LGBTQ+ Owned, Woman Owned
Kari Paine Photography
Documentary Wedding Photography for LGBTQ+ Lovers & Allies
As someone who feels awkward in front of cameras, I founded my business on the mission of creating authentic photos for queer people who aren’t trained models. I take a photojournalistic approach while also providing guidance and tips to my couples to help them feel more natural in front of the lens. As a result, you’ll spend less time posing with me and more time being present.
I take a limited number of clients each year so that I have enough time and energy to pour my whole heart into it. You know you’ll have a dedicated collaborator and partner in this crazy wedding process with me. I’ll help you navigate the industry’s annoying heteronormativity and
think of ways to make your day nontraditional, queer, and as ‘you’ as possible.
In addition to wedding photography, I am also a graphic designer for nonprofits and cause-based organizations. In my free time, you can find me reading books, biking around Detroit, or cooking with my wonderful partner Kate. Bonus points if you ask me about my dog….
Based in
Detroit, Michigan
Works with clients
around the world
Starting at
$4500
All people deserve a photography experience free from hate and discrimination. Everyone is welcomed, affirmed, and respected here. All bodies, backgrounds, races, sexualities, genders, religions, everything.
Based in
Detroit, Michigan
Works with clients
around the world
Starting at
$4500
All people deserve a photography experience free from hate and discrimination. Everyone is welcomed, affirmed, and respected here. All bodies, backgrounds, races, sexualities, genders, religions, everything.
What’s your process for understanding the marriers’ vision for their day?
I start by getting to know their values. I believe that your day should be structured around your values, and photography should fit into that (not the other way around). Then, I work with the marriers’ to understand their experience of their body and gender through doing a gallery review discussion. This helps me approach their wedding with deep understanding and empathy.
What’s one wedding trend you wish would come back?
My parents talk about how the only posed photos they did on their wedding was a week beforehand, when they went to a studio and spent an hour taking pictures in their wedding outfits. They didn’t even consider posing for pictures on their wedding day! I want that! I want couples to never think about photos on their wedding day and just enjoy.
What’s a common misconception about your role in the wedding industry?
A lot of people think wedding photographers are directors, but I think wedding photographers should be collectors. A photographer can create the most meaningful images if they approach the day as a memory collector, melting into the experience and watching for moments.
