A guide to booking your photo session in the Jemez

If you're following along on Instagram, you've noticed that I've spent quite a bit of time in the Jemez Mountains and Valles Caldera this summer. It's my New Mexico happy place, where my Florida bones steep in the humid green meadows on long summer days. During my second pregnancy, when some of the more strenuous trails on my annual hiking list became inaccessible, I found sanctuary on the East Fork River's gentle paths. In fact, it was here that I decided my son's name, River, an ode to these mountain sources that deliver water to the valleys below.

Over the past. year, I intentionally marketed this location as an option for one of my two-location packages. It's about an hour drive from Santa Fe, but the galleries from here always turn out so beautifully. Here's why...

Where Rocks Tell Stories


Along the East Fork River, a series of trails and boardwalks usher hikers through dramatic rock formations, evidence of a supervolcano eruption that shaped this region millions of years ago. Over time, the river eroded the volcanic rhyolite and layered basalt that make up these unique cliffs. Not only do they provide a geologically fascinating tale, but also make for a unique backdrop of cream and rust, which contrasts beautifully with the grassy valley floor. Kids love exploring here, which makes it easy to keep them engaged.


As you will see in all of today's images, many of my clients opt for blues and whites to pop against the colors of the canyon. Rusty colors can work well, too. And the gentle grass is a great place to go barefoot. I always recommend rain gear and layers as well, just in case an afternoon monsoon blesses us with a light sprinkle. Fortunately, the areas I typically photograph are close to the trailhead, so we never wander far from the car.

A man lifts a laughing woman near a wooden fence with rugged rocky cliffs in the background.
A family of five walks hand in hand through a wildflower meadow in front of a towering red rock cliff.
A family of three smiles together in a lush green field with a dramatic red rock cliff backdrop.
Couple embracing by a reflective river beneath dramatic golden rock cliffs.
Family with children playing in a mountain meadow surrounded by pine trees and rocky cliffs.

Ode to Wildflowers


I’ve always been drawn to wildflowers, not just for their fleeting beauty, but for the playful, childlike joy they bring to my photography. There’s something refreshingly unpretentious about the way they bloom—sprinkled across meadows and roadsides like nature’s confetti. My clients immediately feel a sense of lightness in these spontaneous moments of wonder, resulting in nostalgic imagery that reminds me of childhood days spent finding magic in the smallest things.


The wildflowers in the Jemez, particularly among the East Fork River, are wonderfully inviting. July and August are the best months to find the plentiful cone flowers, ox-eye daisies, susans, and harebells. Fall and winter bring their own quieter beauty as deciduous trees, including aspens, turn golden, and snow blankets these meadows.

Two Santa Fe girls in flowing dresses twirl through a wildflower meadow with rocky cliffs in background for family photography session.
Young girl in teal dress picks wildflowers in a vast mountain meadow at golden sunset.
Smiling couple sits together among wildflowers as man whispers in womans ear outdoors.
Pregnant couple walks through vibrant yellow wildflower field bathed in warm golden sunlight.

Spacious Valleys

Descending on US-4, a lush green valley appears with sweeping vistas of the Jemez Mountains. The incomparable Valle Grande. At sunset, soft backlight glows behind Redondo peak, bathing the valley in ethereal hues. In autumn, amber aspens and golden grass transform to a landscape of warmth and quiet mystery.There’s a deep sense of peace here—a call to breathe a little deeper and stay a little longer. And the Valle Grande's spaciousness offers the perfect setting for large families to move, explore, and stand in awe of nature’s quiet grandeur.

A joyful family of six holds hands in a lush green meadow with rolling Jemez mountains in the background.
A smiling mother in a blue dress embraces her two sons in a sunlit green meadow with mountains.
A mother sits in a lush green meadow with two young children at sunset, mountains visible in the background.
Couple holding hands walking through a green meadow with mountains at golden sunset.
Mother in white dress and hat embracing her son in a sunlit grassy field.
Woman in white floral dress lying in golden grass field with mountain backdrop at sunset.
Couple standing in a green meadow at sunset while children play in the background.
Mother walking with two daughters in ruffled dresses across a green meadow.
A couple in black clothing holds hands while walking through a dramatic stormy green field with mountains.
Smiling engaged couple holding hands in a green meadow with Jemez mountains and sunset sky.
A young girl in a blue dress kneels in a sunlit meadow, closely examining wildflowers among tall grass.
Smiling young woman in a light blue sweater and white maxi skirt standing in a golden field with mountains behind her.
Couple in vintage attire embracing in golden field with rolling hills and vast landscape backdrop.
A pregnant woman in a flowing white dress stands in a green field under a dramatic sunset sky.
Pregnant woman sitting in golden grass field, cradling bare baby bump, wearing open denim shirt, bathed in warm sunlight.
Young boy in beige polo shirt sitting in tall green grass with wildflowers.

How to book

Due to its distance from Santa Fe, a photography session in the Valles Caldera and Jemez Mountains requires booking one of my two-location packages. Head over to my portrait menu or say hello via an inquiry form to schedule your family, engagement, elopement, or senior session at this spectacular location.

A couple sits together in tall grass gazing at a serene mountain valley landscape at dusk.