About

An intimate moment between a couple seated on an industrial staircase, with the man embracing the woman from behind, set in an urban, rustic environment.

us

Hi, we’re The Oberports.

We’re wedding wizards. (We can’t actually cast any spells, but we can take some kickass photos.)

We’re Emily & Bobby and we’re married West Virginia wedding and portrait photographers based in Charleston, WV. Since 2009 we’ve photographed over 500 weddings in three countries and 25+ states. 

So, yeah… weddings are kinda our thing.

A close-up portrait of The Oberports in casual chic attire, showcasing their personal style and warm, affectionate smiles against a plain, dark background.

Behold, Our origin Story!

Our story began in 2006 as coworkers sharing a small office where we became fast friends & a powerhouse team. We liked each other so much that we got married in 2011! Soon after, folks started referring to us by a combination of our last names- “The Oberports” … and so the legend was born.

Bobby Oberlander + Emily Porter

The Oberports high five one another.

TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK 

Aside from working with super cool couples and their rad loved ones, the experience of working together is our favorite part of our job. Whether we’re writing emails, taking golden hour portraits, or working on album designs, we approach every aspect of our business collaboratively. 

A bride and groom standing amidst a rugged landscape of rocks and a waterfall backdrop, with the bride in a classic white dress and blue shawl, and the groom in a gray suit with a blue tie.
The silhouette of a family holding hands, with two children and parents standing against a bright sky filled with fluffy clouds.
Two people in bright outerwear, a yellow jacket and a pink coat, stand smiling before a metallic industrial door, with a geometric green steel structure overhead.

It’s About People

Whether we’re documenting weddings or family portraits, we know that the value of preserving moments only grows as time goes on. We know this because we cherish our own wedding photos infinitely more now than we did a few months after our big day. Revisiting memories we shared with people who are gone now is truly priceless. 

At the end of the day, we don’t care about taking trendy photos for the ‘gram. Looking cool on social media isn’t what matters to us; we want to preserve your family’s legacy. 

A woman in a flowery, off-the-shoulder dress standing poised with children in motion around her.
Black and white photo capturing a poignant moment of a young person with a serious expression, shielding their face from the camera with an outstretched hand, illustrating a theme of privacy or introspection.
A couple sharing a romantic moment at a cozy bar, with the woman sitting on the counter in a floral dress and the man in a burgundy shirt, surrounded by warm lighting and rustic decor.
An elegantly dressed couple stands on a bridge with a picturesque river and cityscape behind them, sharing a loving gaze, highlighting their formal attire against the urban landscape.
A joyful family moment captured at golden hour, with a beaming couple swinging their delighted child between them, the warmth of the sunset enhancing their smiles.
A portrait of a woman adorned in a traditional South Asian bridal attire with intricate embroidery, her expression serene and contemplative, against a dark background that accentuates the sparkle of her outfit and jewelry.

Why Us?

We like to think of ourselves as more than just your photographers.

You want amazing photos and you want your photography experience to be easy, fun, and geared towards your own unique personalities. 

In addition to being talented, experienced, award-winning WV photographers, we’re also great communicators, which means we’ll be comfortable interacting with all your family members and friends (yeah, even the weird ones).

But wait, there’s more: we also have a knack for logistics/efficiency. We want you to have amazing photos and we want the entire process to be easy (and hopefully fun).

Emily Porter

(the “Port”) She/Her: Logistics Queen. Family wrangler. Cat whisperer.

Emily loves growing 12+ foot tall sunflowers, baking sweet breads in bundt pans, watching tons of Food Network shows, befriending cats, and eating Bobby’s delicious home-cooked food. Her perfect day would include watching tons of Star Trek Next Generation while being snowed in.

BobBy OBERLANDER

(the “Ober”) – He/Him: Ace of Frames. Not afraid of spreadsheets. Petter of Dogs.

Bobby loves watching old films on Criterion Channel, drinking all styles of beer, playing lots of nerdy video games (Dark Souls!), cooking up new recipes, & finding the best restaurants when we’re traveling. Has an encyclopedic knowledge of hip-hop, metal and their many subgenres. He believes the world’s most perfect food is beans.

Boris (He/Him) & Lennie (She/Her)

Co-office Managers

Boris

Lennie

Perhaps the most important part of our company, this tufted twosome makes sure that everything keeps running smoothly through their coordinated efforts of napping in our office, and in Boris’s case, interrupting phone/video calls.

Boris is a blue-eyed, 11 year old dog in a cat’s body adopted from our local KCHA. Never lacking in personality, he loves chasing his own tail, following us around all day, and meowing up a storm. Current nickname count: 15.

Lennie is a laid back, sunshine-loving queen who showed up as a young stray. Though usually super chill, she’s never met a toy she doesn’t love (she especially loves peacock feathers), and she’s 25% Scottish Fold. Current nickname count: 8.

“Their way of capturing the emotions and details from our day was like magic.”

-Arianna & Addison,
Fayetteville WV

“They have a way of putting everyone at ease, which had a very calming influence on many of us before the ceremony when nervous energy was flying.”

– Katie & Matt,
Charleston WV

Quick

Facts

When We Started

2008

When We Got Married

April 2011

Our happy place

Cape Cod

# of Weddings Photographed

500+

States we’ve shot
weddings in

26

Furthest we’ve
traveled for a wedding

Italy

Favorite Song to hear
at a wedding

“Int’l Players Anthem” by UGK/Outkast

Always in our bag on
a wedding day

Liquid IV

Miles driven for weddings

179,445

Boldly Capturing Life’s Best Moments

Are you ready to do this?

Get in touch