Steven Wohlwender is an American commercial and fine art photographer. He was born in Northern Kentucky on 1 May 1967, and now resides in San Mateo, California. After studying art at Central Academy of Commercial Art and the Art Academy in Cincinnati (Ohio), he moved to Chicago where he furthered his studies at the Art Institute there. But the primary reason for moving to the metropolis was not to pursue an art career, but one as an advertising Art Director.

For nearly twenty years Wohlwender held positions as Art Director and Creative Director, and did a tour of agencies on Michigan Avenue where he created visual branding in the form of print advertising and television commercials for a diverse mix of global names. Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, John Hughes Entertainment, John Deere, Kraft, Gatorade, and Coors Brewing Company are some. It was working at his final agency, Leo Burnett, on the Marlboro business where he started doing double-duty, Art Director and Photographer. Cowboys in the American West and Indy 500 cars (Marlboro Team Penske) were his first shooting subjects. It was working on all these international brands with their elaborate ideas and generous production budgets, which afforded Wohlwender the privilege to collaborate with some of the most successful photographers and film directors in the world.

Wohlwender is technically a self-taught photographer having never taken a single photography class in all his years studying art. But Wohlwender himself considers his photography education a formal one. For it was from those that inspired him most, which brought out his ability to create images with an unconventional view, a studied light and color palette, and an emotional wallop. 

Steven Wohlwender has photographed in 21 countries, including film documentaries in Kabul, Afghanistan and Arusha, Tanzania. With the help of his world-class crew, his creations have been recognized for excellence by the most prestigious photography/design organizations and publications in the world.