Pic-Time Stories: The Caryls
Based in the wild beauty of Scotland, Katie and Jim Caryl are a husband-and-wife duo known for their deeply atmospheric and emotionally rich imagery. Specializing in intimate weddings and elopements, their work is defined by intentionality, artistry, and a deep respect for the people they photograph.
Though different in personality, the two are remarkably in sync when it comes to what they value: storytelling, light, and the quiet, private beauty of human connection.
Their visual language leans into a timeless aesthetic, heavily influenced by Dutch masters like Vermeer. With a love for darker spaces and directional light, they often let the background fall gently into shadow, drawing the eye to the subject in a way that feels cinematic and intimate. For them, it’s about capturing presence.
““A key element of the way that we’re trying to tell their story is like a documentary, but in stills.””
At the heart of their work is a documentary approach that unfolds through stills with a deliberate, slow pace. Whether it’s a windblown elopement on a moody hillside or a quiet morning indoors, every frame is part of a larger emotional arc. The landscape often becomes a character in the story, helping couples move and relax in a way that feels organic and grounding.
““There’s nothing like being on a wet and windy Scottish hillside to really distract you from the fact that you’re having a photograph taken.””
Their approach to storytelling is rooted in memory. They believe in helping couples remember the day not only as it looked, but as it felt. A curtain blowing in the wind, the scent of roses drifting through a window, the rhythm of a slow morning indoors, the sensory details that fade fast but linger longest when thoughtfully preserved.
““A large part of helping couples to relax is giving them ways to move through the landscape. So the landscape almost becomes the supporting actor in their images.”
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That depth of attention extends to how they capture the couple themselves. Where most people are used to seeing a “public” version of themselves in photos, the Caryls strive to document something more private: a glimpse into the couple’s intimate connection with one another. The kind of love that’s usually only seen behind closed doors, when no one is watching.
““The way that you remember things is to slow things down by pacing and making everything very intentional.””
It’s this reverence, for light, for place, and for the deeply personal, that gives their work its unmistakable signature. In every gallery, there’s a sense of stillness and soul, like witnessing a moment never meant to be seen, but are grateful you did.
