In September 2020 I wrote a blog post on Top Engagement Sessions in Arizona and after a year and a half, I fully believe this needs a bit of an update, and also including new locations I would love to visit!
You can read the original blog here for context, and while I still love all of those locations, I’d like to include a few new ones for you!
Mt. Lemmon, Windy Vista Point:
Mt Lemmon, and more specifically Windy Vista, is easily one of my more favorite locations in Arizona because of the huge variety you can get here. Windy Vista with it’s incredible granite stone is the perfect light source no matter what the weather! Because of it’s light color it’s a perfect natural reflector as well as a gorgeous backdrop. And should we also talk about what this location looks like all year round, in snow, before a monsoon or with a perfectly clear, glowing sunset? *chef’s kiss* my friends!
Mt Lemmon,
In a full 180 from the previous Mt Lemmon location is this beautiful wooded trailhead. This picture was taken in the summer, but we left the scorching heats of the city down below. With a super high elevation, this trailhead location provided a gorgeous little spring and a beautiful wooded area for variety of images. During the winter, at this elevation, enough snow is typically on the ground for skiing and snowboarding, and therefore would be more off limits. But, with a bit of a drive from Phoenix you can escape the heat easily and still get gorgeous images!
Desert Botanical Garden:
I know that Desert Botanical Gardens was in the original blog, but it really does deserve a 2nd mention as I fully believe it is a location that is under utilized. And while part of the year the gardens are set up for events like Chihuly in the Desert, the ability to have a location with so many variations of the desert, perfect open shade and gorgeous golden hour light – why aren’t we there more often? With an entrance fee of $25-$35 it’s absolutely worth it to have a varied, desert location with a high accessible option for all people!
Cave Creek:
Is there anything better than a “true” Arizona desert location? It’s my most requested, and yes, my most flown in to photograph at location. It’s true that a large percentage of people who live in Arizona aren’t from here or when people want something different than what they will get at home for their wedding images (which btw, did you also know I travel for your wedding days?) they often look to a more exotic place and the Arizona desert and their famous protected Saguaros are on that list. This location never gets old and is beautiful in all seasons, it also offers a large variety of looks from the saguaros you see here to a grassy field that’s equally as gorgeous!
Now on to some places I’d like to visit, or visit more often:
: White Sands, NM
: Balboa Park, CA
: Joshua Tree, CA
: Bonneville Salt Flats, UT
Where would you take your engagement photos?
