Right as the year turns, I am hopping a one way flight to South America with no current plans of coming back. My desire is the spend the year focusing on myself with workaways in new countries, photographing landscapes, and facilitating new skills. I've never taken a hiatus, and I don't view this as a break from my business, instead an extended investment into myself as a creator.
I am open to any international bookings in 2025!
I am completely open to where this path will take me, if you want to elope out of the United States in 2025, reach out to me now with your ideas and I will not charge you travel fees. Some of the places I would love to end up are Thailand, New Zealand, Norway, but very open to anything.
I am accepting United States elopement and weddings bookings for the fall 2025
I think around the 9 month mark it's likely I will have returned to my home country, and I am accepting elopement and wedding work there. Very excited for this new beginning as I hit my mid 20's, but enough about the future! Let's look at a comprehensive view of my work in 2024, one photo from every shoot.
welcome to another yearly review by christina joy, aka adventure for love!
HI MY FWIENDS
MAWWIAGE IS WHAT BRINGS US TOGETHA
Welcome to my favorite blog of the year! 2024 stands out as one of the best years of my life. On top of capturing epic love stories across the United States, I did more solo travel than ever before, some of my highlights include:
First solo international travel in Costa Rica
Backpacking Havasupai
Hiking 50 miles alone in Banff National Park
Being hand picked for Colorpop
As always, my work continuously took me across multiple states and into new regions and countries as well. I particularly loved the jobs in Moab, Glacier National Park, Yosemite, and shooting my friends elopement in none other than Black Rock City, during Burning Man!
2025 is going to look different
Enjoy the 2024 recap,
one photo of every shoot!
Josh and Eli
Started my year off with my two lovely friends for a creative photoshoot in Moab before their trip to Costa Rica. I wanted to get this shoot in with them before their trip, little did we know I actually would decide to join them in Central America a couple weeks later!
2. Jason and Kari
Jason is an old friend from highschool back in Ohio. He reached out to me about proposing to Kari in Yosemite during firefalls, and we divised a plan. Since both him and I are photographers, the story he told Kari was that they were meeting up with me to try and photograph firefalls together. Getting permits to get into the park was so difficult during this time, and we only got a one day opportunity. Unfortunately clouds covered the light right as sunset approached, and we didn't get firefalls, but Jason proposed and Kari said yes in this private spot away from the crowds!
3. Costa Rica
Sharing my favorite wildlife photo from my trip to Central America. It seems consistently with my international trips I end up photographing monkeys. It was so cool to see the difference in the snow monkeys in Japan from my last trip, to these monkeys in Costa Rica.
4. Griselda & Nathan
Nathan's reaction to their first look really stands out to me as my favorite moment captured on their elopement day. They got married on their 10 year anniversary in Yosemite National Park with close friends and family present, my first elopement captured in 2024!
5. Devi & Dalton
The most iconic prank I have ever done in my life. I took two friends from Moab and we secretly went to Lake Powell in March, we did an intensive styled shoot and posted the photos on April 1st to prank everyone in our hometown into thinking they ran off and got married. The prank went better than expected, and this stands out in my mind as one of the best parts of 2024 :)
6. Havasupai
This is one of the wildest examples of manifestation in my life. Days before, I was talking to a friend who had just floated the entire Grand Canyon. I was so excited to ask what she thought of Havasupai, and said the words out loud:
“I've been trying to get a permit for Havasupai for years. If anyone had a spare spot on a permit, I would drop everything to do that.”
TWO DAYS later, my friend Hannah posted on Facebook she had a spare spot on her permit. I dropped everything, and had the most magical experience of my life. This is actually the garden of eden, I cannot recommend this experience enough.
7. Jordan & Maritza
My spring work trip to NorCal this year definitely stands out as a highlight. I started out with a beautiful hike in the Redwoods near Santa Cruz with Jordan and Maritza for some cinematic engagement photos in the forest, similar to the redwoods wedding you'll see later in this gallery!
8. Bella & Craig
These two beautiful people had one of my favorite wedding's I have ever shot. Truly so much creativity in one day that makes it stand out as a unique story! There is a whole blog on this you can view here.
9. Gracie & Danny
We had such a fun morning for their engagement session. We tried driving up to Crater Lake for sunrise, but in April conditions were far to snowy to see anything. We decided to drive down the mountain to a pull off with this beautiful forest, there was a light rain that saturated the landscape and created a beautiful moody PNW vibe that really enhanced the concept on this shoot.
10. Kristen & Ben
SUCH a unique and special elopement in Delta, Colorado! These two met skydiving, and returned to the dropzone Ben pilots at to have their ceremony at sunrise surrounded by the distant views of canyons. Immediately after their elopement, they flew off to their honeymoon overseas!
11. Luke, Lindsey, and Lion!
My two friends got married last year, and were expecting their first little one! We did maternity photos in Castle Valley last fall, and had to follow up for a session with their new babe for mothers day. Love this little family so much!
12. Mothers Day Minis
I hosted mothers day minis in Moab this year! Very discounted quick sessions to celebrate the awesome moms in our community. Thank you Kate for reaching out and doing a session with your family!
13. Hocking Hills Minis
I returned to the place I grew up for a wedding this year, and had to host a day of mini sessions in Hocking Hills. It was so wonderful to see returning clients and meet new ones, like Lauren and her doggo!
14. Hocking Hills Minis
Speaking of returning clients, it was so good to see Destiny again after so many years. I'm so grateful to meet her husband, all their dogs, and get to catch up and how much our lives have changed in the last 5 years!
15. Hocking Hills Minis
The last shoot I did with these two was a winter mini on a snowy bridge in Ohio years back. It was so good to see them again, I appreciate the continuous support and I believe with this spring session, I have how photos of Kristin from every season of the year!
16. Hocking Hills Minis
Carly and Dave, one of my favorite couples in the world. There were many cute photos but I had to choose this as my favorite haha! Given how close I am with them we all giggled about the chaos of their dogs, and this photo especially got me. Much love to these two, and hope to see them many more times down the road.
17. Katie & Matt
The last session of this day went to Katie and Matt. These two hired me for their elopement in Yosemite, and they are from Ohio! Being able to meet them in our home state was so fun, we had a very fun creative session and went to their Airbnb after. This photo was one of the first we took and really stands out to me for it's storytelling aspect, a great start to their session.
18. Planet V
I can't recap the year without sharing some fire performing photos! These photos at Planet V stand out to me for realizing the progression I've made as a photographer able to capture fire dancers. Also, Amy is one of my favorite people I've gotten closer with this year, and one of the most talented performers I know!
19. Gracie and Danny
I was overjoyed to return to Washington for Gracie and Danny's summer camp wedding, which you can view here. This was my first time exploring the Bellingham area, and connecting with old friends in Bow! Sneaking them away from the reception for their sunset photos on the beach was my favorite part.
20. Lauren and Isaac
I did these twos engagement session in Texas last year. It was so fun to visit them in their home state, to then have them elope in my home of Moab, Utah! They had a gorgeous sunrise ceremony at Double Arch, followed by a yummy brunch with family at an Airbnb.
21. Indo Grill
I did two photo sessions with Indo Grill to celebrate their new opening! One session was to capture simple shots of the menu and restaurant, and the second shoot was to host a marketing night. This stands out to me because I love the deal me and Omar worked out, I rarely do restaurant photos but loved the mix up and would be open to more!
Please check out this delicious indian restaurant in Moab, my mouth is watering just looking at this photo. Highly reccomend the lamb chop curry!
22. Jordan & Maritza
Another beautiful Redwoods wedding I need to blog soon! My favorite moment from Jordan and Maritza's wedding was popping the champagne bottle during sunset, I couldn't believe how amazing these images were! The vibe at their wedding was so excellent, and the videographer was one of my favorite I have ever worked with! These two had a badass media team of all women vendors :)
23. Nicole & Nelsen
My most recent blog is of these twos sunrise session in Arches National Park, they had just got married and went on their honeymoon in Utah where they wanted me to take their announcement photos.
24. Matt & Bailey
One of my favorite secret locations in Moab for a proposal! Matt asked Bailey to marry him in this window, and witnessed the most beautiful sunrise together on their Utah road trip.
25. Moab Rim Sunset
The rim is undoubtedly my favorite thing about Moab. You can see it from anywhere on the 191, I have witnessed many incredible sunrises and sunsets against these rocks, every time reminding me how grateful I am to be here.
26. Caroline & Kevin
One of the blogs I am yet to do but am MOST excited about! This sunrise ceremony in Glacier National Park was one of my favorite landscapes I have seen all year. Can't wait to hopefully connect with these two again in Washington next year for star photos!
27. Jenny & Riley
Another recent blog you can view here, Jenny & Riley's wedding in Glacier with a backyard Airbnb reception with family, and their gifted magazine from a company I'm excited to begin working with!
28. Banff National Park
On top of shooting elopements in Glacier, I took a little extra time for myself to solo hike 50 miles in Banff and focus on some landscapes. This sunrise was on I had been dreaming of for a very long time, you can see more by reading this blog.
29. Haley & Collin
I love a good boot photo with wedding attire to show off the adventurous spirit of elopements. Mix that with the beautiful dust of the Taft Point trail, perfect lighting, this is one of my favorite detail shots I have ever captured.
30. Grass & Carson
I attended the one and only Burning Man this year with the main intention of capturing my good friends playa wedding! They also have their own blog you can view here.
31. Jason & Kari
I was so overjoyed to capture their proposal in Yosemite at the beginning of the year, and their wedding in the fall! It was good seeing old familiar faces from Ohio, and celebrating the beginning of these twos marriage.
Congratulations Jason and Kari!
32. Katie & Matt
Ahhh another blog I am dying to do! Katie and Matt had the most epic “choose your own adventure” day for their elopement. They fully entrusted me with giving them several options throughout the day for what hikes, view points, and activities we did. Instead of planning every detail ahead of time, we followed our desires and chose what to do spur of the moment! I would love to see more elopements days designed like this.
33. Matt & Melissa
6 weeks after I post this blog I am meeting these two for their elopement in none other than Patagonia! I have been lucky enough to have had multiple video chats, a couple face to face meetings, including this one for their engagement photos in the fall colors of Colorado. Two of my favorite people right here!
34. 5 Minute Sessions
I had to include these. Since I am out of Moab for a little while traveling internationally, I wanted to host a new concept called “5 Minute Sessions”. Pearl and her sister used their session to recreate awkward 80's family photos as a gift to their mom, who requested nice photos of them to be printed on her wall. Hilarious and brilliant!
35. Kimberly Joy
Your middle name is showing! One of my favorite people in the world, such a beauty and I'm glad I was able to spend a 5 minute session with her making her feel how beautiful she truly is. Miss this person a lot already!
36. Redfoot
FULL CIRCLE! My first friend in Moab moved away to the big Salt Lake City to further his career as a DJ. He is absolutely crushing it, I am so proud of him. It was only fitting for my last session in Utah to be his branding photos. I've captured Redfoot on a stage many times, but this was our first time doing a portrait shoot and we had SO much fun. Miss you already Red!
37. Jay & Nidhi
Perfect timing, the day after I flew back from Utah I had this beach proposal to capture for Jay & Nidhi. We had the best time exploring Topanga Canyon, before ending at my favorite secret spot in Malibu for sunset. They flew all the way from the east coast for this experience!
38. Lake Arrowhead Wedding
Since I found myself on SoCal for the remainder of the fall, I always enjoy picking up last minute second shooting gigs. I had a lot of fun with these groomsmen for their portraits in Lake Arrowhead!
39. Intisar & Kareme
Can you believe it, yet another blog I am dying to do. Intisar & Kareme got married in the Redwoods, and this magical weekend in NorCal was everything I needed. Actually I was so inspired by the location surrounding their Airbnb, when I posted this blog I am actually going out of service to backpack the Lost Coast which I discovered because of these two.
40. Erin & Dylan
Sunset photos on a beautiful ranch in Norco, California. This area was so interesting to me as a new town I hadn't seen in Cali yet, full of ranches and animals! Dylan's all black suit and Erin's dress was so classy, we got the perfect orange glow for sunset photos.
41. Avery
One of the best parts of my year was meeting this very talented creative person you see here. We met in J Tree in November and have been besties ever since. We went into the national park for a portrait trade on Christmas Eve Eve!
42. Taryn & Michael
I was so lucky to spend Christmas day with these two back in 2021 for their super special surprise elopement to their families. This year when Taryn saw I was in town, she wanted to hire me for anniversary photos. We had so much fun on this laid back session, including a little smoke break on the ranch.
Thank you for another amazing year!
- christina joy (adventure for love)