Shell Creek Photography

07/28/2025

This was a fun experience! I came across September & Dennis during their elopement day while I was in Juneau. They were taking photos with their phones & I offered to take a few professional photos for them! It was a fun experience & chance encounter.

07/01/2025

As Pride Month comes to a close, I just have something personal I want to share…

I’m a gay man who loves hiking, off-roading, drinking cold beer with friends, & chasing big adventures. But I also love pink. I love sparkles. I love flowers. I love working out to Chappell Roan, Lady Gaga, & Taylor Swift. Sometimes I like ordering the fruitiest, most ridiculous cocktail on the menu. And for a long time, I felt like I had to pick between those parts of myself—like I had to tone it down just to be accepted.

Even in spaces that are supposed to be welcoming, I’ve caught myself shrinking. “Editing” myself. Trying to make sure I don’t come off “too much.”

But here’s what I’ve learned: I’m not two different people. I’m not less of one thing because I’m also another. I’m both. And I’m tired of hiding the parts of me that don’t fit neatly into someone else’s expectations.

So as Pride Month wraps up, I’m making this promise to myself: I’m done toning it down. I’m done making myself smaller. I’m going to keep showing up as my full, flower loving & trail hiking self.

And if you’ve ever felt like you had to quiet some part of who you are just to belong, you deserve to take up space in every part of who you are.

Happy Pride, today & every damn day after! 🏳️‍🌈

06/21/2025

It’s finally officially summer & I can’t wait to capture more joy filled elopements like this one in the Tetons! 🏔️

06/12/2025

Two years ago this month, I came out publicly & left the religion I was raised in— & my family cut contact.

Not everyone talks about how deeply lonely that kind of loss feels. How rejection from the people who raised you can carve out something hollow. But also… how freeing it is to finally stop hiding. To finally stop believing the lies you were taught about who you are & what you deserve. Even I haven’t talked about it for a long time.

I came out because being myself was the only thing left.

Pride isn't just a rainbow filter or a flag in June. It's the quiet, everyday kind of courage it takes to live openly when the world still makes that feel dangerous. It’s about the couples who just want to hold hands without stares or judgment. The ones who want to love out loud. To be "normal". To be safe. To be seen.

That’s what I fight for. That’s why I do what I do.

As an elopement photographer, I’ve made it my mission to create a space where every love story is not just welcomed, but celebrated. A space where all sorts of couples can be themselves—laughing, crying, messy, goofy, sacred, wild & deeply in love. No code-switching. No holding back. Just you, as you are.

Love is love & every couple deserves to feel safe, seen, & celebrated, no matter your background, or what the world assumes about your relationship just by looking at you.

Because I didn’t always feel safe to show up as myself.

So now, I build the kind of world I needed. One elopement at a time & one new friendship at a time. To everyone still figuring it out, still growing… you are not alone. You are worthy. You are loved. You deserve a wedding day that feels like freedom. The life I have now is full of love I once thought I’d never get to have again. I’m still healing. But I’m also finally living!

06/09/2025

I finally got to go back & experience Yosemite again & there’s just something about this place… the scale, the way it catches light. It’s magic.

Even better, I got to experience it through fresh eyes because these two had never been before. Watching them take it all in, letting the awe sink in, reminded me just how special this job is.

I get to do this for work. Adventuring with couples into landscapes that feel like something out of your wildest dreams. Witnessing them share quiet, special moments as the sky lights up at sunset. Watching them fall even more in love under starlit skies.

These aren’t just wedding days—they’re adventures. Real, raw, deeply felt experiences. As I’m writing this, I’m just sitting here like—this is my job? Helping people have wedding days that feel like this? Wild. Beautiful. So damn cool!

06/04/2025

This sunset was by far one of the best sunsets I’ve seen here in Colorado. Really reminds me of the slogan “Colorful Colorado”.

So much of the time the mountains are the star of the show with alpenglow around sunset or sunrise, but the storm clouds had dissipated from earlier in the day & put on this incredible display for us! That’s one good thing about the summer monsoons we get in Colorado, sunsets like this.

06/03/2025

Your elopement day? It should feel like you. No pressure, no rigid structure for the day—just the two of you soaking up every second. Laugh hard, cry happy tears, exchange love letters, give each other gifts that are meaningful. I'll always encourage you to hike that trail, eat your favorite food, & enjoy a camp fire under the stars!

Think of it as an epic, love filled adventure date. Full of meaning. Full of connection. Full of fun. This isn’t just about saying vows—it’s about making memories you’ll want to relive over & over again.

And with an elopement, you can relive those memories. Go hike that trail for your anniversary, take your kids on an off roading trip to show them where you two got married, & enjoy the nature of the place you got married for years to come!

05/13/2025

I’ve been closely watching the snowpack in the mountains of Colorado, and while the light snowpack is good for some of the earlier season elopements as access to higher elevations will be open sooner, it does look like it may be a bit of a dry summer if the mountains don’t get more snow or summer rains.

In an average year, Colorado’s snowpack sticks around into early June—but not this season. Last week's major storm wasn't enough to make a significant impact, and temperatures are already back in the 60s and 70s. Even with a slight bump, we’re sitting at just the 8th percentile for snowpack.

04/08/2025

Is eloping the ultimate flex? It kind of is! Not in a flashy, “look at us” kind of way—but in the quietly confident, self-assured way that says: "we know what we want & we’re choosing that".

Eloping isn’t about skipping out on something. It’s about showing up fully for yourself & each other. It’s about choosing intimacy over performance & connection over tradition. Elopements rewrite the rules of what a wedding "should be", breaking free from expectation, & crafting a wedding day that actually reflects who you are. That takes guts. And that’s why it’s a real power move. 😉 It’s not about excluding anyone, it’s about including only what feels right to you.

Now let’s talk luxury—because eloping may not always be the simple, boring “budget wedding” option people think it is. When you're not footing the bill for a hundred some people (who may or may not even care about your day the way you do) suddenly the possibilities open waaay up. Imagine splurging on a chef-curated meal under the stars, staying in a dreamy Airbnb that feels like a private retreat, or flying to that bucket list destination you’ve always talked about. Luxury isn’t about excess, it’s about intention.

The money you save by skipping the big production doesn’t mean you settle, it means you get to invest in experiences & details that matter to you. Eloping gives you the freedom to go all-in on the kind of celebration that feels deeply personal, wildly adventurous, & all about you, even if some people have loud opinions about it. Because at the end of the day, this isn’t about them. It’s about the two of you & the life you’re building together.

04/07/2025

In Arches National Park, the two of you could be standing beneath rust-red arches that have been carved by wind, soaking in golden light, adventuring in the desert!

Here’s how you can elope in Arches National Park in 2025 & make the experience everything you want it to be:

✨ First, pick your season. Spring & fall are the best time of year here in Moab for your elopement—think warm days that aren't too hot, cool nights, & less tourist traffic. But sunrise? No matter the month, that’s where the real magic lives.

✨ Then, snag a permit. Yep, even small, just-the-two-of-you ceremonies in Arches need one. You’ll want to apply early—permits are limited & this place is no secret.

✨ Choose your spot. Whether it’s the iconic Windows Section or a quieter corner with canyon views, each place in this park has it's own charm. Want something totally secluded? I’ll help you find other places in Moab to elope!

✨ Keep it simple (or go wild). You can hike in wedding attire or change at the trailhead. Bring your favorite snacks. Add a picnic, a first dance, relaxing under the stars, or an off-road adventure to your day. This is your story—you get to write it however you want.

✨ And finally, bring someone who gets it. A photographer who knows the terrain, understands the light, and most importantly—knows how to document not just what your day looks like, but what it feels like. (Hi, that’s me! 👋)

Your wedding in Moab doesn’t have to be a big production. It can be a simple experience that will mean the world to the two of you.

03/19/2025

I might be a day late for St. Patrick’s Day, but since green is my favorite color, I had to share some of my favorite green-filled elopements! 🌿

Forests, wildflowers, & mountains that go on for miles—there’s just something about saying your vows surrounded by endless green.

If you’re dreaming of eloping somewhere green, choosing the right season is key—what’s lush & vibrant in one place might be covered in snow or dry in another. Olympic National Park, Mount Rainier, & Mount Baker in Washington burst into deep greens & wildflowers in summer, while Oregon’s forests & waterfalls stay mossy year-round. The San Juan Mountains of Western Colorado turn into an alpine paradise in late spring & summer, & the Tetons offer more lush greenery between June & July. If you’re looking for something truly wild, Iceland’s otherworldly landscapes peak in summer & New Zealand has so many epic places that you could explore.

02/24/2025

Take the photo. Because a photograph does something no memory can—it freezes time. A single moment, waiting until one day, you stumble across it & feel everything all over again. I can't tell you how many times I've come across an old photo (or even a not so old photo) & it's brought memories rushing back. Sometimes I smile, sometimes I laugh, & sometimes I get tears in my eyes from those memories just that one photograph brings to my mind.

But we're all our own harshest critics. You see the laugh lines forming. The messy hair, the sunburned cheeks, the clothes you swore you’d never wear again, or the thing you want to change about yourself.

And here’s the thing: when someone loves you, they don’t see the things you critique in the mirror. They see *you*—the way your eyes light up when you’re excited, how your nose scrunches when you laugh, how you held their hand, the way you look at them.

So take the photo. Take it even if you don’t feel ready, even if you’re worried about the angle or the outfit or the lighting. Because years from now, when someone finds that picture, they won’t see what you saw.

They’ll see love. They’ll see you. This is just my advice as a professional photographer & this applies whether it's a photo session or a wedding or an everyday photo you take with your phone. Trust me & just take the photo. 😊