Tag Archives: portraits

Taryn and Caleb’s Flagstaff engagement

Taryn, Caleb and I met up for their engagement session a day after the first snow of the season in Flagstaff. I haven’t been this bundled up for a photo shoot since I lived in Iowa and I forgot how annoying it is to have my camera constantly slide off my shoulder while wearing a big winter parka. My blood has definitely thinned out living in Phoenix. Cold aside it was so much fun to photograph Taryn and Caleb in a setting of misty clouds and mountains and pine trees. We started at Buffalo Park then headed downtown to NAU and a few of Taryn and Caleb’s favorite haunts. I am really looking forward to their wedding next spring!

High school senior pictures- Chandler, Arizona

Autumn looked flawless for her senior portraits, it is no wonder she was scouted by a modeling agency as she was getting her makeup done before our shoot last week. We worked our way around Chandler and Gilbert  to capture a variety of backgrounds for her pictures. I wish Autumn a wonderful senior year!

Matthew-Newborn Photography- Gilbert, Arizona

It is always so fun to do a maternity shoot followed shortly after by a newborn shoot. Matthew was born just 10 days after Elizabeth’s maternity photos were taken. I got to meet and photograph little mister Matthew when he was only 6 days old. What a sweet and beautiful little boy.

Holly and Brett’s Scottsdale engagement shoot


I met Brett and Holly for their engagement shoot in Old Town Scottsdale. The Civic Center is a fantastic spot for photos with lots of colorful backgrounds and you are pretty much guaranteed to have a sea of emerald green grass. My favorite shot is the first one on the grassy hill but I also love how Holly’s red hair pops against the gray wall in the second picture. I am looking forward to their wedding in just a couple months!

Scouting portrait locations for weddings and engagements

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.