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.

Drew and Whitney chose the Wrigley Mansion for their engagement session. This historic and elegant property in Phoenix offered a seemingly endless array of photo ops. As we hopped from room to room, I think we put together a really dynamic gallery.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Barrio Viejo is one of my favorite neighborhoods in the country. The beautiful classical southwestern architecture and well preserved natural landscaping makes this place prime for portraits. For Rocky and Blanca’s engagement session we walked the quiet streets of the Barrio before venturing over to the San Xavier Del Bac mission at sunset.

Canyon Lake is one of my favorite locations in Arizona. With it being nestled back inside the Superstition Mountains, it is a short drive from Phoenix. We spent 100% of this engagement session. While the summers in Arizona can be ridiculously hot, the beautiful warm glow of the sunset on an expansive backdrop is a reliable daily occurrence.

Brandon and Abby met up with me in Southern Utah for their engagement session. This mountain range has become a home away from home. There is so much to offer in natural beauty here. When Abby sent me her ideas for her wardrobe my initial thoughts were along the lines of: “thats a STATEMENT” but after meeting them and actually shooting this session I realized; “Screw it, swing for the fences, this paid off”. Im really happy with how these turned out. Enjoy.

Valerie had a strong grasp on how she envisioned her engagement session. This session was a lot of fun because it encouraged me to dust off a lot of my more niche lighting equipment. This session worked really well because Valerie and Adam had a clear idea of what they wanted but trusted my process and allowed me full control on how we achieved it.

Southern Utah is well known for the iconic National Parks like Zion, Bryce Canyon, Moab, and Capitol Reef. The areas in between retain the same beauty and omit the crowds. I have been fishing in these mountains for many years now and I have always wanted to bring clients out there for shoots. Maddie and Blayden were up for the journey and we had a really enjoyable afternoon shooting these engagement photos.

Andy and Katy chose to do their elopement outside the San Xavier Del Bac Mission near Tucson, Arizona. This old church dates back to the late 1700’s with the construction being completed in 1797. The renovations of the building has been completed since this shoot.