Who: Kristen Schueler Photography
Why: You don’t want trendy wedding photos, but you also don’t want stuffy old school wedding photos. And you’ve spent most of your wedding photography search wondering if there is a New England wedding photographer out there who falls somewhere in the middle, and won’t cost half your budget, and will maybe make you feel better about the fact that you really hate having your photo taken. Good news! Kristen Schueler is that, and way more.
Where/How Much: Kristen is based in Boston, and shoots all over New England for ,000 (which includes a second shooter, a USB of your images, and a complimentary engagement session).
As a native New Englander, I’m all too familiar with the fact that wedding photographers in the Northeast generally have to work twice as hard to get the shot. And it’s not just about the weather (though with the winter you’ve had, the regional motto might as well be, “Winter is coming… and it may never leave”). It’s also the matter of your family freaking out every time you say the word “non-traditional.” And the fact that the wedding vendors (APW sponsors notwithstanding) seem to have all studied from the same mid-nineties manual on how to treat couples like a number. Which is why it’s important when you’re planning a New England wedding to find a photographer like Kristen Schueler Photography, based in Boston, whose primary objective is to make sure you’re taken care of, on all fronts.
Kristen’s style is a mixture of traditional and laid back, with a distinctly out-of-the-way approach (think classic images, but without all the unnecessary posing). Her background as a former shy-kid means that you get way more of the quiet moments that make a wedding so special, and you’ll never have to deal with the in-your-face wedding photographer that so many nightmares are made of. Kristen says:
I used to be very uncomfortable around people, and especially in front of the camera. My love for photography and desire to succeed ended up trumping my own fear, and by forcing myself to engage with more people, I have grown and it has helped me become more comfortable in my own skin. Mainly through photography, I have figured out how to work around it and use it to prepare myself for shoots and weddings. In order to be confident in a shoot, I needed to be prepared. Since I understand how uncomfortable it is to be in front of the camera, over time I unintentionally developed “poses without posing.” I do my best work in a photojournalistic style, and I hate things that look too posed.
Also, because I know what it is like to feel awkward, I can connect with people from behind the camera (as they often feel awkward). I spend a great deal of time people watching, which helps me home in on things when there are 150 or more people wandering around. No one at a wedding is paying much attention to the photographer, so I feel very comfortable moving about and getting genuine images without being intrusive.
I also take a good deal of time to learn about you as a couple, and what specifically has meaning at your wedding. I often see other photographers sending out questionnaires a few weeks before the wedding, but I always set up a meeting. I feel like it is very important to pick your brain in person so I don’t overlook anything at the wedding.
And while the end result of Kristen Schueler‘s process might resemble more classic New England wedding photography, the process is anything but. Kristen’s list of won’t-utter phrases include, “Your Big Day!” or “Your Special Day!” She says they activate her gag reflex. And while most New England photographers with Kristen’s style and experience (six years!) charge twice as much, pricing for Kristen Schueler Photography starts at $3,000, which includes two shooters, a thumb drive of your images, and a complimentary engagement session. (Bonus: Kristen’s boyfriend is often her second shooter, meaning he also comes along to all the meetings and engagement sessions, so not only do you get two photographers who can read each other’s minds and work seamlessly together, but you also get someone who will bond with your partner and their crew long before the wedding day rolls around, making the end result more fun and less awkward, which always results in better photos.)
Being a New England wedding photographer means you can’t afford to be a one-trick pony. You’ve got to be able to roll with indoor venues, inclement weather, and gruff uncles who refuse to have their photos taken unless they’re under threat of physical violence. Kristen Schueler has all that under control, and she does it in a way that isn’t going to mean more work for you (because there is no greater buzzkill than having to stand around waiting for intricate lighting to be set up). Kristen explains:
Weddings are filled with amazing moments that create awesome photos, but if the lighting sucks, the photo will not reach it’s full potential. I’ve worked hard to learn to see light and create it when it is needed. I feel confident that I can walk into any venue and create dynamic light that enhances emotion in the shots.
Being a New England wedding photographer often means you have to work twice as hard to get the same result as photographers everywhere else, but Kristen Schueler does it without breaking a sweat. So go make one part of your New England wedding planning easy on yourself, and hire Kristen Schueler Photography for your wedding. She can’t fix the weather. But she can at least make it look good.
click here to contact Kristen Schueler for your New England wedding!
