RIO RICO, ARIZONA – Last month, when Kathryn and Rich contacted me about photographing their nuptials, I was more than happy to oblige. Over the past few decades, I had the privilege of traveling to photograph weddings in some unique places, but I never dreamed one day that would include a journey back in time – to the old west.
I agreed to meet up with the Bride and Groom, at the Esplendor in Rio Rico. The ceremony site was still undetermined. Therefore, I arrived early to survey the grounds for an area that offered the best combination of lighting and backdrop. A short time later, a hotel employee came over and suggested we use the old ghost town replica, hidden at the bottom of the hill. Alright! We didn’t know a ghost town existed within our reach, but then apparitions rarely appear in plain sight. So, we went down to take a look and it was darn near perfect! (Using a little old west grammar, trying to, at least.)
Digital photography seems so fast-paced and modern day! For an old-southwest second, I thought about making the experience more complete by renting an old Daguerreotype camera. However, since that would require very lengthy exposures and fitting my subjects with neck braces, we reckoned we would pass on that idea.
Don’t they look terrific! For a brief moment, while I was taking their photos, I had this urge to pinch them. I thought I should make sure that they are in fact actual living beings, not ghost riders from the past, for they truly made me feel like I was back in the very early twentieth century.
Thank you, Kathryn and Rich! It was an honor, a privilege and a hell of a lot of fun!
This is an old post, but I still love it. So I thought I would keep it around. It’s an easy read and has relevance for those intrigued by the idea of having an old west wedding in the new west era. 1/28/22
