Ian and I have known each other for 6 or 7 years now, when we were both working at a Starbucks together in North Scottsdale. Thankfully for both of us, we’re both beyond the fast food life these days, but we’ve stayed friends over the years. I am out of town a lot these days with touring, but Ian reached out to me and asked me if I’d be home end of June/early July to do an engagement shoot with him and his Fiancé, Sonia. My schedule was open during that time, so we made it happen!
They said they didn’t want a desert vibe for their photos and wanted something a little more urban, and with us being in the Phoenix metro, downtown is the only spot to go to to escape the desert scenery so we started on this parking garage with a great view of the buildings around it. We had originally planned to do this shoot on the last weekend of June, but a dangerous heat wave rolled with a high of 115 on the day we had picked, so we decided to postpone until July 4th, when the weather was much safer to be outside in a concrete jungle in.
After the parking garage I wanted to shoot over at the old city hall stairs, but had to take some shots on central avenue in front of the San Carlos hotel on the way. I love the older buildings that are left in this block of downtown Phoenix, and with it being July 4th evening and also first Friday, the roads and sidewalks were empty as everyone was at home, at barbecues, or over on Roosevelt avenue for the First Friday activities.
I’ve always had an appreciation for buildings from the Art Deco era, and the old city hall in Phoenix is a great example of that. I love this staircase and the big doors behind it! Before the shoot, I had asked Ian and Sonia if they were open to more adventurous poses like piggy back rides etc, to which Sonia answered “Only if it’s me giving Ian a piggy back ride”. When I ask that question, it’s more rhetorical than literal as I’m just trying to gauge how introverted/extroverted the couple is, but since she answered that way, I said “Well, now you have to try!”. She did her best and almost succeeded, but in the end it was Ian who ended up having to be the carrier!
The next spot on the list was the Hilton Garden Inn hotel, but on the way back I wanted to take a couple frames in front of the Orpheum Theater. A beautiful building inside and out, and thought it would be a great spot to get some closer in shots and put the rings more at focus. With a couple laughs too, of course.
Then it was time for the final stop, the Hilton hotel. I love shooting inside the lobby of this building for the colors and art deco vibes, especially these elevators! Always great for some moody, romantic, and fun photographs.
Congratulations to Ian and Sonia on their engagement, and thank you for letting me document the milestone for you two!
