This wedding in Sedona was right up my alley. We hopped around a bit around Sedona before settling in at Tlaquepaque for their reception. Mitch and Amanda had a small intimate wedding with just their closest friends and family. Hiring shuttles for everyone was the key to success as Sedona can be extremely busy.

Our initial plan for this elopement was to hike to a high alpine lake in Colorado but forest fires foiled those plans. Our next plan was a lookout point at Lake Powell….but on the day of, we arrived to find that flooding had carved out our road and that was no longer an option. Luckily, Under Canvas had a location nearby. These camps are absolutely breathtaking and I think we really did stumble into the best option. Enjoy.

AirBnB sessions are starting to become a staple in my business. I really love working in an environment where my subjects are interacting with the space together. Barbara and Pani actually found this place themselves (I hadn’t even heard of Oracle, AZ before this) and I think they nailed the look for this shoot. The clients that get the most out of their experience approach the creative process with a sense of collaboration.

Following Brit and Bryan’s wedding in Arizona, we ventured up the California coast together for their adventure session. Big Sur is unique and breathtaking.

Typically, when we think of elopements we picture a remote wilderness area. Ashley and Zach, just like many of my other clients, wanted to challenge that idea and chose to elope right in the middle of the Phoenix. I officiated and photographed their wedding near a historic courthouse and then we spent the rest of the afternoon/evening hopping from bar to bar while shooting both posed, and candid, photos the whole way through.

Michael and Brooke aimed their sights high for their engagement session. This shoot required us to drive about 3.5 hours out of town then hike approximately 3 miles through this steep canyon. For the sake of preservation, I am not comfortable disclosing the location. Arizona has proven that it is not at all immune to the large influx of people exploring it’s wild places. This shoot really nourished my creativity as well as my love for the outdoors.

Following John and Mariah’s wedding at Schnepf Farms, we scheduled an Adventure Session on the Mogollon Rim. For those that don’t know, an Adventure Session is just a portrait session in your wedding attire, usually after the wedding day. I have spent so much time in this forest and I know that area like the back of my hands. There isn’t much to say about this gallery beyond it being beautiful photos of beautiful people in a beautiful place.

Shane and Ellie wanted to get away from the norms for their engagement session. Cocktail bar engagement sessions have kind of taken off lately but I always want to do my best to keep things fresh and unique. The Little Woody made for the perfect challenge. Most of the lights are deep red and that proved to be a challenge right off the bat. I figured that I had two choices: A) Drown out the red light and use a flash. Or, B) Steer into the red and make color the dominating focus. I did a little bit of both but I found that I personally like the red images a bit more.

I have known JJ for many years now. He is a good friend and he also happens to also be my favorite Wedding DJ (RockYou Entertainment). JJ and his wonderful wife, Ashton, renewed their vows deep in the forest near the Skykomish River in Washington. They found this wild A-Frame Cabin that was suspended up in the trees. This was an impactful trip for me and I think the images below reflect that.

If you haven’t been to Zion National Park, you are missing out on some of the most breathtaking views that the Southwest has to offer. Jake and Dominique joined me in Utah for their engagement session in the park. This was also my first time staying at the Zion Mountain Ranch, which made for a great secondary location. I have stayed there for every Zion trip ever since.

Brandon and Jessica planned the perfect backyard wedding with the ceremony taking place right smack in the middle of the road. With how emotional everyone was at this wedding, I naturally adjusted my approach to be even more hands off so that I could focus on candid moments.

Over the years, I have worked at Schnepf Farms (Queen Creek, Arizona) quite a lot. I have always appreaciated how dedicated their staff is and they tend to attract couples that I click really well with. Anthony and Rylee were no exception. This wedding at the farm house had the feel of a backyard wedding and I really love backyard weddings.

Chase and Daniella threw a rager of a party for their wedding at The IceHouse in Phoenix, Arizona. This unique venue was a perfect setting for this wedding and I came out of this wedding with some of my favorite reception photos of my career.

Allyson and Tyler hosted their wedding in the middle of the desert outside of Parker, AZ. Its a place thats become really special to them, their family, and now their marriage. I really enjoyed shooting this day in all of it’s unconventional glory. Cheers.

Gilbert and James reached out with a basic idea of what they wanted for their engagement photos and they were open to suggestions (Music to my ears). Whenever I shoot in Sedona, I often opt to drive up the Oak Creek Canyon as opposed to joining the crowds on the popular trails leading to mountain vistas. The canyon is woefully under appreciated. You can’t go wrong the crystal clear waters of Oak creek meandering through massive blueish gray boulders and framed with by the Ponderosa Pine trees.

This was a unique engagement session. As we approached the Mogollon Rim, we saw a massive black cloud of smoke and immediately assumed the worst. Once me made it up the road we came to realize that the smoke was from the aftermath of a prescribed burn carried out by the Forest Service. There were Forest Service Officers all over the scene making sure everything was safe and they assured us that we were perfectly fine shooting there.

I have always had a soft spot for backyard weddings. Having grown up in rural Ohio, I think that backyard weddings remind me of home. Backyard weddings are a great option for couples that want to do something custom and unique. You get total control over everything and it is up to you if you want to save money and do the hard work yourself. Of course, you can still hire top of the line vendors to come knock out your vision for you too. Reece and Mariah’s wedding was casual in the right ways, formal in the right ways, and rambunctious in the right ways. I really love how this gallery turned out. From start to end, there’s a lot of great memories in there.

The Glamis Sand Dunes are often overlooked. While they are technically located in California, it is only about a 3.5 hour drive from Phoenix. This place can be really tricky to shoot at but if you stick with it through to the sunset and keep going for a bit afterwards, you can get rewarded with a stunning view of this desert oasis.

Sedona is such a classic spot. Unfortunately, the tourism has really taken over this place and it’s difficult to shoot here during the warmer months. The exception to that is monsoon season. Sedona in bad weather is beautiful and often totally empty. We chose Bell Rock for John and Julia’s engagement session. This spot features really great views of the red rocks in just about every direction.

I don’t think that Downtown Flagstaff gets the love it deserves. Being one of the few mountain towns in Arizona, there are a lot of really great shops, bars, and restaurants to explore. For Mitch and Amanda’s engagement session we walked the streets and alleyways of Flagstaff during golden hour.