Your investment in a life changing experience.

Michael brings a unique skill set and perspective to his adventure elopements and weddings that sets him apart from a typical wedding photographer. Michael is an outdoor enthusiast and brings decades of experience exploring various landscapes. His knowledge of the land is something that cannot be taught, and most certainly cannot be duplicated by simply taking a traditional wedding shoot outdoors. One of the things that really sets Michael apart from a traditional wedding photographer is his unique understanding of natural light, landscape, and weather. This understanding allows him to maneuver and anticipate conditions as he shoots in both familiar and new locations. Michael’s ability to scout and select beautiful and “off the beaten path” locations is a clear reflection of his decades of experience as an outdoor photographer, his passion for making connections through shared exploration, and his genuine respect for the land.
- Kristin De More

"The earth has music for those who listen . . ."
William Shakespeare

As an adventure and destination wedding photographer, I focus on crafting authentic portraits set to the music of nature. The wilderness beckons the romantic heart and there’s just nothing more satisfying than capturing the joy of two souls entering a new chapter in their journey, especially while surrounded by incredible mountain vistas, towering redwoods or perhaps the beauty of the wild ocean.

Pushing the boundaries of wedding and elopement photography inspires me! Sometimes my couples even introduce me to an undiscovered landscape, breathing so much life into my heart. Sometimes couples bring friends and family, sometimes it’s just the two of them, me and my camera, but we always bond as we share these wild spaces while creating unforgettable images.

Some of my favorite adventure portrait sessions end with us laughing over a cold beer and waiting for an opportunity to capture just one last photograph under the stars. My photography and editing style is unique, timeless and, always, flattering. These will be images you will be proud to revisit and display for a lifetime. Whether you crave an alpine wedding surrounding by friends and family or prefer to share your vows privately in a beautiful wilderness setting, I’m happy to help create these images and experiences.

"Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back . . ."
Plato

What does your heart seek? A California alpine elopement? A Pacific Northwest elopement? Perhaps a back-country Colorado elopement? These amazing locations are among my areas of specialization.

Throughout the last 25 years, I have developed an intimate knowledge of the Western United States landscape, and feel grateful that couples feel compelled to exchange their vows in these magical, inspiring places and they bring me along for the ride.

Being able to share these wild spaces with my clients has been such a fulfilling experience. I never intended to monetize my passion to explore nature, it has turned out to be valuable for couples that long to be married in these enchanting locations that I have come understand intimately.

And, I’m happy to say that those hundreds of golf course, hotel and yacht club weddings provided me with the experience and hours needed to become an expert event photographer. I have simply found that nature is the best place to put my skill set to use.

Some of my favorite spots include the San Juan Mountains near Telluride, which offer such a unique mix of southwestern color with a jagged awe. Throughout the last 10 years, I have spent extensive time in the San Juan Mountains and continue to find inspiration among these peaks.

Growing up in the Sierra Mountains, I find that these vistas truly comfort my soul beyond words. Perhaps John Muir said it best, “going to the mountains is going home.” Yosemite, particularly, is a spot that speaks to my heart.

These two locations, Telluride and Yosemite, are where I spend the most time.

I LOVE A GOOD STORY. LET ME HELP TELL YOURS.

For the last 15 years, we have traveled the world capturing extraordinary moments in clients’ lives. Adventuring on bikes, boards, and boots are ways we connect with nature and friends. When Michael is not behind the camera, you’ll find us in the mountains or in the ocean. We are grateful to be a part of clients’ destination weddings, participate in humanitarian projects, and spend time in nature as part of our career. Each year, we donate a portion of time and income to collaborations with global non-profits. This work has taken us to places ranging from Nepal and Sri Lanka to Greece and New Orleans. The resulting photographs raise social awareness of humanitarian crises, help monitor situations on the ground, and tell the critically important human stories behind the headlines.

Whether your story takes us to an exotic destination or simply around the corner, Michael will work with you to understand your vision and deliver images that hit the mark. Every wedding, every couple, and every family has a unique story. We help tell yours through compelling, authentic photos in nature. In addition to creating beautiful images, we work hard to create experiences in nature that are meaningful and unforgettable.

Telluride Elopements

Being a Telluride elopement photographer is all about crafting and collaborating on an unforgettable adventure with my clients. I take them to iconic vistas that showcase the majestic nature of this area. Sometimes my clients have specific locations in mind, and sometimes they rely on my intimate knowledge of the Telluride area.

There are many ways to access the Telluride elopement landscape – 4x4, gondola, hiking, snowshoes, snowmobiles or skis. For some photography sessions, we stay on paved roads, while for other portraits sessions, the wedding dress is packed into a backpack until we reach the peak of a mountain. I find the experience of being a Telluride elopement photographer so live-giving and a dream come true.

Yosemite Elopements

To be honest, to be a Yosemite elopement photography requires a lifetime of knowledge about this amazing national park. Yosemite literally receives millions of visitors each year and to gracefully navigate this traffic can be an art unto itself. I have little nooks and vistas that I take my clients to that I have spent a lifetime discovering. Sure, I know how to ask a crowd to politely move aside, but I choose to avoid the crowd all together on these Yosemite adventures.

I know my clients find that being able to trust me to help plan, schedule and scout locations for their wedding day is an important reason they value my services. I enjoy unlocking these grand alpine adventures and taking couples to spaces they likely would never find on their own.

Other Possibilities . . .

While I spend much of my time working as a Telluride elopement photographer or as a Yosemite elopement photographer, I’m up for just about any adventure. We can head to the Pacific Northwest and snap photos in an untamed Oregon rainforest or perhaps along the beaches of La Push in the Olympic National Park.

Whether your dream is an elopement with a romantic Hawaiian vista in the background or you long for the allure of the Italian Alps, I’m up for just about any adventure. Whether you love Mammoth, Tahoe, Aspen, Fiji, Baja or somewhere else, let’s talk about the possibilities. I love a good story, let me tell yours . . .

"Love is like a friendship caught on fire . . ."
Jeremy Taylor

It’s your dream come true – your destination wedding day. I enjoy pushing the boundaries of what you imagined wedding photography could be. I bring 20 years of exploration and photography experience to the table and know how to craft an experience that will exceed your expectations.

As a professional wedding photographer, I believe it’s my job to help capture the essence of each couple’s spirit and this is an art that is always evolving and is a grand adventure in itself.

While I showcase meaningful images on my website that spark my own passion, I understand that there are many other components that must be documented as a wedding photographer. After capturing more than 500 weddings, I have mastery of all the expectations you have as well as some you didn’t even realize you had.

I know how to move through a shot list without using it, how to capture your details creatively, and I have different strategies for different segments of the event. If you would like to see examples of a full wedding I have shot, please feel free to ask and I can share a link. I would like to share a wedding that is relevant to yours so that you can envision what you should expect to receive when you hire me to be your wedding photographer.

While I have completed hundreds of traditional weddings, it’s the destination events that truly spark my passion. Two of my favorite spots for a destination wedding are Yosemite and Telluride, which truly provide some of the most magical and romantic backdrops on earth.

Telluride Weddings – Every time I return to the mountains surrounding Telluride, I am surprised by something new – an amazing sunrise, the flicking of light as it dances across a mountain stream, or just the movement of clouds casting shadows on the mountain peaks.

It’s a fantastic venue for a destination wedding. A picture-perfect historic mountain town that looks amazing every season of the year. As a Telluride wedding photographer, I have spent extensive time exploring Telluride and the surrounding San Juan Mountains and am not only familiar with the dramatic landscapes, but also the many outstanding wedding venues. I am grateful to be on many of the Telluride-area vendor lists and happy that they trust me as a preferred vendor.

Yosemite Weddings – I grew up in the Sierras, and any time I have the opportunity to shoot a Yosemite wedding, it’s like coming home. Whether you choose to hold your ceremony and reception inside the park or somewhere outside the park, I am a Yosemite wedding photographer with the experience necessary to capture exceptional images of your ceremony and reception in addition to the landscape portraits we will create.

As a Yosemite wedding photographer, I fully understand the challenges of capturing amazing images in a park that is often full of other tourists there to enjoy this natural wonder. I’ve spent years exploring Yosemite, and for your landscape portraits, I can find some secret spots and unique vistas that you likely would never find on your own.

Additional Destinations

While I love the Sierras and the San Juan’s, the world is full of promising wedding destinations and I have been grateful to capture timeless images for couples at various spots around the globe.

Whether you love the slopes of Mammoth or Tahoe or long for a wedding by the sea or perhaps Haleakala at sunrise, I am happy to come along for the journey. As a destination wedding photographer, I have traveled to the Italian Alps, the Baja coast, the shores of Hawaii, Pacific Northwest rainforests and much more. Give me a call and let’s discover a destination wedding spot that truly speaks to your souls.

"You don’t take a photograph, you make it . . ."
Ansel Adams

My photography style has been described as mountain rustic and timeless. I create images with a vintage flair and a classic ambiance, photography that will still be viewed as authentic when the latest editing trends have passed. That said, I am always learning about the latest trends and editing techniques and using them to inform how I process your images.

Photographing people in grand landscapes is a unique skill set that requires me to blend multiple photographic disciplines – landscape work and portrait work. Often, a photographer is good at one type of photography, but not able to blend methods without sacrificing important components in each sphere. Fortunately, I have a knack for incorporating portraits in epic landscapes.

I believe that if you are choosing to elope or have a wedding in an awe-inspiring setting, you desire to show it off well, it’s an important part of the matrimonial experience. Striking a balance between landscape and portrait photography is an art, and it’s important to find a photographer who does this well.

I always include a variety of grand landscapes, portraits, candid shots, journalistic images, romantic compositions and a few silly, whimsical shots to capture the excitement of the day. The primary intention is to craft a fun adventure for my clients while creating unforgettable images at the same time. Your portrait session isn’t just a photoshoot; it’s an event to relive again and again.