(please click to view on black // canon 5d mark ii, tamron 17-35 2.8, 17mm, f/20, iso 100, 0.5 sec // buy print) Back in mid-December we had some great cold fronts move through the state leaving snow on the mountains surrounding Phoenix. I must have been out in the Four Peaks and Superstition Mountains area every other night for a week. Trying to capture a sunset…trying to get the snow on the hills. This was probably one of the more gorgeous sunsets of 2011 that my camera saw. You can see the snowy Four Peaks off on the right…

(please click to view on black // canon 5d mark ii, canon 17-40 f/4 l, 20mm, f/4, iso 5000, 30 sec // buy print) Since I know you skipped the italics above, PLEASE click on the image to see it fit your monitor with a sexy black border. One of the more exciting opportunities in Joshua Tree National Park was the chance to shoot some nighttime star shots, including the Milky Way. I’ve never really done that before and have always wanted to give it a shot. Props again go to my buddy Heath O’Fee for inviting me to meet…

One of my favorite things about photographing weddings comes way before the actual day. The first time I meet a couple, I get to find out their stories. How they met. Where they went on their first date. How he proposed. The stuff that brought them to this point. Of course you only get a small slice of that story, but it’s amazing how different they always are. Elaina and Caleb met playing a computer game. Ultima Online. I remember hearing about that game, but never playing it. They got to know each other better, phone calls happened, but they…

Jessica and Mason are getting hitched in April and I cannot wait for the wedding. These two grew up in Denver and have known each other forever. A whole entourage of friends will be arriving from Colorado to celebrate with them, including 18 people in the wedding party! And a party it will be. They’ve rented a vacation home up in Cave Creek where they and their friends will stay leading up to and even after the wedding.  Can’t even imagine how much fun that will be. The house is supposedly awesome, and if rumor is true, has an in-ground…

Elaina and Caleb got married yesterday. Then they stood in this tunnel for me. More to come!

Shooting Jessica and Mason’s wedding on April 21st. There’s going to be 20 people in the wedding party…so we warmed up on Saturday with just the two of them.

(please click to view on black and fit your screen // canon 5d mark ii, canon 85mm 1.8, f/7.1, iso 200, 8 sec // buy print) We had some winter storms blown through the state last night, and there was even lightning strikes south of Phoenix in Casa Grande. Needless to say, it got me impatient for the monsoon season to arrive this summer. So I dug up this shot from last July. For those that have a copy of my stormchasing book, you’ve likely already seen it! It was one of my first experiences shooting lightning down in Tucson and…

(please click to view on black // canon 5d mark ii, canon 70-200 2.8 l, 200mm, f/10, iso 100, 1 sec // buy print) Back in December, we had quite a few winter storms blow through the state which left snow on the outlying desert peaks. On the evening I took this photo, I had met up with a bunch of photographer buddies, like Bryan Snider, Jon Stolarski, Chris Frailey and the awesome duo from Surefire Photos, Sean and Michelle Freeney. We all were hoping for a gorgeous Four Peaks sunset. But the clouds were too low and never broke….

Just twelve days ago my wife and I asked for help to adopt a baby boy who was due on the 14th of February. Those that follow us on Facebook and Twitter already know this, but the baby came early. Little Eli Charles was born on the 5th and today marks his week anniversary being a part of our family. It’s also, ironically, the day he was due! It’s unbelievable how fast all of this happened and how much our lives have changed in last seven days. The first night was pretty rough. Not much sleep. The realization sinking in…

(please click to view on black // canon 5d mark ii, canon 17-40 f/4 l, 17mm, iso 100, f/22, 0.6sec // buy print) No, a bunch of Cholla cactus grouped together isn’t called a gaggle. But I always liked that word and felt like using it today. Sure, it usually refers to a flock of geese that are actually not flying, but according to Dictionary.com, it can also mean an assortment of related things. Feeling like that was a bunch of useless information and curious why I decided to share that with you? Me too. We’ve had an incredibly busy,…