Model Portrait Session at Scorpion Gulch — Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix is one of the best cities in the country for outdoor portrait photography — and that’s true year-round. Whether it’s the golden desert light in fall and winter, the dramatic skies after a summer monsoon, or a cool spring evening, there’s almost always a great time to shoot outdoors in the Valley.

Reilly and I connected through Instagram and set up a modeling portfolio and personal branding session together. We chose Scorpion Gulch at South Mountain — one of the most popular photography spots in Phoenix — for its variety of settings: the historic stone ruins with their weathered textures, and the wide-open desert landscape just across the street. It’s a location that works beautifully for model portraits, senior photos, headshots, engagements, and more.

We captured several different looks across both settings, and here are just a few favorites from the session. Reilly was fantastic to work with — natural in front of the camera and easy to direct.