RF Wedding of the Week: Where Lifestyle Meets Wedding by Caroline Petters

July 9, 2014

By Laura Brauer

I came to know the name Caroline Petters after a friend who went to Petters’ photography alma matter—Portfolio Center—mentioned her as being a terrific wedding shooter.
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One visit to Petters’ website and I was instantly impressed with how she brands herself distinctly—even down to her profile photo—on her fashion/lifestyle website versus her wedding website. It shows that she not only knows what she’s doing, but that a photographer truly can successfully have a hand in two markets.

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Petters moved to New York from Georgia six months ago to ramp up her lifestyle photography portfolio, but that doesn’t mean she’s abandoning her wedding business. She shared one of her favorite weddings, shot at Serenbe outside Atlanta, of couple McKenzie and Parker.

“McKenzie and Parker were connected in every way,” says Petters. “They spoke with their eyes to one another and you could tell their hearts were entwined.”

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For gear, Petters says,  “I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark II. I have a bunch of lenses but my favorite are the fixed 50mm and 85mm.”

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With a tented reception, there were bound to be problems lighting such a huge space. “I light my weddings, so I turned everything way up, dragged my shutter and we used a video light for focusing,” Petters explains.

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I asked Petters how she applies her lifestyle and editorial background at weddings, and how it differs. “In my commercial work, as well as weddings, I am constantly looking for a different way to tell the story. Sometimes it could be a different angle, a different lens, using light, shooting through a material,” she says. “[At weddings] I just don’t have as much control over lighting, timing and subject matter. [In both genres], you are looking for those moments that are authentic but tell the story beautifully.”

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Check out Petters’ Tumblr to see some of her most recent work.

To submit a wedding feature, email Jessica Gordon.