Connection is at the heart of what New England-based Kindred do. The work Elle and Zach feature does not simply arise from who they are, but who they are when they are connected and in alignment with their clients. With that said, Kindred aim to work with couples with a fondness for film and who treasure fine art in all its forms, recognise their artistry and seek to collaborate with them. Kindred often capture weddings in New York and are available worldwide.
Tell us about Kindred!
Since our first 'date' photographing a wedding together, we’ve been capturing love and its gatherings for the entirety of our relationship. That’s an eight year love story with finding light, one another and a way to gently blend into the most intimate and emotive human ceremonies.
What would you like couples to know about you?
We’re wholeheartedly ourselves in this work — personal, playful, curious and caring. We hope that the space we craft inspires you to do the same. More than anything, we want to know you as people first, everything else is small potatoes (Elle’s Midwest roots are showing).
Where are you based?
We are based in the New England area. But most often we find ourselves bustling via train to New York City.
Do you travel for weddings?
Yes!
How would you describe your style?
We’re storytellers with a penchant for the sacred, the absurd, and the unexpected. Sometimes a bit irreverent, always intimate and immersive, our work seeks to celebrate the poetry of modern romance artfully and honestly.
What is your most memorable career moment?
While there’s the big moments like being featured in Vogue or The New York Times or receiving an award like being one of Rangefinder’s Rising Stars of 2020, it’s truly the smaller, unseen moments of connections with clients. The ones that reach out, gushing their full story, less obsessed with the details of their table linens and more in the details of their love and are set on having that feeling preserved through our lens. That always feels like the biggest of wins.
What inspires you?
Most recently we’re inspired by Daniel Arnold, an irreverent street photographer who preserves public life in its outrageous hilarity and beauty. Historically, street photography has been at the roots of Elle’s love story with photography — From Henri Cartier Bresson to Bruce Gilden. We’re also inspired by French New Wave films, the portraits of porch life by Nicholas Nixon, the Americana of Robert Frank and Richard Avedon, and William Eggleston’s color. With degrees in fine art and philosophy, we also have hearts for the classics, of Caravaggio and chiaroscuro. And ultimately, we’re enchanted by the big and small displays of love, light and movement on a wedding day.
What motivates you to do what you do?
A relentless curiosity about human beings and their behavior; how they love simply and spectacularly, how they hug, cry and cackle. And, of course, the creative process — forever a hot damn mystery we’ll never solve.
How would you describe your working style?
Unobtrusive and uncontrived, we find our way inside the moment without disrupting it. Being a wedding photographer, to us, means learning to let go of control and bear witness to what is arising in each moment, ready and willing to capture it artfully. We’ll help find the best light for key moments and will occasionally whisk the couple aside for sunset portraits or a quiet, intimate moment at the end of the night. However, ultimately, we keep a pulse on what’s happening and what the couple might want or need in a moment.
Each couple’s needs are different. If guidance is needed, Elle is the first to jump in with direction and encouragement. She is also the one to typically be enmeshed in the small and often overlooked exchanges happening throughout the wedding day. Zach provides a peaceful and grounding presence; a fly on the wall, zooming out to capture landscapes, long exposures and guest reactions during speeches. Together we’re rarely in the same place, bringing our two unique perspectives to every moment.
Do you shoot digitally, on film or both?
Both! Digital and film (35mm, 120mm, polaroid). We’re hoping to move toward shooting exclusively on film in the coming years.
Do you have custom packages according to individual needs?
Absolutely, depending on whether they’re having a multi-day event or want a particular concoction of film and digital images, we can get creative in crafting a package that fits each couple’s unique needs.
What is a favourite product or service that you offer and why?
We really love that we offer a package that is half-digital and half-film. Zach typically shoots digital (with a sprinkling of film) throughout the day while Elle shoots predominately film. That way the couple gets most of the bespoke moments in both formats, offering a gallery diverse in perspective and feeling.
Where would you love to travel to for work?
Paris, please! We’re also interested in any place warm — the Maldives, the Amalfi Coast, Bali.
Who is your dream client?
Creatives with a fondness for film and who treasure fine art in all its forms — the sacred, the poetic, and the strange; kind folks that don’t take themselves too seriously but orchestrate things with intention and tender lovin’ care. Ultimately, clients that approach life artfully, recognize our artistry and seek to collaborate with us.
What is your advice to couples getting married?
We are not the ones who authored this advice but: your presence is all that matters. You spent months worrying about where the tent will go and if Grandma will be seated close enough to the space heater, so that when the meticulously planned day arrives, you can love-soak and party.
