Beneath photographer Angel Kidwellâs wisecracking exterior lies the soul of a true artist. The first thing Maryland-based Angel Kidwell told us was that sheâs not the âartsy-fartsyâ type that will make you and your partner stare off into opposite directions to look cool. Instead sheâll keep you loose and laughingâsee the aforementioned wisecracksâand capture your actual dynamic instead of yâall looking like two models whoâve never met before. Likewise sheâll never direct you to re-create a moment that canât actually be re-createdâlike when you first put on your dress and everyone got teary-eyedâjust because thereâs slightly better light closer to the window. Angel is instead drawn toward capturing the small, real, moments, and her observational skills, natural empathy, and photojournalistic approach to shooting weddings results in nothing less than true artistry. And with rates starting at just $3,200 for eight hours of coverage in the greater Washington DC area, youâre going to want to keep scrolling to see that artistry in action:
Angel is the mom of four teenage girlsâletâs take a sec to shout out how badass that is, and how you do not have to worry about her wrangling your family members, because girlfriend has skillsâand it was motherhood that got her back behind the lens after loving photography as a child:
Being a mom of four, I know how important it is to document the people in your life. Iâm always documenting; even if I just have my phone, Iâm trying to capture just little situations, someone sitting by the window doing their homework. The photographer-artist in me usually has the light catch my eye.
I think thatâs why Iâm drawn to shoot weddings; itâs the little moments that someone might never have noticed. Youâre wrapped up in the day, but I see your bridesmaid taking a moment to drink some tea, just chilling, or your mom sitting out over to the side watching everything. I like watching these little things and documenting them. I love watching peopleâs hands, because you can see where theyâre at, sometimes theyâre kind of tight⌠clenched⌠wringing their hands, or theyâre just loosely in their lap, theyâre relaxed. Itâs the little things.
Thatâs why I donât want to manipulate the situation, why I donât like re-creating something just because the lighting situation is a little bit better over here. I try to control the light as best I can, but I donât want to shuffle you over to the window and say, âOkay, have your moment again. Isnât she gorgeous? Now cry.â Because then youâll look at that picture and remember that this is when the photographer told you to cry. I know if someone said that to me, I would just laugh, and then that moment would be goooone.
Itâs that focus on capturing real emotion thatâs the basis of Angelâs approach to photographing weddings:
When I photograph a wedding, I donât come with an agenda. My goal isnât anything more than to capture the celebration of love with your nearest and dearest. My focus is the people, and keeping them happy and comfortable. Photographing a wedding, for me, is like getting that glimpse into your lives. Itâs almost like youâve invited me into your home, and Iâm excited to see what happens next! Thatâs why itâs those split second moments I love. A glance, a giggle, a tearâit happened so quickly you didnât notice, but I did. I want you to laugh, get choked up, and fall in love all over again when you look at your pictures. That is what drives me and my passion. I think the photos should reflect you, not something I made you do, or an over photoshopped version of yourself. Letâs keep it real, folks!
Combine that sensitive, photojournalistic approach with A+ professionalism and customer service, and you get happy clients like these:
Angel touches the heart through pictures. Angel provided us with the most heartfelt photos of our wedding, every look, every smile, every touch. She has such a keen sense of capturing emotion, and I relive my wedding day by looking at our pictures. Look no further, trust me. Angel captures the moment like no one else.
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Angel was wonderful to work with from the very beginning. We loved her approach of wanting to meet in personâor at least have a Skype video sessionâto get to know our plans and vision for our wedding and answer any questions. She is extremely personable and always professional.
Our package included engagement and wedding photos. We had to reschedule our engagement session twice due to weather, but Angel was incredibly responsive and checked the weather down to the hour to see if it would be okay and gave her thoughts on how the light (or lack thereof) may affect things. Our engagement photos turned out amazing and we received so many compliments on how beautiful they were.
On our wedding day, she was always where we wanted her to be capturing the special moments, subtleties and facial expressions. She rolled with all the punches that day and always had a smile on her face. She has a magical way of working with the light and is incredibly talented, creative and flexible. Thank you, Angel!
Angel Kidwell Photographyâs wedding packages start at $3,200 for eight hours of coverage, which includes a second photographer. There are also hourly options available for elopements and intimate weddings. Angelâs coverage area is generally within 100 miles of Pasadena, Maryland, which covers the Washington DC area, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and all of Delaware. Farther afield? A little bird told us it canât hurt to ask!
Oh, and APW readers will receive a free engagement session with any wedding package by mentioning this post when you contact Angel.
Want to find out more about Angel? Head on over to her site to see more about her work, hear about her barbershop chorus, and bond over a shared love of The Walking Dead. Already suspect youâre a perfect match? Sheâll walk you through the next steps here. And donât forget APW readers will receive a free engagement session with any wedding package. Just mention this post when you contact Angel.
APW readers receive a free engagement session with any wedding package!
