Why variety matters in your wedding photo gallery - California Elopement Photographer Kept Record
nobody wants vanilla wedding photos.
No hate on vanilla here, but they say variety is the spice of life + when it comes to reliving your elopement or intimate wedding day, that couldn’t be more true!
One of the biggest concerns from couples searching for a wedding photographer is getting a big gallery. Why? It’s not actually about the number of photos - it’s about the range of moments captured.
A gallery with wide variety is important for so many reasons! First off: it maximizes your investment. Hiring a wedding or elopement photographer isn’t cheap, so to get the biggest bang for your buck, you’ll want a whole range of photos to look back on. Second: everyone feels a little awkward and anxious in front of the camera. Receiving a gallery with photos from different angles, lighting scenarios, and backdrops means there’s a higher chance you’ll end up with photos that you’ll really love! Last: there are so many ways to use your photos afterwards, but not every photo fills the same purpose! Some may make beautiful canvases hung above the fireplace, others will work seamlessly in an heirloom album, and some will make great “we eloped” cards to send family and friends.
This post is about different things to look for in wedding photographers’ galleries when you’re searching for someone to document your day!
you wouldn’t want hundreds of photos of you staring straight at the camera, glued to the same spot, right?
If you do… you’re in the wrong place! All of your photos won’t look exactly the same- and that’s a good thing. On a wedding day, there are a million different nuanced details: the way your dress lightly brushes the desert floor, the polaroids from your first date paperclipped to your handwritten vows, the way your partner looks at you when they see you for the first time…these moments are so distinctive and worth remembering!
One of the most critical parts of being a photographer is walking the line between consistency and variety - creating photos that are strong enough to stand alone and cohesive enough to support each other. Variety is one of the biggest artistic tools in a photographers’ toolbelt and can be used so many ways to showcase such a big range of things: different lighting scenarios, posing + composition, locations, and even emotions + mood! The element of variety can really differentiate between a photo gallery that helps you relive every moment and a gallery that falls flat.
p.s. searching for great vow books? check out my super talented friend Collette’s Etsy shop or commission her for a custom invite suite over at Poppy and Birch.
Hey y’all! I’m Morgan Pirkle.
I’m the owner + lead photographer at Kept Record. I’m an elopement + intimate wedding photographer for couples seeking a different + daring wedding experience. My husband and I eloped in Joshua Tree in 2018, and now I help couples navigate planning intimate weddings and elopements too!
Here’s how we achieve a gallery with images so powerful and varied you feel like you’re stepping back in time:
let’s talk lighting.
Using different types of light to add variety to your wedding photos:
There are a ton of ways to infuse light into your photos, but often natural-light photographers feel incredibly anxious shooting anytime that isn’t golden hour. Don’t get me wrong - that golden hour, sunset, peaches-and-cream lighting is nothing short of magic! But sunset doesn’t last all day, so it’s super important you select a wedding photographer comfortable with shooting in different types of light - especially in an environment with harsher conditions, like the desert.
Personally I LOVE the differences of lighting throughout the day because based on the lighting, we can immediately see the progression of the story. Lighting during high noon/harsh light (generally the hours just before, during, and after mid-day) naturally imparts a high level of contrast, making the subject really pop from the background. Still the most common advice for shooting during this time is “find shade.” To me, this lighting naturally feels very high-energy, bright, and vibrant: like the moment you bite into the perfect slice of key lime pie! It has a “snap” to it! Joshua Tree is an incredible spot for these types of shoots - there’s something about the blank canvas of the endless desert landscape in and around the national park that lends itself so well to high noon! Here are some of my favorite harsh light photos:
Shooting during this time has certain limitations photographers versus shooting at times of the day that have less contrast, like sunset. Deep, dark shadows are something to keep an eye out for during mid-day shooting! Harsh light can emphasize features and super small details in skin, so intentionally directing is key to maintain achieve well-lit, magical photos.
The light is much more diffused at sunset - it’s more evenly distributed, so while there are of course still shadows they aren’t as intense as the natural contrast of High Noon lighting. It naturally feels super romantic. It has this velvet quality, softening skin and features. Where harsh light picks up on very tiny details, golden hour helps small details melt beautifully into the shadows. This light is great for portraits of the couple! Try to plan for your newlywed portraits during this time (generally starting at about an hour and a half before the sun is expected to set). I recommend mentally planning for sunset to occur about 15 minutes before it’s actually expected to, so that you won’t be racing the clock at the end! Sunset can also vary dramatically during winter and summer months, and on one side of a mountain versus the other so location scouting ahead of time is super important. For instance, the photos taken in Joshua Tree below were captured between 5:30 and 7:00 p.m., and the photos in Lake Tahoe were captured between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m.
posts that showcase strategic use of lighting
Bry + RJ’s Las Vegas wedding with Seven Magic Mountains first look, Planning a Joshua Tree Elopement, Will + Laurel’s DTLA Engagement Session
let’s talk posing + composition.
Posing and compositional variety in your wedding photos:
These two are huge factors, especially if you’re trying to create a wide amount of variety in a short period of time! Alternating between lenses of different focal lengths (I typically use a Sony Zeiss 35mm and Sony 85mm simultaneously), angles, and poses creates a huge range. It’s important to know that the elements of posing and composition are collaborative; the person behind the lens has the ability to alter the composition of the photo by changing their position relative to whoever is in front of it. I could write an entire blog post on my posing style - I call it “crafting candid” - but just know that while I make it as effortless as possible for my clients, so much thought and consideration goes into it on my end! The way I direct during a shoot is largely informed by work done well ahead of the shoot, from our initial consultation call, to the pre-planning questionnaires and emails, to our pre-wedding/elopement call a few weeks before. Using cues that feel natural helps me create photos that feel totally custom and authentic because they’re based on my clients’ lives! Getting to know your photographer (and them getting to know YOU) will make your photography experience feel so much more relaxed and organic.
posts that show strategic use of posing + composition:
Nicole + Justin’s Hermosa Beach engagement shoot, Lauren + Jeremiah’s Vasquez Rocks engagement shoot, 5 Things to Know about Eloping in the Redwoods
let’s talk location.
Using different locations for wedding photo variety:
Even within one main location, there are tons of ways to find different “scenes.” Choosing a location is often one of the most challenging parts of elope, and one way to honoring that decision is by showcasing as much of it as possible! The goal here is sort of a paradox: you want to capture the the feeling of a love that’s larger-than-life, and a landscape that makes you remember how big the world is, and how truly incredible is it that you’ve found your person, in this short and sweet life.
posts that show strategic use of location
Mia + Jeremy’s Franklin Canyon engagement shoot, Breanna + Eric’s Houdini Estate Intimate Wedding
let’s talk mood + emotions.
Photographing a variety of mood + emotions:
Photos taken just moments apart can reflect an entirely different vibe. Mood is a combination of all of the above factors! Harnessing the power of mood and emotion starts way before the camera comes out. After working in the hospitality industry for a decade, I’ve developed what former managers called “resting nice face” - basically, I’m told I just always look approachable. This genetic quality I can’t take credit for, but paired with my super high level of empathy, I’m often able to read people in ways that help them express different aspects of their personality!
I love capturing the fun, light-hearted, silly moments just as much as I love capturing the more vulnerable, slow, romantic moments. Throughout a shoot I’ll often reference our conversations from the planning period beforehand - things like the engagement story and memorable dates they’ve told me about. I’ll also ask questions that help a couple reminisce on past times or dream of the future, which creates entirely one-of-a-kind photos because each couples’ story is entirely one-of-a-kind! Connecting with your photographer on a personal level means establishing a certain level of trust, which is reflected so much in your photos.
posts that show strategic use of emotions + mood
Planning a Baker Beach Elopement, What Eloping Really Means,
When the day you marry your partner has come and gone, photos will act as your way of accessing that time, place, and flurry of emotions. It shouldn’t be just one flavor! You deserve a gallery that feels at once harmonious and varied, capable of telling the whole story of the day. In other words - SPICY! This way, you’ll maximize your investment, document the nuances of your unique day, receive photos you look AND feel good in, and have tons of options when it comes to deciding what framed print to send your grandma for her birthday next year!
Are you dreaming of a wedding gallery that sounds like this?
I would LOVE to hear about your intimate wedding or elopement plans! Fill out the form below to get started!
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