The first thing one notices about Seth Kaye’s photographs is how real they are, such as a bride with tears in her eyes as she hugs her father or a couple embracing on a crosswalk while pedestrians pass behind them. As Kaye himself explains, these un-staged snaps are completely intentional and help his work stand out in the competitive wedding photography industry.

“My artistic approach is a more documentary take on wedding photography,” he said. “I photograph weddings as unobtrusively as I can, and aside from family formals and portraits, rarely pose or prompt people throughout the day. I want to capture what’s real and honest about a couple’s wedding day without interfering or taking the focus off them. I’ve found this approach allows people to just be themselves and feel less self-conscious about being photographed.”

Based in Chicopee, Kaye works throughout New England and has won multiple awards including being named one of the top 50 wedding photographers in the country and one of the top 20 wedding photographers in Boston. His work has been featured on CBS News, The Ellen Degeneres Show, and in Entertainment Weekly. Having a fine arts degree and a background in photojournalism provided Kaye with a natural inclination to tell a couple’s or family’s story through photographs and he left a career in media behind in 2005 to open up his own studio.

Kaye only books a limited number of jobs each year so that he can provide each client with enough attention to make their photo album a success. Remaining specialized allows the studio to devote its time and resources toward maintaining a high standard of quality and service for each client.

Besides his technical capabilities and staying on top of the latest cameras, photography equipment, and techniques, Kaye also knows how to interact with couples as well as their family and their friends for a captivating photo shoot. He also carries business insurance, a practice that he says is becoming more common as events venues demand it from vendors.

Long after the special day has passed, the moments that Kaye preserves in digital form can be made into printed heirlooms to be displayed and enjoyed, such as albums, guest books, and canvas gallery wraps. He can show samples to his clients and assist with having these products made for them.

Although he has received many accolades in the press and by wedding sites, Kaye still says his best reviews come from his happy clients. He’s been described as incredible and the best investment ever made. His unique approach to capturing a wedding is an attractive draw for many clients.

“Being in the moment, connecting with my subjects, and putting a story into a photograph originates from a background in photojournalism,” he said. “My desire to tell stories centered around the joining of a couple and the creation of a new family resonates with people who feel similarly, and who are less interested in the more traditionally formulaic wedding photography their parents might have had.”