I’m Kirsten Nicolaisen, a New York City-based photographer specializing in weddings, hospitality, travel, and documentary work. My photography blends vivid, candid scenes with quiet, sincere moments that evoke feelings of nostalgia and familiarity.

 

My love for documenting started early. I grew up in southern California, and for as long as I can remember I’ve been trying to capture the world around me as I feel it. On family trips, I’d pretend the disposable Kodaks my mom bought me were video cameras so I could “document” our adventures (with narration). As a teenager with my first digital point-and-shoot, I became a regular at the CVS one-hour photo counter, printing stacks of images so I could cover my bedroom walls in memories of the people and moments I loved. 

 

Prior to focusing on wedding photography, I spent years working in the news industry, where I learned to anticipate moments set to unfold and respond quickly to the reality in front of me. That experience shaped how I photograph weddings now: with an attentive eye, a steady presence, and a deep respect for authenticity. 

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Before moving to NYC, I spent eight years living in the Pacific Northwest, where time in nature became a constant source of inspiration. All the long hikes, rocky coastlines, and expansive landscapes that Oregon has to offer deepened my appreciation for light, atmosphere, and the feeling of being intensely alive in this world. That same appreciation for the natural world also led me to repeatedly walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain: a long-distance pilgrimage that has become an ongoing personal photography project. Traveling on foot through unfamiliar regions among unfamiliar faces has influenced how I see and photograph my surroundings: curiously, openly, and with empathy and wonder. 

 

Wedding photography brings together everything I love about storytelling — people, emotion, movement, community, and love. I photograph weddings throughout New York City and the tri-state area, and I’m always happy to travel for celebrations and stories that feel like the right fit.