It's 2026 and we are so done with basic photos
I don't pick a pretty field, meet you at golden hour, and hope for the best. That's the formula most engagement shoots recycle.
My sessions start sometimes months before I ever click my shutter, with a form, a mood board, a styling plan, and a story that belongs to no one but you.
What follows are three real sessions I built from the ground up.
Unique engagement photo ideas to get you thinking.
Or better yet, let me build something that's actually yours.
My process
why my engagement sessions aren't like everyone else's
Before I plan a location, I plan around you. It starts with a form you and your partner fill out together. It's fun! I promise. Your answers tell me how you met, what you're obsessed with, the small rituals that make you you. From there I build the story. That can mean mood boarding, storyboarding, and styling, all before we ever meet on location.
I treat styling as the heart of the work, not an afterthought. We send photos back and forth. Often I'm pulling pieces from my own closet. Sometimes I'm pointing you toward exactly where to find a specific jacket, a robe, a pair of gloves. I build you a private Pinterest board so we're designing your day together, not guessing.
a little peek
this isn't busy work
By the time we shoot, we know each other.
You're comfortable.
You trust me.
And that trust is what lets the real moments come out in front of the camera.
a simple view
I — The Form
Tell me who you are.
Your answers are where your story starts.
II — The Vision
I build a story and timeline around you, mood board and storyboard included.
III — The Styling
Together we plan the details, from outfits to props that bring your story to life.
IV — The Shoot
We make it real.
Your story, finally visual.
Aspen, Colorado
A vintage ski love story
This couple is obsessed with Aspen, with skiing together, and with vintage ski iconography. So I built an entire day around that world.
This shoot was one of my favorites to style. We traded photos for weeks, pulling from my closet and sourcing the rest. I made them a Pinterest board so the vision was shared. Then I loaded my car with jewelry, furs and ski gear (some of my favorite things) and drove to Aspen.
I had only skied Aspen once, so the day before the shoot, I location scouted with friends who knew the mountain well. Preparation is key to making these stories EPIC. And is often the difference between a pretty photo and a magazine-worthy story.
"From your styling to the photography itself, we are simply in awe! You made the day so fun and we are so grateful for your incredible closet!"
Stone Ranch, Mendocino
Chai, cliffs & love letters
L&S build their relationship around two things: their morning ritual and running.
So we honored both.
"We were so grateful you scouted everything beforehand. We felt so confident and had the best time!"
My couples can shoot with me anywhere along my travel schedule, so when L&S heard I'd be in Gualala, they jumped at the chance to explore somewhere new. I didn't know the area, so I did my research and arrived a day early to scout, making sure the light and timing were perfect.
All I ever ask is that my couples trust me, and these became some of my favorite photos I've ever made.
We started at Stone Ranch Mendocino in matching robes and mugs of chai, recreating the sweet morning ritual that grounds their relationship. From there we moved to the cliffs, where their story expanded. Running is woven through everything for L&S, a gentle nod to how they began, so we ran...a lot. Don't worry. There were plenty of giggles along the way. The sweetest moment was when they read past love letters aloud, and I had to stand at a distance to hide my own tears.
Ashcroft, aspen, co
A ghostown engagement to remember
I always love spending Fall in Aspen, the colors are something out of a dream. T&S had their first date near Ashcroft Ghost Town and ghosts aside, you cannot help but feel the romance in these photos.
We built the day around their love of charcuterie and a western world that felt like them. I styled T in a custom hat made by local hat maker and my dear friend Hannah Knauer of Hannah Knauer Hat Designs, paired with vintage western jackets from my own collection.
This session was later published in Rocky Mountain Bride. You can read the blog here.
"We were nervous, but your direction made us feel so comfortable and like super models! We are so excited for the publication!"
Your story is what makes your relationship unique
The most original session isn't pulled from a Pinterest grid. It's built from your rituals, your obsessions, the place you met, the things you can't stop talking about.
If you want photos that finally look like you, let's build them.