Karen French Photography

Karen French is one of the most published wedding photographers in the nation: she took over half of the images in the number one, two and three top-selling wedding books.

Well known and highly respected in the photography industry, Karen has over fifteen years of professional experience. She studied four years with Hollywood’s top fashion and celebrity photographers, and her work has a distinctive fashion/photojournalistic look. That “look,” which clearly demonstrates her artistry and technical expertise, has brought her national attention: she is listed as an honored professional in the nationwide Who’s Who book. Many art industry professionals, from art directors and graphic designers to photographers have chosen Karen to photograph their own weddings. Most of her work comes from referrals by past clients, professional coordinators and many of Southern California’s top locations, including the Ritz-Carlton, La Venta Inn, Rancho Las Lomas, Montage Resort, Del Coronado Hotel, Hyatt Waterfront Beach Resort, Four Seasons and the St. Regis. In the last two years alone, Karen has photographed 43 weddings at Ritz-Carlton hotels.

Karen loves doing weddings and, in fact, that’s all she does. Her storytelling approach is an artsy one, emphasizing candids that show peoples’ personalities, rather than posed pictures. “People usually think taking candids is easy, but it’s not. You have to anticipate what’s going to happen, and be technically strong enough to take advantage of an opportunity when it comes along. You don’t have time to fumble around, adjusting your lens or exposure. If you see it happen, it’s too late!” She took one of her favorite photos, of a little boy yawning, by noticing that he was sleepy during the ceremony and predicting that he would yawn. Her intuition was right, and when the moment came, she was completely ready to capture it.

Karen is very easygoing and calm, which has a positive effect on the wedding party—they’re more relaxed, which results in better pictures. “During a wedding I’m practically invisible,” Karen says, “but when my clients look at their photos, they’re pleasantly surprised by all of the shots I captured that they never realized were being taken.”

Having the right lighting is one of the keys to good photography, and Karen is a specialist in this area. “Good lighting should be both natural looking and flattering to the subject,” she explains. “I’m able to create soft, complementary photos without the use of filters.” She also makes a point of taking detail shots. “A lot of time and thought went into selecting a dress with just the right bow or lace, or a cake with an intricate design, and I think it’s important to record these special touches,” Karen says. “I shoot a lot of images, and brides are always thrilled by how many proofs they get to view.”

Alex Lluch, author of the number one-selling wedding book in the nation, the Easy Wedding Planner, was quoted as saying, “When we put our book together we looked at thousands of photographs from many of the top wedding photographers in the country, and about half of the images we chose to go in the planner were Karen’s. Her work is incredible!”