Hello! I'm Carla, owner and operator of Carmichael Studios. I have always been earthy, natural and WILD. Carmichael Studios was born from my core values of love, authenticity, freedom and adventure.
I met my partner in life and in business about 18 years ago, and our first date consisted of taking pictures together! I do believe in love at first sight, for me it happened while looking through the camera lens.
I believe that I can really see couples (and their love story) through my lens. I started out in life with a master's degree in mental health counseling and worked as a therapist for many years. I used photography in my practice to help clients work through deeper issues such as eating disorders, body dysmorphia and to increase self esteem.
Since I was about 5 years old I would beg my parents to drive me to the beach to watch the sunset. My dad let me use his camera to capture these experiences on film and this progressed to chasing sunsets and sunrises everywhere I have had the pleasure to go. My current local favorite is Camelback Mountain during monsoon season. My work brings me joy and I feel at my very best in nature's glory.
Mother Earth is my healer. She is what grounds me and who I turn to for balance, peace and mindfulness. Photographing people in nature was a logical progression in my journey. I believe that saying "I do" in nature's cathedral is the perfect way to begin your adventure together as a married couple!
Together we are Carla and Michael.
Carla + Michael = Carmichael.
Michael is my soulmate, the love of my life. Together we are adventurers, travelers and a nature-inspired wedding, elopement and destination wedding photography & video team. We’ve always loved the wild outdoors and vibe with couples who want to experience the most sacred day of their lives in the most beautiful of places. Since before we got married (15 years ago) we started camping all around the country because we love to travel, and being in the wilderness is where we feel most alive. We got married in Arizona beside a river, underneath a natural arch of trees with mountains and evergreens standing watch. We just adore photographing weddings in natures setting, as it provides a perfect cathedral for the wild at heart. With our love for photography combined with the desire to spend more time in epic locations, we built our wedding and elopement photography business around making both happen. Since then, we’ve found that capturing adventurous love stories in nature's cathedral is our sweet spot.
We want your wedding day to be your biggest adventure!
We are based out of Scottsdale, and are ready to travel out of state or internationally to capture your wedding or elopement. Some of our favorite destinations have been Hawaii, Big Sur, Cabo San Lucas, Oregon, Colorado, New Hampshire (White Mountains) and Scotland! If you are planning a wedding or elopement that is on our bucket list, we are likely to work out a deal to make it happen! In most cases our services (both photo and video including drone footage) can be covered by the cost of travel to these spots. On our list currently are Isle of Skye, Yosemite, Banff, most of the National Parks, Norway, Oahu, Italy, Greece, and Iceland + any epic location we have never shot. We would love to talk with you about your vision for your wedding day.
Contact us here, or call/text at (602) 829-9803.