the smell of roasting chile wafts through the air,  brightly colored balloons dot the sky, yellow leaves are just starting to pop along the river and finally it's just chilly enough in the morning for a second layer which is hastily discarded an hour later.  fall is on it's way and with that comes our annual fallfamily sessions. we can't wait to see you!

desiree & seth

reserve your space now, only a few remain!

we have few select times this year. join us october 21st & 22nd in albuquerque, down in a secluded section of the bosque.   

check out some of our favorite images from last years sessions!

we have the opportunity to photograph many of the same families every year and watch them grow.  here are just a few of our favorite images from last year!

caryn & brian's long awaited los poblanos wedding didn't just end at the ceremony, their super fun dance party was just beyond the sunset! 

hair & make up artist: genica lee

brides dress: Liancarlo from bridal salon at neiman marcus

flowers: manning flowers

venue & catering: los poblanos historical inn & organic farm

dj: chris romero with cutmaster music

ceremony & reception music: los primos

videography: sarah & scott with luminance wedding films

photography: desiree & seth, jones photo art

in our initial conversation brian gave me a list of personality traits to describe caryn, he said that 'shes's attractive , smart, reserved, introverted, she' s a planner and comes from a small family'. he also said they are complete opposites of each other 'he's not attractive, dumb, outwardly affectionate, a big extrovert, he prefers to operate on the fly and comes from a large, loud family'.  now i do not agree with all of his characterizations, i agree they are pretty opposite, and it's amazing to see how opposites really do attract. these two complemented each other in every way possible!

their wedding celebration was held at the ever lovely los poblanos in albuquerque, new mexico. friends and family from all over joined in their excitement and brian made a huge totem pole to display on the lawn to acknowledge where all the guests came from. to settle their nerves they opted for a first look prior to the ceremony & allowed us the privilege of capturing that special time between the two of them.  their heartfelt ceremony officiated by caryn's hometown pastor from dallas, was to celebrate the fact that sometimes it's all about time!!  #itsallabouttime  

caryn & brian, thank you for finally saying 'i do' & letting us be there to witness it!

~desiree

hair & make up artist: genica lee

brides dress: Liancarlo from bridal salon at neiman marcus

flowers: manning flowers

venue & catering: los poblanos historical inn & organic farm

dj: chris romero with cutmaster music

ceremony & reception music: los primos

videography: sarah & scott with luminance wedding films

photography: desiree & seth, jones photo art

after living in a place for most of your life sometimes you forget the majesty that surrounds you, every now & then new mexico really does feel like the land of enchantment! 

~desiree

all the bridal bouquets were made at rebecca & marc's couples' shower, the flowers were made from book pages and placed onto of wands from olivander's and light sabers.

dress: handmade by bride's mother

venue & catering: the incomparable los poblanos historic inn & organic farm

flowers & decor: homemade by bride

dj: complete wedding & events

from a chance meeting at a panic at the disco concert five years ago two self proclaimed 'weirdos' fell in love. i have loved every minute getting to know these two.  i am fascinated by rebecca's desire to understand and teach others about the past and find a way to connect others to those stories. As a third generation employee at NASA, she continues in the tradition and as historian loves to pass on the rich history and stories of our country. and marc's insatiable craving for all things nerdy (his words, not mine!) his love of dungeons & dragons and other role playing games, the thousands of tiny soldiers that line his table waiting to be painted so they are ready for battle. 

their wedding included everything reflective of their personalities, their personal loves and their uniquely perfect relationship! they wanted a wonderfully simple winter wedding at sunset in the los poblanos library, surrounded by family and very close friends. old books and a glowing fireplace. they were clear from the beginning that the focus of the day was their marriage and not the wedding part of it. they spoke right to my heart! their dear friend officiated the ceremony to make it deeply personal and specific to only them. 

rebecca's mom made her gown, a tea length tutu that was a homage to her years & years of ballet. instead of having a traditional bridal shower, they had a couples shower and all participated in transforming book pages into centerpieces for their reception tables as well as the flowers for her bouquet. 

we are so grateful for all our couples but sometimes a wedding comes along that reinforces why you do this, it's not for hundreds of thousands of detail pictures to submit to a blog, it's for the connection that you share and an increased desire to honor their vows with the images that you create. 

rebecca & marc, thank you for being so perfectly weird and wonderful! 

~desiree

it was tradition for rebecca to do a cartwheel in a photograph at important locations she visited or important days of her life, specifications were made to her dress to ensure proper cartwheel functionality!

part of the reason they chose los poblanos for their celebration was to allow for rebecca's grandfather to walk her down the aisle.

stay tuned to see their fabulous reception and dance party!

dress: handmade by bride's mother

venue & catering: the incomparable los poblanos historic inn & organic farm

flowers & decor: homemade by bride

dj: complete wedding & events

i met caitlyn at her home where her sister helped her with her hair and dress. the getting ready part of the day is always my favorite, emotions are high, one minute people are laughing and the next crying and then right back to laughing!  being an emotionally drawn shooter, that's what I am always looking for, emotion written all faces and palpable in every room!

we met walker up at the albuquerque lds temple where he waas waiting to see his lovely bride, they shared a look and a few laughs and we were able to capture every minute.  we were blessed with a glorious sunset that night and  they were able to relax and enjoy the time that they would soon be married and the best part is they didn't have to sweat their guts out the day of the wedding! 

when the day of the wedding rolled around, they were able to step out do family photos and have some quite time in between and get right on to the reception!

while you are typing up that email to us, take a few minutes to see some of our favorite images from sessions last year!  we can't wait to see all of you again!

~desiree

what happens when a brazilian born new yorker meets a french born graphic designer online while living in new york and they marry at a destination wedding in new mexico at the historic los poblanos inn & farm? lovelyness & pure joy!!!  the elegantly laidback nuptials of isabel & simon warmed the heart of all who attended. family and friends from new york and brazil and everywhere in between joined in their festivities. they wanted a warm & cozy wedding celebration surrounded by their family & closest friends.

simon loves to cook so the food was a top priority, and los poblanos never disappoints with their field to fork menus.

isabel's gentle manner and smile invited us immediately into her life. you know when you meet a girl for the first time and she's wearing a three wolf moon t-shirt, she's going to be awesome!

everything was perfect, from isabel's gorgeous blush ramona kazeva gown to the garden gazebo ceremony on a beautiful non windy new mexico spring day.  simon's fathers thoughtful ceremony, to the toasts from family and bridal party that brought tears and so much laughter to the evening.

you always learn so much about others when you listen to their friends describe them. we learned from his best man that simon is an artist of many different mediums and when he learns a new art, he jumps all in. 'simon knows no other way to love than to immerse himself in it.' that is how he loves isabel, totally immersed in and with her!  that was evident from the first time we laid eyes on them. 

each and every time i conversed with isabel she left me better than i was before. she made sure to tell us how much she loved and appreciated our artwork. that they understood the value in the medium that we choose and loved how we represented our couples.  she appreciated our vision and was thrilled to 'leave her memories in our hands.' it's not every day that a couple understands perfectly what we do and wants that for themselves.

isabel & simon, your graciousness and kindness was above all we've encountered! thank you for letting us in to your world!

~desiree & seth

venue & catering: los poblanos historic inn & organic farm

event coordinating: ann-therese & shaelynn from los poblanos

hair & make up styling: genica lee

bridal gown by ramona kaveza

custom pinatas: pinata casa

photography: desiree & seth

meredith & jimmy, we are ever so grateful for your friendship. thank you for planning a gorgeous event and trusting us to capture your memories

warmly,

desiree & seth

venue and catering: los poblanos historic inn and organic farm

flowers: mille fleur

planning: THE ashley garcia!

photography: desiree & seth

these two are self professed 'awkward in front of the camera' people! lucky for us, they trusted us and were willing to be vulnerable and silly in front of us and the result is two beautiful people who look perfectly at ease and look like themselves! enjoy!

we love connection sessions!  if you are interested in having a session created for you, we love to capture the connection that is individual to each relationship, whether newly dating, newly engaged or married forever, it's time to reconnect with each other and with us!

~desiree & seth

their family only ceremony happened in the back courtyard at hpc officiated by linda from awakened weddings. the joy of uniting two blended families! cocktails and dinner followed in the courtyard. friends joined the dancing party where they ate cake crafted by darci. we were lucky enough to get a perfect sunset when we stepped up onto the apothecary rooftop, where the party continued into the wee hours of the morning! 

adreanne & joesph, thank you for sharing your joy with us! congratulations!

`desiree & seth

this is perhaps one of my favorite images of the year, i love her laugh!

venue & day of coordination: the amazing noelle at hotel parc central in albuquerque, new mexico

adreanne's bridal gown: mori lee

flower girl dress: dollcake

hair and makeup: @daniellelithyouvonghair

wedding cake: simply sweet by darci

guitar and dj: jim gross carousel of music

photography: desiree & seth

we only had a few minutes due to a tight schedule between the ceremony and the reception for portraits of the two of them, so we took a quick walk to the park and let them enjoy time together apart from any one else.  

the reception was held at the sheraton uptown in albuquerque, and exquisitely designed by distracted by decor. (unfortunately it was distracted by decor's last wedding, as they are on to new opportunities, but they definitely went out with a bang!) the ballroom was full of crystal candelabras, gorgeous blush tables and lots and lots of glowing candles! it was stunningly beautiful!  the center piece of the room was the four tiered ivory masterpiece wedding cake that was created by darci of simply sweet by darci. 

we have always heard that greek wedding receptions can get crazy, and this one was crazy!  crazy awesome!  evan & danielle worked hard to pull off a special choreographed dance for their first dance as husband and wife. followed by great moments during special parents' dances that we are such suckers for! once the dance floor opened up things got crazy, a 350 person la marcha and then came the greek dancing! whistles and shouts of opa! filled the air, money was flying at dancing guests, plates were being thrown and broken, guests were slamming back drinks, standing on wine bottles, risking back flips and just having a phenomenal time! their party continued well into the wee hours of the morning! 

danielle & evan, thank you so much for hosting such a wonderful celebration! we had such a glorious time capturing these moments too soon forgotten! thank you!

~desiree & seth

this is what it looks like when you get stuck in the middle of la marcha!

you know when your mother in law gets down on the floor in her party gown, that she's awesome!!!

girls getting ready location: sheraton uptown

danielle's gown designer: demetrios

wedding coordinator: maria socha sealed with a kiss

ceremony location: st george greek orthodox church albuuquerque, new mexico

ceremony music: eleganza string quartet

floral design: flowers and more

reception location: sheraton uptown ballroom

ballroom design: rob & brennan of distracted by decor

cake: simply sweet by darci

videography: sarah & scott kanafani of luminance wedding films

photography: desiree & seth

the girls started their day getting ready at sheraton uptown, with breakfast treats and a whole team of hair and makeup professionals!  the boys on the other hand spent most of their morning lounging around in their soccer shorts, smoking cigars and doing shots of licorice scented ouzo! when it was time to get ready, danielle's mom and sister and almost sister in law slipped into her demetrios gown, which was perfect for her personality and her wedding! once dressed and veiled and shoed, we invited danielle's dad into the room to see his baby girl. she offered him a gift of custom cuff links, with her sweet two year old face on one and 'first man i ever loved on the other' to say thank you! 

the ceremony was at the gorgeous st george greek orthodox church. it's so uniquely beautiful, rich gold, blue, and red tones on the walls and the altar piece, an ornate mosiac of christ on the ceiling and sparkling chandeliers throughout the sanctuary, make it a wonderful place for the marriage ceremony. one of our favorite moments was when the doors opened and evan got a look at danielle, tears filled his eyes and ran down his cheeks. the greek ceremony is full of traditions and symbolism, the crowning of the couple, linking them together, the first steps they take as husband and wife, led by the priest and the bible. it really is so lovely to observe and capture.

after sharing their first kiss they made their way down the aisle with guests throwing petals at them. they were tucked away to allow the guests to exit the church.  when they left they were met/pelted with bird seed coming at them from all angles!

a wedding day this big could not have succeeded without the organization and coordination of maria socha of sealed with a kiss weddings, kudos to you and your team for pulling off an amazing celebration!   

enjoy!

~desiree & seth  

girls getting ready location: sheraton uptown

danielle's wedding gown: demetrio's

wedding coordinator: maria socha sealed with a kiss

ceremony location: st george greek orthodox church albuuquerque, new mexico

ceremony music: eleganza string quartet

floral design: flowers and more

reception location: sheraton uptown ballroom

ballroom design: rob & brennan of distracted by decor

cake: simply sweet by darci

videography: sarah & scott kanafani of luminance wedding films

photography: desiree & seth

after all the guests arrived and the mornings prep work was completed, they drove through the cottonwood trees through the bosque in his dad's vintage packard to the ceremony location. the ceremony took place under the gazebo in the cottonwoods at the hyatt tamaya.  all the guests cried as kim's grandfather, a veteran himself, saluted bobby and thanked him for his service. while family and friends were plentiful, an unmistakable emptiness was felt by kim's family. kim's mother and hero passed away three years ago after a battle with breast cancer. many sentimentalities were shared about her mother, but all you have to do is see the concern that kim has for others and you can tell the impact that her mother had on her. 

they danced under the twinkling lights in the pavillion in the cottonwoods and who knew that real estate agents and a bunch of air force pilots could dance like this! 

kim & bobby, it was a pleasure and an honor to be here with you. we are so grateful to have shared this with you.

~desiree & seth

photography: desiree & seth

ceremony & reception venue: hyatt tamaya

event design & decor: joann baldwin black swan events

now they we had a beautiful location and lovely light we just needed our couple.  and they delivered as well! we always look for the best light and send our couples into that and let them be until they get used to us being there.  we rarely had to offer any direction for them, we just let them cuddle and laugh and hold onto each other, things they they normally do. they were a treat to watch and capture!

we are so very lucky to witness people in their own element, comfortable in a space that they love and surrounded by the people that they love, then they can be themselves, and because they are comfortable the rest of the magic takes care of itself!

~desiree

...I've been enjoying going through these photos from our last session with the Hicks family. We have watched this family grow and change for many years now and it's a beautiful thing to be a part of!

while you are typing up that email to us, take a few minutes to see some of our favorite images from last years sessions!  we can't wait to see all of you again!

~desiree

i don't know the story behind the song they chose to dance to or why they chose to tattoo the lyrics to their arms, but as i have sung along with the tune over the past several days, i found myself pondering the words.  the idea of sitting on the porch and swinging with your love, to not be concerned about the cares of this world but laboring to make sure that your love is successful, sounds idealistic and trite.  it may be but i hope it is not.  i hope that there are those that still put their love first. that put forth the effort into something that takes work. and to be content with the simple things. i think marisa and cary really do strive for that, we saw a glimpse of it during their connection session when cary would repeatedly take marisa's hand to kiss it. not many people do that anymore, especially when they are around others.  we knew then that we had a very special couple in front of us.

the quirky casas de suenos was the venue of choice for marisa & cary's wedding celebration.  they loved the quaint courtyard with its mosiac gazebo and the hidden alcoves throughout the property, it suited them perfectly. 

as things began to get under way, the clouds rolled in, just in time to cool things off for the start of the ceremony.  cary's brother officiated and delighted the crowd with the retelling of what was supposed to be once in a lifetime adventure to the world cup in brazil complete with a proposal  and then the telling of the back up plan which was a weekend spent camping on the front lawn of a gorgeous family cabin and an unreliable boat. 

they each wrote their own vows and all became emotional to hear them spoken.  just as they were announced as husband and wife, thunder clapped and the clouds released their rain. it wasn't a typical new mexican storm, it lasted longer than five minutes.  but all was well, guests tucked themselves away and we all waited out the rain. 

many more raindrops fell, many more stories shared and lots of dancing and singing to billy joel's piano man.

it wasn't a perfect day, things didn't go exactly as planned, guests got wet, favors and linens were no longer pristine but i think that makes it all the more meaningful. it takes work and sometimes real life isn't pretty but you take the hand of your sweetheart and you dance in the rain and you love outwardly for all the world to see.

marisa & cary~

we are grateful to have shared this journey with you.  thank you for allowing us a glimpse into real life.

~desiree & seth

venue:  casas de suenos

hair design for the bridal party by the talented josh from @halladayhair

florals: melba's flowers

accoustic guitar: keith sanchez

photography: desiree & seth

it always brings such joy to watch a family be real with each other and get images of them that really captures who they are! 

shane, lily and finn, thank you for being real and honest with your family!  can't wait to see you again!

warmly,

~desiree & seth

adam & alicia thanks for sharing your sweet family with us!

much love,

desiree

thank you brian & caryn! 

much love,

~desiree

dave & ange, as always we are grateful!

much love,

~desiree  

~desiree & seth

wedding suite design by: paper and home

ceremony and reception venue: hotel parq central

photographed by desiree and seth

tracy and ryan are getting married La Posada in Santa Fe in the fall and we got to spend some time with them the day of their tasting!  we were lucky enough to have this gorgeous bar all to ourselves! from the images it's hard to tell how nervous they both were, they were afraid they wouldn't know what to do! as you can tell, it only took a couple minutes and they were natural in front of the camera! we are so excited for things to come for them! 

tracy & ryan, thank you for trusting us enough to simply be yourselves!

much love

~desiree

meredith & jimmy, i know it takes a lot to trust people you hardly know and be vulnerable, but we are so grateful you did.  we are so happy you have the pictures to prove the love that you share and to have a record of a place that is so special to you. 

~desiree & seth 

richelle & jared, thank you for letting me come and capture a fleeting moment in your life!

~desiree & seth

the ceremony took place at hotel parc central in albuquerque outside on a gloomy day that didn't look like it was going to hold back!  the two exchanged vows in a ceremony officiated by miranda's cousin. their mom's shared words and poems from the heart that touched everyone in the audience.  the two of them laughed and cried and rejoiced along with everyone else.  their guests enjoyed cocktails on the apothacary rooftop and were treated to a splendid sunset, only like new mexico can do! the intimate family reception was full of joy and excitement all night long!  

michelle & miranda, thank you for your open hearts! thank you for trusting your memories to us!

~desiree & seth

ceremony and reception:  Hotel Parc Central Albuquerque

florals:  Albuquerque Florist

invitation suite: Paper and Home

hair and makeup: genica lee

photography: desiree & seth

we stopped in for a visit in houston with rebecca and marc, in their comfy home early saturday morning.  we watched while he made her coffee and himself tea (because to him coffee tastes like toilet water). we scoured his collection of games and panted figures.  we discussed the holocaust and listened to her tell the history of ballet to us from the book that she is currently re-reading.  we listened to them talk about their glorious adventures to machu pichu, all the while photographing them in their comfort spot, their safe place, their home.

as always we are privileged to see the many aspects of our couples lives and humbled that people choose to let people in as strangers and out as friends!  rebecca & marc we can hardly wait to see you again in december, this time on your wedding day!

~desiree & seth 

sam & lanier; thank you for sharing yet another milestone with us!  we cannot wait to watch her grow, but not too fast!

~desiree & seth 

corey & matt, thank you for trusting me to be in your space and experience the joy of newlife with you!

~desiree 

~desiree & seth  

evan & dani, thank you for inviting us to such a lovely party!  

~desiree & seth

the trees have finally begun to pop blossoms around town and we had the opportunity to capture this sweet couple for their connection session just at the right time!  jamie & tyler thank you for spending a lovely saturday morning with us! 

~desiree & seth