Carl Bower
Carl Bower is a Pulitzer finalist whose personal work has been featured in The New York Times, The Sunday Times Magazine of London, and galleries in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, and Washington DC. He approaches weddings with a quiet presence and an eye for authenticity. In practice, this entails moving with a calm demeanor and a desire to remain unnoticed, finding small moments of intimacy in the midst of public celebrations. Read More...
| Photographer | Carl Bower |
| Location | Denver in Colorado, United States |
| Starting Rates | $3500+ (USD) View Packages |
| Website | carlbowerphotos.com |
| Photos | 24 Contest Winning Photos |
| Client Letters | 10 Client Letters |
The Wedding Photojournalist Association proudly recognizes the accomplishments and creative excellence of Carl Bower. The following awards have been earned by Carl from the WPJA. These achievements come with great merit considering the high level of competition that a member faces in the contests.
| 2012 | Q4 |
6th Place - Getting Ready
16th Place - Transportation |
| 2011 | Q4 | 10th Place - Emotion |
| 2010 | Q4 |
1st Place - Kids (being kids)
7th Place - Emotion 19th Place - Humor 20th Place - Kids (being kids) |
| 2009 | Q4 |
2nd Place - Emotion
3rd Place - Emotion 4th Place - Ceremony 16th Place - Emotion |
| BRIDES |
2nd Place - Bride and Groom
7th Place - Kids | |
| Q2 | 15th Place - Transportation | |
| 2008 | Q4 |
8th Place - Departure
12th Place - First Dance 15th Place - Getting Ready 17th Place - Kids (being kids) 17th Place - Action 19th Place - Departure |
| 2007 | Q4 |
3rd Place - Action
4th Place - Reception 14th Place - Transportation 15th Place - Action |
First the most basic facts: My standard fee of $3500 includes:
- eight hours of coverage
- 4x6 preview prints
- online proofing/ordering of custom prints
- 1,000px JPEGs on DVD
I begin photographing an hour and a half before the ceremony (two hours if the preparation is in a different location than the ceremony) and work through the end of the reception. Coverage extending beyond eight hours is $250/hour. I do not pro-rate for time periods less than 8 hours.
I work very unobtrusively with the intent of conveying a sense of those present. Nothing on the website was guided, arranged, or staged in any way. The documentary work is usually done in black and white, though I will work in color upon request. On around half of my weddings, people request some group pictures, which are usually taken in color.
Custom-made photographic books are available for $650 - $1400, depending on the number of images. They are simple in design and understated, resembling monographs more than the traditional wedding albums.
My primary concern is to tell YOUR story; experience can serve as a guide to what to expect, but I pick up my cameras without preconceived notions of the day or the subtleties of the relationships before me. My approach is specific to the individuals involved, and I try to approach each wedding with a fresh eye, open to moments both telling and unexpected.,,
The following letters are from the clients of Carl Bower. Click an image to view a larger version.
Chesney & Greg
Married June 30th, 2012
"Carl This may be the biggest compliment you've ever received: I just paid Holland America $50 so I could use their satellite internet for three hours and look at all the photos. They did not disappoint. Every shot you took was a cut above. Not only are you a master technically...more "
Vanessa & Dan
Married November 6th, 2010
"We are not sure what exactly to thank you for -- for your eye, your warmth, your spirit, your style. You were so refreshing. You have a way of making everyone feel comfortable - real. We are so grateful for your air, your way of being. We both felt so at ease with you and anxiously await our images, confident we will love them as much as we loved you!,"
Heather & Tom
Married September 18th, 2010
"Tom and I enjoyed going through all of your pictures yesterday and the day before. They are lovely and capture the fun-loving spirit of our wedding day. Your compositions are great. Thanks for focusing on our families, too -- Tom's mother and my parents, in particular. Thank you for running around like crazy all day and catching so many great expressions and moments. It was great because we knew you were there all day with us, but I felt like we barely saw you. Tom and I just got back from a Korean wedding on Saturday where the photographer and videographer were always in everyone's face, using flash and constructing poses. They even had all of us bridesmaids do that silly shot where you jump up and down. Quite the opposite from your style! Anyhow, we really...more "
Ericka & Brandon
Married September 5th, 2010
"The pictures are amazing! We can't even figure out HOW you got some of the pictures you got! We didn't even SEE you taking these pictures of us just inches away from us! OUTSTANDING! We're going to keep looking at them in awe for a while and respond back once we've regained our senses."
Isabella & Peter
Married October 3rd, 2009
"It's not very often your photographer makes you cry... I love (should say we love) love, love your photos. They definitely reflect our story. In as much as we love each other, we love and enjoy our families and our friends and the pictures reflect that. I can't wait to see the prints and pick my favorites for the album...that'll be hard as I love so many! I was just on the phone with my brother who is now in the Philippines and I talked him through the entire wedding gallery...he was blown away by the photos. He said it was like he was at the wedding again. The photos are amazing!!!"
Stephanie & Dave
Married September 19th, 2009
"I received the photo today - looks fantastic! Also, I keep meaning to tell you that we are 100,000% in love with the books we received from you. The leather, embossing, layout, (and of course) your photos are just so beautiful. Thank you for all the time you spent on them - they are really incredible."
Kathy & John
Married April 11th, 2009
"What a happy surprise! We didn't expect to see these for several days yet. They look awesome! John and I will review them together and get back to you. Thanks so much for photographing our wedding. It was so wonderful not only have you do it from a professional standpoint...more "
Cynthia & Chris
Married July 7th, 2007
"We love them all! You've made it really difficult for us to choose. We must thank you once again for such a wonderful job. We are more than happy...words just can not describe. Without knowing our guests you captured their personalities as if you had known them their whole lives. You are a gifted artist and have a true eye for photography. We couldn't be happier. We will certainly recommend you to our friends. We'll be in touch upon our return. Take care and thank you once again."
Alysa & Joseph
Married June 23rd, 2007
"I realized -- aghast -- that we had not yet emailed you to tell you how amazing, beautiful, intense, and wonderful your photos were of our wedding. We LOVE them. They just truly captured the feel of the whole evening, and were everything and more that we hoped they would be. Thank you. We know you worked hard that night, and we really appreciate all that went into the photos. Again, thank you so much. "
Julie & Benjamin
Married August 12th, 2006
"The pictures are fantastic, I was totally mesmerized looking at them. Thank you so much for putting them online so quickly! They are really phenomenal, I am so happy. Ben and I will look through them together and start to think about what we want in the book, and will let you know when we have that sorted out. Thank you again, these are truly great pictures and do a perfect job of capturing the essence of the wedding. Thank you!"