June 7, 2024
Welcome to my corner of the desert! As a passionate Joshua Tree wedding photographer, I’ve had the pleasure of capturing love stories amidst the stunning backdrop of this iconic national park. Join me in a fun blog post with random facts and fun reads.
Becoming a photographer wasn’t always my dream. As a child, I dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. However, I distinctly recall someone mentioning that I’d need to know all 250 species of cows. Given my preference for dogs and my tendency to struggle with sitting still in school, that dream quickly faded away! 😄
I am a firm believer that the camera doesn’t make the photographer. It’s not about the most fancy and the most expensive gear. You either have the gift of art, or you don’t.
When I first started exploring the world of photography back in 2009, I used a Nikon D90. That baby of mine took me as far as I could go. I learned the ins and outs of it and how to get the most out of  what little gear I had. Was it the best at the time? Absolutely not! But I can confidently say that the photos I took at that time were comparable if not better than those that were using gear that was 10x more expensive than mine.
I can’t quite recall how I stumbled upon this, but as a young girl, I discovered a peculiar talent: I could curl my toes under my feet and walk on them. It was reminiscent of how a ballerina dances, but with my toes curled underneath. So odd, I know! LOL
Recently, I photographed a small wedding in Joshua Tree where the couple hired a private chef. The food was incredible! Everything was super fresh and seasoned just right. Watching the chef cook was entertaining too. You could tell he loved what he was doing.
The meal was amazing from start to finish. We had tasty pickled veggies, a delicious sage-butter steak, handmade gnocchi, and the best risotto ever. And dessert? Strawberry shortcake with fresh whipped cream that was made from milk straight from the cow!
I can’t even describe how good it was. Now I’m hungry just thinking about it!
During a recent wedding, the groom’s brother grabbed the mic for his speech. In a hilarious moment, he joked that now that the bride was officially taken, any man with a spare key to her house had to hand it over immediately. Suddenly, around 25-30 men marched up to the dance floor, dropping their keys at his feet. The whole crowd erupted in laughter, making it one of the most memorable and funniest moments of the night.
I truly believe I am living my purpose. I am gradually moving towards teaching and mentoring, with the goal of starting to offer these services in small ways by 2025.
Having dedicated the past 15 years to honing my craft, I am entirely self-taught. I took the hard path and often wished I had someone to guide me and preserve some of my sanity, haha. While I have no regrets about how I got here, I would be forever grateful and happy to inspire or lend a helping hand to others.
So, that’s the direction I see my business heading in the coming years.
The farthest I’ve traveled for a destination wedding was to Cancun, Mexico. I loved the experience—not just because I got to explore a new place, but because I genuinely love capturing the awe and excitement of my clients’ experiences. I would do it again and again if given the opportunity.
Oh this one’s difficult. But if I HAD to narrow it down, I’d have to say my top 3 To-Die-For destinations to shoot a wedding or elopement would be:
But I mean…who doesn’t dream of being able to travel to these beautiful places. I can only imagine the inspiration these locations offer. My brain would go W I L D !
Getting married or eloping at one of these?! Call me!
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