographer Achievement Award from the International Photographic Council at the United Nations, and was part of the Team USA effort that won the World Photographic Cup. Based in Chicago, Illinois, with in-person workshops held across the U.S. Portrait clients note that Gress produces results that surpass expectations, offers patient posing direction, and creates the specific lighting and mood they were looking for.