Becca Cannon, Denver, CO (2024)

07/22/2024

The biggest difference I’ve seen in my eloping couples vs my traditional couples 👇🏼

I shot traditional weddings for 5 years and fully transitioned into elopements exclusively for over a year now and here’s the biggest difference I’ve noticed in my couples who have had traditional weddings vs the ones that eloped.

Stress 😞

I know eloping is definitely not for everyone and I know that traditional weddings are also not for everyone. But so far, I have never seen or heard any of my eloping couples regret going out and having an epic day for just the two of them. And I’ve heard of so many couples who have had traditional weddings regret it and would’ve preferred to elope - especially if they realized what an elopement could really look like!

For a lot of couples, traditional weddings feel like an obligation which is why planning a bigger wedding can feel so stressful because deep down you know this isn’t really how you want to start your lives together. We’ve lost sight of the purpose of what your wedding should be about, which is YOU. Traditional weddings are marketed to please your guests and not yourselves. You’re there as a host taking care of everyone else when everyone else should be taking care of you.

Eloping is a way to tune out the noise and actually get to focus on doing what you want in the exact way you want it. And guess what?! If you still want to party with your friends and family to celebrate, YOU CAN! Elopements do not mean you have to isolate yourself!

I’m just here to encourage any couples who are struggling while planning a bigger wedding that there might be better options for you out there and to encourage you to listen to your gut if you’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Maybe take a step back and really think about what you want and what the most epic day with your partner would look like.

Multiple couples I’ve worked with over the past year actually started planning a bigger wedding and even put down deposits before finally listening to their own needs and ditching the entire wedding they had planned! So it’s never too late! 🫶🏼

I would love to be a safe space for you and help plan your elopement!

07/15/2024

This was part of their wedding day 👆🏼🌲 🥾

We got up for sunrise to spend some time together before they got married with all their friends and family later that afternoon!

I just wanted to share this because you get to choose and do whatever you want on your wedding day!

Imagine spending the ENTIRE day with your partner vs hiding from them all day before you see each other? Imagine getting ready in the same room and having your partner help put your wedding dress on? Imagine waking up together and whipping up a delicious breakfast and going on a sunrise hike together on your wedding day.

You can break all the traditions and spend the day with the love of your life however you want to! There’s no rules 🤘🏼

07/12/2024

I’m backkk👋🏼

Just spent a few days disconnected from reality out in Wyoming with some amazing people, camping, climbing, and having a blast! Now back to reality and wanted to share some of these photos I took right before I left for my trip!

I got to dance in the rain and play in the water like little kids with these two! ☺️

06/12/2024

I can’t stress this enough 👇🏼

When you’re thinking about booking a photographer for your elopement or just a fun couples session, it’s not meant to feel like an obligatory “smile for the camera” - 2 hour long photo shoot. I want it to feel like a real representation of your relationship!

So how do we do that?!

One of the best ways is by incorporating an activity! I want you to be able to have an experience that feels comfortable and natural for your relationship because the results are going to be so much more genuine than “okay, smile at the camera!” - 😬

There are SO many activities we could do, it just depends on what you both love to do together! We could go on a hike, bring canvas and some paint out into nature and paint portraits of each other, go swimming, roast smores, kayak/paddleboard, read books together, set up a picnic, bring a hammock, go skinny dipping, the list is endless!

You might think some of these things would be a waste of time and you’d rather just do an hour session to get a few cute pics and be done. But I’ve found that the more time I spend with my couples, the more creative and heartfelt the experience is and it definitely shows in the photos!

So if you’re intrigued and want to incorporate something really fun for your elopement or photo shoot just let me know! I would love to capture it:)

Shoutout to for hosting us at their Airbnb! Such a cute and cozy getaway just outside of Golden!

04/29/2024

Olivia and Jacob celebrated their elopement on 4/20 in the best way you can in Colorado 😮‍💨

If you’re wondering how to elope and turn it into an adventure but also having your really close friends involved, I think Olivia and Jacob planned their day perfectly!

We started at the airbnb where everyone was staying and the vibes were high. Their friends were with them while they got ready for their adventure with me and then the three of us left to run around the mountains. We found a private spot to read vows, and then the rest of the group met up with us for a short hike to their intimate ceremony location.

All of their friends read these incredibly sweet and emotional letters to the two of them as part of the ceremony and then we all headed back to the airbnb where they could party and celebrate together.

It was such an amazing mix of traditional and adventure. There were so many little personalized details hidden throughout their day that added so much more meaning for the two of them. They got to have their private adventure and read their vows alone without an audience, and got to also include their friends in their ceremony and party together throughout the night.

Such a fun day and it felt so unique to the two of them! I loved the intimacy and emotion drawn out through their day as well as how laid back they were, just ready to soak in the experience of what the day held vs being stressed making sure everything came together perfectly. Because in the end the day is perfect just how it is!

#420

02/26/2024

How your location, season, and time of day are going to affect the colors and overall vibe of your gallery. 🌲

This is something most couples don’t think about when planning their elopement. The outcome of your entire gallery is highly affected based on location/season/and time of day. All of which are out of our control as photographers! But with really careful planning, we can get really close to achieving the perfect aesthetic.

Imagine you’re seeing beautiful photos taken in the summer with the tall green grass, golden light beaming all around and you fall in love with the look of those photos. To achieve a specific look for your gallery actually takes very careful planning. The seasons and weather in Colorado feel a lot different than in the rest of the US so it’s easy to pick a date out here that doesn’t match up with the right season you’re going for. It’s so important to talk to locals (or your local photographer, moi 💁🏼‍♀️) to get the best information about seasons and mountain weather when planning your elopement!

Time of day is also SO important! Again, imagine you’re seeing all the golden hour photos pop up in your Pinterest feed but you end up planning an afternoon elopement not really thinking about the importance of lighting and timing for your photos. In the middle of the afternoon, you’ll most likely see a lot harsh shadows and highlights vs the smooth velvety look of a golden hour sunset photo. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with an afternoon elopement! But if you fall in love with a specific vibe for your gallery, you might be disappointed when getting a gallery back that is a completely different than what you fell in love with when planning your elopement.

The good news is that you don’t have to have the knowledge of when or where the best time and places are to take photos! That’s what I’m here for! All I want is for you to have the awareness of the careful planning and preparation it takes to achieve the vibe you want for your gallery which is something I love helping with!

I hope this was really helpful if you’re in the beginning of planning your own elopement and to think about some of these things before locking in anything!

02/14/2024

This Telluride elopement is now on the blog!

If you’re in the middle of planning your own elopement and wonder what the possibilities of an adventurous elopement are, I’m here to inspire you that the possibilities are endless!

I wrote about this experience on the blog as well as what the hike was like and how we prepared for it! I would love to take more couples on epic mountain adventures like this 🥾 ⛰️

Reach out and let’s chat about what your elopement day could look like!

02/09/2024

This post is for YOU if you’re trying to figure out how to plan a proposal with a photographer! (Be sure to save this post for later!)

Whether you have an entire plan already mapped out or you only have a rough concept in mind, including a photographer to your plan can help in so many ways!

- I can help find a location that’s perfect for what your vision is if you don’t know where to go!

- I will hop on multiple phone calls with you ahead of time to plan out every single detail! The first call might be talking about your vision and how we might be able to execute it. After tossing around some ideas and getting a solid vision put together, our next calls will be to put an exact timeline together. Share pin drops on Google maps, and completely coordinate EVERYTHING ahead of time so we both know exactly where and when we’ll be so that I can be ready for the big moment!

- I can help coordinate with friends and family you want in attendance as well! If you need someone to lead your group to the right spot (because likely no one will know where to go) I’m your girl! I can help coordinate if other people are involved and get everyone to where they need to go and be put in place ahead of time so you can focus on being with your partner for the day!

Planning all of this ahead of time is so important because most likely we won’t get to meet in person together at the location to walk through the plan on site! And since that’s the case, looking at maps and drawing out a plan is so helpful so we both know exactly what to expect and how it’s going to go down. I’ll even send you photos of what I look like and what I’m wearing so you’ll be able to spot me and vice versa! Snapping a quick selfie of the two of you and sending it to me before you reach the location will give me so much reassurance that I’m stalking the right people! 😅

So if you’re planning a proposal, you don’t have to do it alone! I had so much fun with these two and it went so smoothly because of all the planning we did ahead of time!

02/06/2024

Why it’s important to set intentions for you and your partner going into a photo session 👇🏼

Having a conversation about what you want to get out of this photo shoot experience with each other beforehand can be so important in the end results of what your photos look like!

And if you don’t know what your intentions should even look like, let me help!

I want this session to be fun for both of you! How can we make sure you’re both excited about the session? It could be that we do an activity you both love, you wear comfortable clothes that feels natural, or we pick a location that has meaning for both of you! These are things you can talk about together (and with me!) ahead of time to make sure it’s something you both want!

I’d love for you both to be open minded about connecting with your partner during the session. How can you make the other person laugh during the shoot? What can you do to make each other feel more comfortable, loved, and feel safe during the session?

I do my absolute best to do these things for you guys! But ultimately, I am a stranger and we just met! You two know each other and the relationship and connection you have more than I ever will. So come into a session focusing on each other’s needs and how you can show up for the other person and all my crazy prompts and poses will start to feel natural with the way you interact together!

I promise I take good care of yall through the session if you’re feeling nervous about it! But this is a great conversation to have with your partner ahead of time as well!

And then without a doubt we’ll all be belly laughing at some point during the session!😄

02/04/2024

These photos were taken in Colorado in June!

It’s so important to talk about what type of season you want for your elopement and I can help you figure out what time of year is best for the vision you have. Most people assume May is the starting point of summer weather for Colorado but May is probably my least favorite month! It’s very rainy, muddy, and often we don’t see spring until late May so everything might still look dead!

June is the starting month of prime weather for elopements! It’s often very green with fresh foliage and beautiful snowy mountain peaks! Late June through July is my favorite prime summer elopement season.

But honestly Colorado is just so beautiful all year round, you can’t pick a bad time! But I highly recommend hopping on a call and let’s chat about what the best time of year would be for you before you settle on a date because mountain seasons are so different from what you might be used to!

01/22/2024

A secret behind my detail shots 🫶🏼

You’d be surprised at how monotonous all my galleries look before I start editing! 🫢

My goal with every gallery is to find the best parts of the image and save it, which means cropping into the part of the photo you really connect with.

I’ll easily take over a thousand photos in one shoot and dozens of photos might all look close to the exact same! I’ll save a great image from each set PLUS save a few more that look the exact same but crop in tight and edit it more creatively.

This allows me to get all the beautiful details and variety in all my galleries!

Editing is key to achieving some of these tight detail shots and adding the variety to your gallery! In the moment - during the shoot - I’m focused a lot more on my couple and what they’re doing and don’t pay as much attention to specifically thinking of what tight close ups I want to get. So I just get creative with it in post!

So next time you’re editing a gallery, try getting a little more creative with the crop and your edit to see what you come up with:)

On that note: last day in Hawaii! I’m ready to head home to my mountains, but this has been a fun island escape!

01/11/2024

I got a really sweet dm this morning - And it got me thinking 👇🏼

I feel so honored to be able to inspire and I’m so excited about life and what I’m doing in my business! But I don’t want to be a source among your feed that adds to the chaos that feels overwhelming.

I’ve been in seasons of life where I have to take a step back from work and focus on my personal life. And whenever I’d see other photographers out there hustling and being crazy successful I always felt that comparison mindset creeping in and felt like I should be doing more.

In those seasons I desperately tried to force my focus on work so I could keep up with everyone else. With projects, getting content, marketing etc….but I was so unhappy. So when I finally let the comparison go and listen to what I really needed I finally took steps back to focus on all the things in my life that were trying to get my attention.

Now I’m in a season of life where I feel so free to focus on the things I love doing! I love photography so much and being able to put my heart into it gives me a lot of joy and that’s what you’re seeing from me these days!

I’m saying all this because if you’re in a season of life that needs to take a step back, I want to encourage you to do that and not feel like you have to keep up with the people you’re seeing on social media (including myself).

But if you’re in a season of life where you’re excited about your business and want to hustle and get creative, I want to be an inspiration and encouragement for that too!

No matter where you are, listen to yourself and tune out what’s going on around you and embrace the season you’re in. Love yall 🫶🏼

01/02/2024

Hawaii, here I come! 🌸🐬

Heading to the island of Oahu in just 2 weeks! I love my mountain life in Colorado, but something about island life gets me so excited!

I’ve been to Oahu before and have been doing a lot of research on hikes I should do while I’m there, but if anyone has any recommendations let me know!

Would love to hear your thoughts on places to eat, beaches to snorkel, favorite trails etc!

So excited to go back!

👇🏼🌸👇🏼🌸👇🏼

01/01/2024

“What are your thoughts on New Year’s Resolutions??”

🙃

Here’s my take! 👇🏼

I don’t like the idea of waiting for Jan 1 to create a habit or make a healthy change in your life. By doing so, your intentions are in the wrong place and it means the biggest motivation is the calendar. What happens when you try to keep up the healthy habit but then miss a day or two? Most people give up before February because they missed a couple days and now they don’t have a perfect score.

For me, I don’t make resolutions. I think about what I want to practice (“practice” being the key word), what my intentions are (the “why” behind the practice I want to do), and goals for myself. And I don’t wait until Jan 1.

For example: I was noticing that my brain was ping ponging all over the place, I was having a hard time concentrating on work, and I’d get easily distracted.

I’ve always wanted to journal and I’ve started a few times over the years but gave up quickly because I was never motivated and couldn’t stay focused. It was overwhelming trying to get all of my thoughts on paper!

A month ago I decided to start journaling again. This time, my intention isn’t to get all of my thoughts on paper. My intention is to slow my brain down and just practice the art of focus. Doesn’t matter what I’m writing, I just want to write to slow down and start my day more focused.

I also added a second way to start my day more focused so these are the two practices I started for myself 👇🏼

-I am not allowed to look at a phone or screen for at least an hour after I wake up.

-I journal before I start work because this helps me to start the work day focused and to slow down.

I didn’t wait for Jan 1 to make these changes. I paid attention to what I needed and started applying this at a totally random time. This way I completely take the pressure off with the calendar days ticking by.

If I miss a day or two or mess up, it’s okay! I’m not trying to get a perfect score on the calendar, I’m just trying to practice a healthy habit for myself.

Let’s take the pressure off resolutions. What does your mind and body need today? What small thing can you practice that would be a healthy change?

12/27/2023

I spent Christmas alone! 🫢

Am I allowed to say that on social media? 😅 But it’s true! I actually debated on sharing too much about my holiday experience, but it doesn’t hurt to be real on social media!

My family is pretty spread out across the world and it’s hard getting us all together. We did a big family trip to Hawaii in October which kind of replaced our typical holiday get togethers, so this holiday season was very quiet!

I’ve known for months that I’d probably spend the holiday alone so I was really prepared for it and made the most of it and actually created a really nice day for myself! 🍪 ☕️ ❄️ 🐶

Desi and I went on a hike, I baked cookies, watched a Christmas movie, read a lot of books, and wrapped presents (for my small family celebration in a few days!)

Honestly it was a great self care kind of day and made me realize how many people probably spend the holidays alone.

One of my childhood best friends called me on Christmas night and we even talked about how spending Christmas alone is so common for a lot of people. And you don’t fully realize it until you do it yourself. I only saw about a thousand photos across social media of everyone spending time with family and I didn’t see a single post about someone spending Christmas a lone.

So I’m here to break the silence and give anyone out there a little reassurance that if you spent Christmas alone, you’re not alone! 😊 (or maybe I was the only one?😅)

12/20/2023

My new favorite place to shoot in the winter - a frozen Colorado lake! ⛄️

Had such a great surprise when we showed up to this lake and saw that it was frozen solid for the season already!

I’ve shot at this spot in summer several times so getting to experience it in the winter gives us a completely different perspective.

Who wants to get photos on ice skates with me?!

12/03/2023

𝗣𝗥𝗢 𝗧𝗜𝗣 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗮
- 📸

𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 - 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗲!

These sessions are meant to be fun and showing off your relationship! I know it's so hard to come to your first session together without feeling a little awkward and out of your comfort zone. I promise I'll do everything I can to make you feel super comfortable and have fun with the session, BUT there is something you can do!

Coming with the expectation of focusing on each other, interacting with each other, and focusing on the fun playful parts of your relationship can make it so much more genuine.

𝙒𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨:

〽️Pick a location that you both have fond memories or feel connected to.

〽️Plan an activity to do together that you both love. It could be fishing, picnics, a sport like basketball or even something like skateboarding. The whole session doesn't have to be about this activity, but the activity could be a really fun way to bring out really natural and candid photos and break some of the ice that you might feel about being in front of the camera!

〽️Bring a prop - Bringing a film camera and spending some time during the session to play the role as photographer could be a lot more fun to pose for each other than for me. This could bring out some sillier sides as you're focusing on each other and not as much on me. Other props could be your favorite foods to feed to each other, books to lay and read together, or even your pet to play with!

Even without any of these props or activities, a session with just me always feels fun in my opinion! But these could be fun ways to make the sessions unique to you.

And just remember, I'll walk you through the entire session and communicate what I'm looking for so I can use my eye to get really creative shots! I've found that helps make the session a lot easier for all my couples!

So let's GO! Winter is coming so that means we could get out some skis and snowboards and do a little winter themed activity session! 🎿 ❄️

11/30/2023

Saying goodbye to fall and gearing up for winter mountain sessions ❄️

11/22/2023

I almost deleted one of these photos from the gallery🫢

Take a look at the middle photo in the second slide. Now one of my favorite photos, but as I was culling through their gallery, I almost removed the image because it was blurry.

How many photos do you think we discard because it wasn't "perfect"?

Photography can be looked at in a couple different ways. One being technically perfect and correct. Following all the rules precisely with the composition, lighting, editing, cropping etc...and make every photo perfectly correct.

OR

Photography could be looked at as art 🎨 A creative outlet to each individual person. The photos might be blurry, cropped way in way tighter than it "should" be, edited in a way that doesn't look anything like reality, and capturing a moment that wasn't even posed.

I've had two conversations with photographers recently about how it's hard to feel their own creative freedom because they're afraid they won't get booked if they break the rules or they're afraid they'll be judged for coloring outside the lines (so to speak). I actually felt this too even after being a photographer for several years.

When I was just learning photography, I think I needed that guidance - a place to start and learn about how the camera works, what all the settings do, proper composition, lighting, cropping, etc.. But as I've gotten experience and feel comfortable with all the basics, I feel the freedom to explore what it looks like to break those rules little by little and start coloring outside the lines.

Everyone is different with this journey. Some of you might've thrown out the rule book from day one! But some of you are struggling to use it creatively because it comes with fear of being judged or not booking clients.

For me, photography is 100% an art form. Completely outside of any rules we're supposed to follow. It's my own creative outlet that comes with challenges and pure excitement!

My encouragement is to play with your style. Do a few shoots just for fun to let the creative side out with no rules! Don't throw away photos you normally would, instead look at them and see if there's any part of the image you want to save.

Love y’all! 😘

11/09/2023

Haley’s dress taught me something! 🤩

Ladies! If you’re wanting a dress that flows with dramatic effect in the wind then find a dress with a slit down the middle!

Haley’s dress actually opened in the middle which allowed the wind to completely carry it in the most beautiful way while we were taking photos! I’m a big fan of feeling that movement and bringing an image to life, so when you find a flowy gown that can add that movement, it makes a world of difference.

Also, just because you’re eloping does not mean you can’t have a beautiful gown! Trust me, there’s so many ways we can make it work with a big gown as long as you’re okay with getting it a little dirty😉 You can hike in it or wear your hiking clothes and we can carry it to our final destination!

10/30/2023

Winter is coming which means… 🏜️

We’re hitting the perfect time of year to head to the desert!

If you want to avoid snow for your elopement or engagements but want to do it soon, you don’t have to wait until spring! The desert is such a magical place for it and usually a place to be avoided during the summer because of the extreme heat.

Here’s some of my favorite desert locations 👇🏼
- Sedona
- Horseshoe Bend
- Zion NP
- Joshua Tree
- Valley of Fire
- *secret* Hot springs in Utah 🤫
- Moab

Just to name a few! I’ll be heading to the desert for a few shoots this winter so hit me up if you’re thinking about adventuring out west!

10/12/2023

“What’s one way you use social media for your mental health?”

October 10th was mental health awareness day! I’m a little late but wanted to contribute 👇🏼

Comparison snuck up on me about 5 years ago and I realized it was stemming from an ever-growing list of people I followed. It's so easy to hit the 'follow' button when you find stunning work. But, here's the thing – social media makes it so effortless to dive into thousands of people's lives.

With each follow, my feed was flooded with posts of people achieving amazing things and setting off on new journeys. It was inspiring for a little while, but wore me down. I started to feel like I was never doing enough and that I could never take a break. It was nobody's fault – not theirs, not mine. I eventually realized the intense pressure I was putting on myself was largely fueled by the hustle I saw everywhere.

So, I decided to focus on myself and I remember receiving some advice: unfollow anyone you don't know. It's not about cutting people out, but giving yourself a break. And you know what? It was one of the best things I did for myself. By unfollowing people I didn't have a personal connection with (by by 🥲) I saw less of what didn't resonate with me and more from people I want to keep up with. This isn't a knock on social media; it's a reminder that it's so easy to get caught up in the comparison. If you ever find yourself feeling burdened while scrolling, it might be time to start unfollowing. Remember, it's not their fault – it's a natural reaction we all feel. Sometimes, we all need a breather.

One of my favorites is .holistic.psychologist. She radiates positivity and offers insights on personal growth. I also follow doctors, health professionals, and pages that dive deep into thought-provoking topics. Now, instead of comparing myself to others, these accounts inspire me to be a better version of myself. Surround yourself with inspiration, but also prioritize your peace of mind. Embrace your unique journey and remember that your path is unlike anyone else's. Social media is a magnificent tool for growth and connection – just make sure it's growing you in the right direction🫶🏼