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Weddings

About

Head & Heart Photography is a locally focused, exclusive membership photography collective created with the purpose of finding the most talented and motivated local photographers, and connecting them with couples and clients looking to book a photographer whose work and personality they can be confident in.

Each member photographer has gone through an application process that consists of a detailed online questionnaire requiring information about their experience, skills, goals and more, an in-person interview with me (Kiel Rucker), and (when opportunity permits) shooting with me on one of my weddings or projects. I do not invite a photographer to be a part of Head & Heart unless I am confident in their talent, personality, experience and their potential to grow as individuals and photographers. Can’t wait to show you what we can do!

Head & Heart Member Photographers are invited to apply based on the culmination of my 10+ year of experience and knowledge gained about both sides of the photographer/client relationship, boiled down into an experience that offers talented photographers opportunities to demonstrate and hone their craft while offering clients the best photography experience possible from initial inquiry to the the delivery of their final images.


Experience
Kiel Rucker has been a professional wedding photographer for eight years in Santa Barbara. He has captured weddings on some of the most stunning and notorious venues in the world, including The Ritz Carlton, The Four Seasons Biltmore and San Ysidro Ranch.

Services Offered

  • Additional hours
  • Destination/travel
  • Engagement shoot
  • High-res images
  • Liability insurance
  • Multiple locations
  • One event/day
  • Second shooter
  • Toning
  • Wedding portraits


Other Services

  • Albums
  • Canvas
  • Digital files
  • Matted prints
  • Prints
  • Proofs
illustration popular

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Frequently asked questions

Which of the following are included in the starting price?

2nd Shooter
Multi. Locations
One Event / Day
Digital Files
Proofs
Save the Date

Which of the following are included in the price of your most popular wedding package?

2nd Shooter
Engagement Shoot
Multi. Locations
One Event / Day
Albums
Digital Files
Prints
Proofs

What primary photographic style do you identify with?

Contemporary
Natural
Photojournalism

What photography services do you offer?

Additional Hours
Destination / Travel
Engagement Shoot
High-Res Images
One Event / Day
Second Shooter
Video
Wedding Portraits

What photography items do you offer?

Albums
Canvas
Digital Files
Matted Prints
Prints
Proofs

Reviews of Head & Heart Photography by Kiel Rucker

Lizzy
Lizzy Sent on 04/21/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Beautiful Photos and top notch planning and shooting experience

Booked Marina Borov through Head and Heart photography for a 2 hour elopement shoot in January of 2022 in Santa Barbara. I am honestly not a wedding person and was totally apprehensive about this process, pre-shoot Marina helped me plan when I knew nothing about what I wanted. She was super collaborative as we formed a vision together. She was punctual, prepared, and even served as our witness on the day of the elopement. My partner and I are both awkward people in front of cameras (read eyes shut and goofy expressions), but I really wanted some candids and things that felt real vs. cheesy. Through Marina’s excellent on-set manner and direction she cajoled us into some amazing candid shots. She was playful, curious, flexible and has a great eye and the photos really show that. I honestly expected the whole experience to be painful, but instead it felt fun and meaningful under her guidance. I work as an art director with commercial photographers for a living, and I have to say Marina stacks up in every way: she is a true wedding pro. She goes above and beyond with her work and she’s a total bargain for what she brings to the table. Book her while you still can!
Tash
Tash Sent on 07/08/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing photographer

THE ABSOLUTE BEST! My wedding was this past weekend and Kiel was our photographer. We chose him because of his amazing portfolio (check out his website!!) He was wonderful to work with and really made the day stress free. So many people from our bridal party (and even guests) commented on how comfortable Kiel made them feel. He was also very organized and had us on schedule the entire evening (even with thousands of family pics). I would highly recommend Kiel and his team!!!
J
Jocelyn Sent on 07/07/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing Photographer/Photogtaphy!!

AMAZING photography!!! One of the main thing with photos is you need to feel comfortable with the person taking them and Kiel is amazing at that. I would definitely recommend using H&H Photography for anything- big or small!!
E
Emelita Sent on 08/19/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Awesome work

Kiel has been very professional and friendly . He made us comfortable throughout the event. He was able to capture our moods/emotions in every shot . I can't help but smile and relive the moment as I go thru the pictures .
N
Nyomi Sent on 08/16/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Nothing short of extraordinary!

What an experience, I'm not sure where to start!

Head & Heart Photography by Kiel Rucker is nothing short of extraordinary. I say this for many reasons...he is super friendly, enthusiastic, and genuine and his work is simply wonderful. He cares about your ideas and vision and can bridge your vision with his style. But at the end of the day, you really don't need to do anything other than show up, have fun, listen to his direction and trust his vision.

Head & Heart photos are gorgeous and even when we felt like maybe we didn't do the best job modeling, there were plenty of photos to show that Kiel knew exactly how to capture us when least expected to get the best photos. I also like that Head & Heart has a more editorial approach - basically your photo will look like something right out of a magazine. That's exactly what we wanted and that's what was delivered.

Our team was no doubt the dream team and one thing I really admired about everyone including Kiel was that he and others were very respectful of one another and our planner. I feel that is super important especially if there a new people working together. I also feel like it's our responsibility as the client to do the same to make their jobs easier. This results in a win for everyone and it certainly did for us!

I could write an endless review but I want to be sure it's brief enough to be read in its entirety. Thank you Head & Heart Photography for giving us a wonderful experience and producing such beautiful timeless, stunning photos.
Teal
Teal Sent on 02/05/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Wedding Planner Approved!

So many fantastic things to share about Kiel from a wedding planner's perspective. Kiel was attentive to the needs and requests of our clients, turned around stunning images in very reasonable time frame, and is a true joy to have alongside our team on the wedding day.

We knew our clients were being well cared for the entire day, he was happy to field my requests for detail and other shots, and in the months leading up to the wedding was a wonderful communicator with me to work through logistics and just taking great care in listening and collaborating.

Can't wait to team up with Kiel again soon!
Elena
Elena Sent on 02/03/2020
5 out of 5 rating

We LOVE our photos!

We couldn't even begin to imagine using another photographer. Kiel was right fit for us from the very beginning. We met with him and a few other photographers early in our process and were impressed that he's both super responsive and a clear communicator. But what we loved the most was his energy - he's calm (which helps put everyone at ease), disarmingly funny (which gets the smiles), and super flexible (we trusted him w/ almost all direction but he was always good with asking for our ideas and our input first). He corralled our large family for group shots with ease and humor. So he gets all the points for being easy to work with, but it's the pictures that matter - and they've been stunning. Our engagement photos which were like a practice round blew us away, but for the wedding Kiel and his assistant paired to capture the most beautiful moments and we couldn't be happier with the portfolio. We're lucky to have such a pro capture our biggest day.
Tom
Tom A. Sent on 12/24/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Couldn't have had a better experience....

I had the pleasure of working with Braydon on my proposal. To give you a little background, my fiance and I were taking a week long trip along the PCH in California with an eventual stop in Santa Barbara where I had decided to propose. Being from the East Coast, I had no idea what to expect and how to plan a proposal without ever going to Santa Barbara in advance. Just through a few phone calls Braydon helped pick out the perfect location and timing to make sure the photos and proposal worked out perfectly. He put me at ease knowing how confident he was in his recommendations. The photos came out beautifully, he kept himself far enough away to give us our moment and still take great photos, and then ran up right in time to get beautiful photos of the proposal. He was so easygoing and relaxed and made the post-proposal shoot fun. We haven't stopped receiving compliments on our photos. Braydon exceeded my expectations in every way.
L
Lexi Sent on 12/01/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Incredible Wedding Photos!

Working with Kiel was an absolute pleasure and we are so happy with how our wedding photos turned out. Kiel and the second photographer were able to capture so many amazing moments during our wedding in Montecito and we will treasure our photos forever. Kiel was incredibly nice and made us feel comfortable in front of the camera. He did a wonderful job editing our photos and we could not be happier with the final product!
Lynette
Lynette Sent on 11/11/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Fantastic- enjoyed working with Kiel!

Kiel is an absolute pleasure to work with!. He’s professional, relatable, and will listen to your vision and bring it to life with his talent. I couldn’t be happier with the pictures he captured for our wedding and will definitely be reaching out to him in the future as life unfolds. My girlfriends and I have all used him for our weddings and it’s so fun to reconnect with him at events. You will be in good hands and may even end your special day with a new friend for life!.
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.

Professional Network & Endorsements

3 Endorsements
ella & louie ella & louie Wedding Florists

I am always so happy to see Kiel Rucker on the list for my weddings. First of all, he's personable and lovely to work with in all settings. Second, I know I'll see some gorgeous photos after all is said and done. Those images live on long after the day's excitement is over and I keep coming back to them again and again. Kiel is always on my list of recommendations when couples are looking for a talented photographer for engagement photos, elopements and weddings.

Wingett Weddings & Events Wingett Weddings & Events Wedding Planners

Kiel is one of the best photographer's I've worked with! Wonderful and very easy going...you're in great hands with him!

Black Bear Inn Black Bear Inn Hotel Weddings

Kiel is an excellent photographer, and a great vendor. He is organized, timely, professional, and responsive to client needs. His work is beautiful - some of the best I've seen over the years. We actually used one of his photos as a one-page ad in a wedding magazine. I highly recommend Kiel for any special occasion.

Preferred Vendors
Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort
4.6 out of 5 rating , 29 reviews
· Hotel Weddings
The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara
4.6 out of 5 rating , 16 reviews
· Hotel Weddings
Santa Barbara Historical Museum
4.9 out of 5 rating , 23 reviews
· Museum Weddings
Rancho Dos Pueblos
4.7 out of 5 rating , 4 reviews
· Barn & Farm Weddings
ella & louie
5.0 out of 5 rating , 57 reviews
· Wedding Florists
Otis + Pearl Vintage Rentals
5.0 out of 5 rating , 18 reviews
· Wedding Rentals

Map

Addresses map

Head & Heart Photography by Kiel Rucker frequently asked questions

Head & Heart Photography by Kiel Rucker includes the following photography services in the starting price:
  • 2nd Shooter
  • Multi. Locations
  • One Event / Day
  • Digital Files
  • Proofs
  • Save the Date
Head & Heart Photography by Kiel Rucker includes the following photography services in their most popular wedding package:
  • 2nd Shooter
  • Engagement Shoot
  • Multi. Locations
  • One Event / Day
  • Albums
  • Digital Files
  • Prints
  • Proofs
Head & Heart Photography by Kiel Rucker offers the following photography styles:
  • Contemporary
  • Natural
  • Photojournalism
Head & Heart Photography by Kiel Rucker offers the following photography services for weddings:
  • Additional Hours
  • Destination / Travel
  • Engagement Shoot
  • High-Res Images
  • One Event / Day
  • Second Shooter
  • Video
  • Wedding Portraits
Head & Heart Photography by Kiel Rucker offers the following photography materials for weddings:
  • Albums
  • Canvas
  • Digital Files
  • Matted Prints
  • Prints
  • Proofs
Head & Heart Photography by Kiel Rucker is recommended by 100% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 5.0, with the same score awarded for quality of service, flexibility, value, professionalism and average response time.

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