This is the first in a series of “Tucson Wedding Photographer Has Camera Will Travel” articles I plan to post to my blog pages in the months to come.
I never shy away from couples who inquire about photographing their wedding in far away places, quite the contrary. With much of Arizona still wide-open frontier, one of the reasons I came here in 2004 is the endless opportunity it offers for outdoor adventure. When Rachel contacted and, subsequently, hired me to photograph her wedding at the Sunglow Ranch in Pearce, Arizona, last October, I could not have been more delighted. For me, it carried the added bonus of being able to see and explore more of the countryside.
From my home-office location in Tucson, Pearce appears closer than Phoenix on the map, but it nearly takes twice as long to get there. The closer I got to Pearce, the narrower the roads became and the slower the going. If you are not familiar with the area, as I was not, you can pass the town center and never realize it, which, apparently, is what happened to me. Perhaps I blinked at the wrong time.
From Pearce, the drive continues down byway 191 to 181. Eventually you must get off the narrow pavement and follow a dusty dirt road, known as Turkey Creek, for another six miles to Sunglow Ranch. The Sunglow Ranch dates back to the time of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday. (Locals, at the bed and breakfast, where I stayed, claim Wyatt Earp once vacationed here.) I do not know what the ranch looked like in those days, but given the in-ground swimming pool, air conditioning, electricity and other modern amenities it now has, I would venture to say it probably looks a whole lot different now. However, if you want to get away to the boonies, you have definitely arrived. There is no television or cable service. Currently, the only cell phone service available for miles around is Verizon, which means no emails or texting for most people.
Alternate Kisses
Rachel and Robert searched high and low for their perfect bucolic ranch getaway and had a lot of fun in the process. They told me, Sunglow Ranch offered everything they wanted their wedding experience to be, for them and their guests. I am grateful, for being able to experience it with them. I wish them the very best that love has to offer as they go on to celebrate their lives together as one.
Check out my first YouTube video, so far. It all about weddings. You will love it!
