The Person Behind the Lens
Meet Michael.
Two minutes, one alpine lake, and the short version of why he's spent twenty years photographing love in the backcountry. Press play.
A landscape photographer who fell for weddings.
Michael came to weddings the long way around — through the mountains. A landscape photographer first, he brings a fine-art eye to every celebration, and over 20+ years and 500+ weddings and elopements that eye has carried couples from the alpine peaks of Telluride to the granite walls of Yosemite, the beaches of Kauai, and beyond.
The landscape eye never left. It's why his couples look small against big skies, and why the granite, the wildflowers, and the weather are always characters in the story. He's also a Wilderness First Responder, a drone pilot, and a night-sky specialist — which means he can take you places most photographers can't, and photograph what happens there after dark.
On the day itself, he works quietly. Documentary coverage carries the hours; direction shows up only when it earns its place. The goal never changes: images with the depth, color, and atmosphere that were actually there — nothing built around a passing editing trend. You can see how that plays out across the portfolio, from full alpine weddings to two-person adventure elopements.
Off the clock you'll find him in the backcountry, surfing at San Onofre, or at the cabin in Tahoe City — usually with a well-roasted coffee and a plan for the next trip. The rest of the crew is over on the about page.
“Will my wedding images still be viewed as authentic and timeless when the latest editing trends have passed?”
The question he asks before every edit
Sound like your photographer?
Tell him where you're dreaming of getting married — he's probably already scouted the light there.