Elegant Storytelling Photojournalism
For Lauren and Darren it was important to incorporate the outdoors into their engagement pictures. We chose to shoot in Cave Creek where there is an abundance of rugged desert and big cactus. With the exception of some people on horse back in the distance we had the quite landscape all to ourselves. Thank goodness Lauren brought some comfortable shoes because the shoot included a mini nature hike.
Making our way down a faint and overgrown trail.
I met Kai and Josephine for their engagement session in McCormick Ranch in Scottsdale. We had fun walking around and chasing geese. I can’t wait to photograph these two again at their wedding next year!
Jennifer and Neeraj were married at a beautiful ceremony at Mountain Park Community Church in Ahwatukee. The reception followed at Foothills Golf Club, a scenic desert location with an awesome staff. Jennifer had a fantastic dress that converted to cocktail length for the reception. I also loved her purple color scheme and gorgeous cake. The reception had a lively mix of country, pop and punjabi music that got everyone on the dance floor. Thank you Jennifer and Neeraj for letting me document your special day!
Ceremony: Mountain Park Community Church
Reception: Foothills Golf Club
Flowers: Flowers by May
Cake: Let Them Eat Cake
DJ: Windy City DJ
Finding those perfect spots for pictures is part of the fun and challenge of wedding and portrait photography. Unless a couple has a specific idea of where they want their engagement pictures taken they often look to me for ideas. I have an ongoing list of new locations I want to try out as well as an archive of places I love to shoot. Every couple is different and I want the location to speak to them whether that means colorful pictures at the state fair, a rustic desert landscape or something more personal like the bookstore where they met.
Choosing a location for portraits on the day of the wedding is a little bit different because generally there is a time constraint and multiple family members to coordinate with. The best thing your photographer can do is scout the location for the portraits ahead of time. This will eliminate wasting time trying to figure out a good backdrop for the family and bridal portraits on the day of the wedding. I like to pick one or two spots for the family and bridal party pictures and a handful of locations for the the portraits of the bride and groom. Sometime a beautiful stone wall is all you need as a background. It is also always helpful to know when the sun will set and where the perfect vantage point is to capture it at any wedding venue.
Julie reads a letter from Jared moments before walking down the aisle.
Jared and his family share a big group hug after the ceremony.
