There are few places you can find a desert full of saguaro cacti and that is one of the things that makes Arizona unique and beautiful! This specific location is a favorite because of the cacti, mountain backdrop, and greenery. It’s the perfect spot to capture the Arizona desert! What’s funny is that if you live in the Phoenix valley you either love or hate the look of the desert. I have grown to love it over the years and think it is stunning! It especially makes for a beautiful backdrop for pictures.

I had the pleasure of photographing this beautiful family of three in the desert recently. The previous year we had taken their family pictures with trees and greenery, so this year it was time to mix it up. Being from the North West with lots of lush greenery, Melinda hadn’t quite found the beauty in the desert… that is, until she saw her family pictures! Seeing her cute family in the desert might have just won her over!

Would you believe me if I also mentioned that it was around 100 degrees during this session? Yes, even in September! Gotta love Phoenix weather! Even though it was warm during the photography session, the family was all smiles and the heat didn’t even phase them. We all had a great time! By the end of the session I was best friends with their little boy and he kept reaching for me to hold him. (My heart!!) He was the sweetest little guy and it was so fun seeing how much he had grown from the previous year when we took pictures last.

I loved photographing the Hicks family and you can just tell how much they all love each other from the pictures. They made the desert look GOOD!