Custom Portrait Photography with Caroline Knopf

A customized photo session is the modern-day version of having an oil portrait painted

Portrait photographer Caroline Knopf may very well never have shot the same pose twice. Looking through her expansive collection of lookbooks, magazine clips, bridal sessions and national ad campaigns, it’s clear that her imagination brings out the most creative side of the individuals who pose in front of her camera lens. She has photographed fashion models, celebrities, and lots of other people throughout her career in Europe and the U.S. 

The Wren’s founder, Lori Bate, likens Knopf’s work to the mid-19th and early-20th century John Singer Sargent, hailed as the leading portrait painter of his generation. “Caroline is a Charleston native but has spent most of her career in New York and Paris photographing top models for clients such as Neiman Marcus, Brides magazine and Maybelline, to name only a few,” Bate says. 

Now once again residing in Charleston, SC, Knopf brings the opportunity for The Wren’s clients to experience a world-class photography session and leave with invaluable portraits that will be passed down over the generations. What makes Knopf’s portraits so engaging and different from any other photographer is the storytelling element. The South’s rich history of storytelling permeates her work and influences the way she tells the tales of the people she photographs. 

Knopf’s unique perspective of her subjects creates portraits that are simply like no one else. She captures the spirits of individuals and expresses them in a way that even they cannot imagine for themselves. “I interview people to learn about their look and their interests—basically how they envision themselves,” Knopf explains. “I then create a world around them which I capture in commissioned portraits. The goal is that the photos embody their spirit. I see what someone could be, and I capture those emotions through photography. The ideas behind an image originate with a piece of clothing, a painting, some glimpse that captures my imagination, and the pictures unfold in my mind like the pages of a book.”

Knopf’s photography skills are self-taught and intuitive, her studies in psychology help her uncover the soul of each of her subjects, and her deep knowledge and work in the fashion industry guide her portraits. “My husband gave me my first camera. He now says that was the day he created a monster,” laughs Knopf. Working with New York studios and traveling throughout fashion-centric cities such as Paris elevated her work to an international level. She has spent much of her life photographing models and now brings her skills to The Wren’s clientele so they can experience the magic of individual photo sessions that result in heritage portraits for themselves and their families. 

Photography has always been important to Knopf. As a world-famous gardener, her mother always took what Knopf characterizes as ‘amazing’ photos of her work. Knopf’s father and grandmother were photographers, and her grandfather served as a World War II photographer. “I grew up with photography all around me,” Knopf explains. 

“I’m so excited to be able to offer our clients a chance to work with Knopf during a customized portrait session,” says Bate. “Her sessions are an event in and of themselves, as she styles a person, finds props and scouts the perfect locations. Her fresh perspective and storytelling ability uncover each person’s individuality. The quality of her portraits is unmatched.”