About Us
For over 25 years, Barnes Portrait Design has been committed to providing the utmost service, commitment and quality to discriminating portrait clients around the world.
As a dedicated team, it is our goal to provide our clients with an image that captures the subject's soul and personality, an image that speaks of the subject.
Our philosophy; that our portraits capture a moment in time, to be remembered for all eternity, is incorporated into each portrait.
Rich is known for his ability to relax his subject, make them feel at ease, and in turn, is able to capture the most natural expressions from them.
Richard and Kristen are both graduates of the Hallmark Institute of Photography. Richard has won numerous awards and titles for his portraiture as well as being named "Massachusetts Photographer of the Year" several times. In addition to teaching photographers from all over the world, he is considered to be one the Premiere Portrait Photographers in the country.
On a personal level Richard and Kristen are parents to four amazing children and enjoy spending time traveling as a family and sharing their lives with four beautiful rescued dogs and a couple of pampered cats. With their youngest son being on the Autism Spectrum they also share a passion for Autism Research and Autism Awareness which is very close to their hearts.
Our Story
We met the least romantic way possible, on a class assignment photographing… a drill bit company.
Both of us graduated from the Hallmark Institute of Photography, where we were randomly paired together for that shoot. But despite the sparks of creativity, there were no romantic sparks, at least not yet.
After graduation, we each opened our own photography businesses at just 20 years old. One in Stow, MA. One in West Brookfield. We had zero contact for three years. No social media convos. Nothing.
Fast forward to a random day when I (Kristen) was working on the membership committee for the Professional Photographers of Massachusetts. I was calling old classmates to reconnect and invite them to join the organization and Richard was one of those calls.
What started as a professional catch-up turned into a long conversation about business… and life. We quickly realized we shared the same philosophy, same drive, and same passion for creating beautiful work. So, we met for drinks to talk more. And then again. And again.
One thing led to another, and soon we were dating.
At 25, we got married. After five years of each running our own successful studios, we bought the house that now holds our combined photography studio — and we’ve been building our dream together ever since.
In the beginning, we each still kept our own locations. I photographed in Stow, and he covered the Brookfield area. But over time, we realized we could serve our clients even better together. So, I moved my studio here, and we merged.
These days, Richard leads most of the photography, especially weddings and sessions, while I handle the business side—meeting with families, helping clients select their images, and keeping things running smoothly. I also assist at weddings and sessions, and we often bring in additional help for senior shoots.
We’re a husband-and-wife team, Disney lovers, and proud parents of four amazing kids. Our life is a blend of creativity, chaos, laughter, and timeless portraits.
Photography brought us together, and now it’s what we do—together—every single day.
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