based in oaxaca, mexico
photo · video · drone · film
no date yet? that's normal
You chose Oaxaca for its magic, its cuisine, its climate, and because it's far from ordinary. Some of your guests may be meeting each other for the first time here. You want every one of them to feel welcome, at home.
This was my experience too. Below I will show you what this means for how I help you.
My wife and I got married at Carmen Alto, here in her hometown, with only our closest friends and family. The Mass was in Spanish, and my family simply went with the flow. Between the food, the slower pace, the hospitality, the weather, and the beautiful old buildings, they got to know a very different Oaxaca from the one in the news. They felt welcome and safe, and they didn't want to leave.
I've lived in Oaxaca since 2007, photographed weddings here since 2008, and raised three kids who were born here. I speak English and Spanish, and I'll make sure everyone feels at ease in front of the camera.
“Douglas was an incredible photographer to work with for our wedding.
We are a Mexican American couple (my family is English-speaking and my husband's is Spanish), so it was wonderful that Douglas was able to communicate with all of our family and friends in both English and Spanish.
The photos from the wedding are PHENOMENAL. We keep receiving comments about how beautiful they are.”
Films and books that have shaped me since I was a child taught me that when a whole life can hinge on a moment, the ordinary can become extraordinary. I find the experience of walking around Oaxaca like that of walking around Paris, and the writers and artists of Paris in the 1920s and '30s would feel at home among the artists of Oaxaca today.
As an American who moved to Oaxaca in my 20s, I keep that sense of wonder and becoming alive in my approach to my couples' experience here.
More about my approach to your day
You want to see great candids, unadorned and natural, but you also want to see magazine-worthy portraits and eye-popping works of art that show the atmosphere, the mood, the world of your day.
You want to see yourselves as you are, naturally, but also as you felt on that day—like you were floating on air in an alternate universe where your happiness reached another plane.
You want to be wowed: “Wait, we were there, in that incredible place? That's us?!”
That's why my approach blends the cinematic, the editorial, and the documentary. It has to, to meet the moment of what this day means to you.
What each one means
“I have to express my thanks for the work you provided us with, because it demonstrates such a high level of quality and professionalism in the uniqueness of the photography, but above all for making us feel at ease, in front of your camera with your charisma and unpretentiousness we could share the magic, chemistry and happiness of our love.
You became part of the atmosphere that enveloped us. How could someone like me, so uncomfortable in front of the camera, feel such trust with someone I've just met as if you were a life-long friend?”
“It was a very complicated event, with the open-air ceremony, the calenda, and the reception, but we think you captured it all in an excellent way.
We've shown the album to our friends with great response. Everyone's admired it.”
as seen in
Finding someone who knows Oaxaca.
I've lived here since 2007 and photographed weddings here since 2008. I know what a calenda, a Mass, or a family custom means, and your photos will reflect this.
Talking with both families.
I can easily converse with both families in either English or Spanish.
Hiring multiple vendors for photo and video.
Photo, video, drone, and film, all by me. For a larger wedding, I bring a small team I direct, so it all has the same look.
No false posing.
Your pictures will look like you, naturally.
Most weddings need a photographer, a videographer, a drone operator, and, if you wantfilm, someone else again. I do all four myself. For an elopement or a small wedding, it's just me, all day. For a larger celebration, I bring in a small team that I direct, so the photos, video, and drone footage all have the same look. I dedicate myself to only one wedding per day to give you my all. By booking photo, video, drone, and film with me, expect to save at least 15% off your total investment.
Packages & PricingMaya & Chris
view wedding1.
A free call to get to know each other and what you have in mind.
2.
A signed contract and 35%, which also locks in your price.
3.
I know Oaxaca well and can suggest places and help scout them, here or wherever you're going.
4.
I guide you when it helps and stay out of the way when it doesn't.
5.
A curated collection and short film, editorial and cinematic, and a sneak peek within 2 days.
Based in Oaxaca. Elopements worldwide.
Photo and film, all by me. Elope among agave, at Hierve el Agua, or somewhere few people have heard of. See elopements, from $6,000.
I can put your photos on a map, in the order they were taken, so you can follow your day from place to place. Here is Xime and Luis's wedding, from their hotels to the Jardín, Santo Domingo, the calenda, and La Fábrica.
See their day on the mapTake your time. Come back and visit. Look through the galleries, the elopements, and the vintage film options. Download the free elopement guide below. When you're ready, write to me.
a free guide
Send me your date, or just the month you have in mind, and where you're thinking of getting married. You'll get a personal reply from me within two business days.
Check your date