“This review might be a bit long, so I want to say right up front that Kyle knocked it out of the park and I can’t recommend him enough. The photos are phenomenal. His composition during the ceremony was fantastic, he captured fleeting, emotional moments from our first dance, and he even drove us around the park in the rain between the ceremony and reception to get some truly beautiful shots with the fall foliage.
My wife and I chose Kyle Carnes Photography after a very lengthy review of a large number of wedding photographers in the Pacific Northwest. Our wedding was in Portland at the end of October, with the ceremony in a church and the reception at the World Forestry Center in Washington Park. We knew the weather would be unpredictable and likely rainy, but we still wanted great photographs from both venues (and ideally some outdoor photos in the park if it wasn’t pouring.)
With those criteria in mind, before meeting with any photographers, we pored over the online portfolios of around 20 different photographers, looking for people who consistently captured great images in a wide variety of lighting conditions. We also looked for variety in the types of weddings themselves—the settings, décor, attire, and overall style. Finally, we knew we wanted true-to-color photos, not sepia-toned or filtered images. That process narrowed our search down to four photographers that we then engaged with more deeply.
Right from our first meeting with Kyle, we both felt comfortable. He was easy to work with, showed us additional photos that aligned perfectly with the venues and lighting concerns we discussed, and was open and clear about pricing. He also talked through timeline considerations we hadn’t even thought about, and communication was easy from that point all the way through the wedding. We knew we wanted “getting ready” photos of both the bride and groom, as well as strong candid coverage, so we asked about having a second photographer. Kyle was able to accommodate this and had his assistant, Roberto, join him.
On the wedding day itself, Kyle somehow managed to capture everything without us really noticing he was there. For the posed family photos and the shots of just the two of us, he was incredibly easy to work with. We’re not camera-shy, but we’re also not used to being posed, and Kyle’s calm, soft-spoken demeanor made everything feel natural. From the church, to the park, to the reception and dancing, he captured every part of the day beautifully.
After the wedding, he delivered the full gallery in less than a week. To be fair, this was faster than he promised, and I don’t want to set unrealistic expectations for future clients, but the turnaround was so impressively fast that it’s worth mentioning.
I said this at the beginning, but it’s worth ending the same way: the photos are phenomenal. Everyone who has looked through them has been completely floored. Being able to relive each part of the day so vividly is the best result we could have hoped for from a wedding photographer.”
