McDowell Mountain Photos with Alex and Taylor

I’m stoked to share a mentor session I provided for a local photographer, Tatiana. Tatiana reached out to me with the hopes of learning the ropes behind the camera. Specifically, how to shoot in manual and how to pose couples during a shoot! We spent about an hour over coffee getting her up to speed on the inner workings of a photography business, the cliff notes version. There’s so much to learn! We then met Taylor and Alex who joined Tatiana to model for us. This gave Tatiana the perfect opportunity to practice being behind the camera and direct a couple in real-time.

We explored the McDowell Sonoran Preserve in North Scottsdale, a perfect location for desert-inspired photos. To start the shoot, I took the reigns and directed Alex and Taylor in posing, where to stand, and what to do with their hands. I shared my process with Tatiana and gave her a glimpse into how I make decisions during a shoot! I then gave Tatiana a chance to step into the same role and practice guiding Alex and Taylor in posing. I truly believe this is the best way to learn, hands-on!

Tatiana, thank you for trusting in me to teach and share my process with you! Alex and Taylor, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to model and get in front of the camera. It was so fun to spend the evening together and I love the work we created!

If you loved these photos, you’ll also love Marc and Britt’s Sedona engagement photos and their Phoenix desert wedding with Cloth and Flame.