About Chris
A little about me...
My name is Chris Bray, a photographer based in southern New Jersey where I have grown up for most of my life. I am a full-time wedding photographer but I also LOVE doing portraits for families, couples, and individuals. For fun I spend a lot of time outdoors photographing landscapes, sunsets, animals, basically anything beautiful that catches my eye!
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I know how crazy it can be to plan a wedding, fortunately because I am recently engaged to my wonderful fiancé Lexie!!! We have been together for 5 years and I knew it was time to pop the question (after a 3 hour hike up a steep mountain in Vermont!). Lexie is artistic and entrepreneurial to her core, so naturally we make a great fit. Click here to check out her Etsy shop where you can view all of her beautiful work for sale!
Our two little witchy cats Marnie (Halloweentown) and Binx (Hocus Pocus) are my favorite office buddies, and are always hanging around me while I edit photos and do other work. We are plant-aholics, especially in love with our giant 3 year old Monstera plant! I love dad-rock and oldies (Led Zeppelin, The Who, Fleetwood Mac, Michael Jackson, pretty much any 70s disco) and also a lot of new stuff (The 1975, Joywave, Tame Impala, and to be honest Folklore and Evermore by Taylor Swift...can't lie they are great).
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How I got started...
Before ever owning a professional camera, I remember taking photos on my cell phone and a few tiny cheap point-and-shoot digital cameras. I really loved when I could find a fun angle or perspective on something, but I didn't take it seriously at that time.
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I went to Rutgers Camden for a business degree and ended up landing an internship with Canon (yes, THE Canon) but primarily doing financial work related to their copier machines. Luckily though, one day the other interns and myself were taken to NYC to use some of Canon's really nice professional cameras and lenses. I instantly fell in love with the camera and realized that so much was possible using this one tool.
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Once I got home from that trip, I ordered a refurbished amateur camera kit for $300 and have basically just kept falling more in love with the art ever since then. Until recently I was also working a full time job in logistics on top of my photography work, but in November 2021 I decided that I had to go all-in on my passion. My clients have always been so amazing to me and I cannot express enough how grateful I am to be trusted with their incredibly important wedding photos + portraits.
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How I like to work...
There are a lot of different styles of photography, even just within weddings. My style of working can be summed up as "Fun, Friendly, Candid" because I always have a positive happy attitude during weddings and sessions, and because I really love capturing the natural candid emotion from people more than anything! Photography can take a quick moment of a parent hugging their child or a groom seeing his bride come down the aisle, and make it into a timeless memory in all its full details and colors.
While Photoshop can be a very useful tool, I rarely use it to alter my photos. The editing that I do primarily involves lighting, coloring, and sharpening corrections which maintain the realistic feeling of the image. Maybe I will remove a pimple or a street-sign in the background or some lint on your collar, but 99% of the time I prefer to leave every part of a photo natural.
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Take a look at my portfolio and testimonials to see if I am the right photographer for your needs. If you like my work, please Contact me to discuss and book a photoshoot!