Adventure Elopement & Wedding Photo + Film Storytellers

Cinematic, intentional wedding experiences for couples who crave connection, beauty, and unforgettable moments across New Mexico, Arizona, Utah & Colorado.

Out of this world

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Weddings & Elopements

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Photography & Film

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Out of this world ✷ Weddings & Elopements ✷ Photography & Film ✷

For Couples Who Crave Something Different

  • Less production, more presence

  • A wedding day that actually feels like you

  • Real moments over stiff posing

  • Meaningful experiences over expectations

  • Wild places, beautiful stories, unforgettable memories

  • Cinematic photo + film coverage without a giant production crew

You might be eloping. You might be planning an intimate Wedding. Either way -you’re building a day around the authentic experience & human connection, not the timeline & templated tradition.

Let's talk elopement
Close-up of a red sandstone formation with layered textures and cracks.
Explore Weddings

Epic Love Stories

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Told in the Wild

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Epic Love Stories ✷ Told in the Wild ✷

every wedding story deserves more than just documentation—it deserves 1-of-1 art.

Explore Packages
A couple exchanging wedding vows on a desert at sunset, surrounded by candles and floral arrangements, with two people adjusting decorations nearby.
A vintage-style sign with the word 'WEDDINGS' in yellow text on a blue background, bordered in yellow, with decorative starbursts.
A bride and groom holding hands during their wedding ceremony on a rocky cliff, with a river and canyon in the background at sunset.
A diamond-shaped red and yellow sign with the word 'ELOPEMENTS' and two yellow starbursts, one above and one below the text.
Desert landscape with various cacti, including tall saguaro and smaller desert plants, under a clear sky.
A couple in wedding attire, standing hand in hand outdoors during sunset, with a scenic landscape in the background.
A sign with a yellow border on a black background, orange diamond shape in the center, with the words 'The Shop' written in yellow, and two yellow starburst designs above and below the text.
A yellow diamond-shaped road sign with the text 'Caution Falling in Love'

Featured on

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Featured on ✷

Three vintage-style photographs in a vertical strip. The first photo shows a woman in a bohemian dress riding a horse in a desert landscape with rock formations in the background. The second features a couple, the woman in a white dress holding a bouquet and the man in a suit and hat, standing closely together in a desert setting. The third depicts two women, one sitting on the back of an off-white vintage truck and one standing on the truck's tailgate, both wearing hats and casual clothing, with a desert and rock formations behind them.
A desert scene with a wrapped couple sitting on cushions and a low table, surrounded by candles and rustic decorations, with an ATV parked on sand dunes in the background.

New Mexico Weddings Aren’t Ordinary. Neither Are We.

For over a decade, we’ve photographed and filmed weddings and elopements at some of New Mexico’s most iconic venues—where architecture, culture, and landscape come together in unforgettable ways.

From intimate elopements to full celebrations, we focus on capturing the light, mood, and story that make each place feel like its own universe.

Explore New Mexico

Our Locations

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In The American Southwest

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Our Locations ✷ In The American Southwest ✷

A cartoon map showing parts of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico with rivers and orange dots indicating locations.
A couple standing on a rocky ledge inside a large natural rock formation, holding hands and posing for a photo.
A black helicopter flying in the night sky with stars visible in the background.
A bride and groom stand on rocks by a mountain lake, with snow-capped mountains in the background.
Map of Colorado with rivers and points marked, with the word 'COLORADO' prominently displayed.
Map of Arizona highlighting major cities and highways.
A cartoon map of New Mexico with orange background, blue rivers, and brown border. The text 'NEW MEXICO' is written in dark brown in the center.
Illustration of the state of Utah with rivers, roads, and lakes marked, and the word 'UTAH' in the center.
Two women are sitting on a rocky cliff overlooking a horseshoe-shaped river in a desert canyon landscape, with one wearing a white hat and white dress and the other wearing a black jacket.
Explore Destinations
Six black trees against a black background with yellowish lighting
Close-up of a black and yellow bee on a white flower
Close-up of a green leaf with water droplets
A man on horseback wearing a brown suit, and a woman on horseback in a floral dress with a large floral bouquet, in a desert landscape with a large rock formation in the background.

Meet the Freeks

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Meet the Freeks

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Meet the Freeks ✷ Meet the Freeks ✷

Welcome to Shutterfreek

We’re Paul & Katie McPherson—married best friends, shooting 17+ years, and the duo behind Shutterfreek. Since 2009, we’ve built our work around intentional storytelling that honors love, connection, and the adventure of marriage.

Based in the heart of the Four Corners and surrounded by some of the most breathtaking locations and venues on earth, we travel wherever the story leads and pour everything we have into every frame.

We love the Southwest. We love to discover it, shoot it, and share it. Few other places on earth combine its qualities of ruggedness, beauty and soulfulness.

More about us
Two hikers, a woman and a man, stand in a desert landscape with large red rock formations and natural arches. The woman is waving and smiling, wearing a hat, jacket, and hiking boots. The man is pointing with one hand, wearing a hat, outdoor gear, and carrying a camera.
A smiling couple standing outdoors with hills and vegetation in the background. The woman is wearing a white dress, and the man is wearing a patterned shirt and a wide-brimmed hat.

LOVELY WORDS

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LOVELY WORDS ✷

  • A newlywed couple in wedding attire sharing a kiss in a boat on a calm lake, with forested mountains and mist in the background.

  • A bride and groom kissing outdoors, with mountains and a lake in the background, during their wedding day.

  • “Katie and Paul brought such a calming presence that we felt at complete peace even when things didn’t go as planned. They made it even better than the original plan! They were way more than just photographers, they were my counselor and now forever friends!”

    ✷ Sydney

  • Bride and groom holding hands during their outdoor wedding ceremony, officiant in the background, surrounded by trees and logs, in a natural setting.

  • Person lying on a patterned blanket outdoors on grass, with a drink in hand and surrounded by flowers, near a fallen tree with a moon-shaped light ring around the scene.

  • “I am OBSESSED. You guys are amazing artists. Each photo tells a story and you captured both candid, raw moments and pictures that we will be able to use to show our grandkids and great grandkids. INCREDIBLE. Truly. You have no idea how much these photos mean to us.”

    ✷ Reagan

  • A bride and groom sharing a kiss on a rocky outcrop overlooking a canyon with rugged terrain and a river below, during sunset.

  • A person in a patterned dress standing on the edge of a rocky cliff at the Grand Canyon during sunset or sunrise.

  • “My husband and I had our adventure elopement with Paul and Katie in Moab at Dead Horse Point State Park! They were absolutely amazing to work with! From helping with vendor recommendations, to getting the coolest shots, and just generally having fun with us throughout the day, I can’t recommend them enough!!! ”

    ✷ Kate

  • A couple sits on a vintage armchair in a desert landscape, sharing a kiss.

  • A bride and groom sharing a kiss in front of a reddish rock formation during their wedding or engagement photo shoot.

  • “Paul & Katie at Shutterfreek are truly the greatest and their work is unmatched. Their gift for capturing our memories exactly as we experienced them was something we never could have imagined. We couldn't have asked for anything more and can't wait to work with them again.”

    ✷ Devin

  • A couple dancing in a grassy field with a mountain range in the background, dressed in wedding attire during sunset.

  • A bride and groom walking down the aisle outdoors, surrounded by celebrating wedding guests and falling confetti, in a forest setting.

  • “UN-REAL. Paul and Katie at Shutterfreek are gifted storytellers and exceptional artists. They came highly recommended, and they did not disappoint... Quite the opposite: they blew us away!! They are both professional, incredibly fun, and they went above and beyond to capture the excitement and love throughout our entire wedding weekend.”

    ✷ Madeleine

Ditch the cliche.
Add some adventure.

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Get in touch

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Get in touch ✷

We can’t wait to hear your story

Complete this form to get started 👇

  • Wedding Wire
  • Two vintage-style suitcases covered in travel stickers, one black and one brown, with a handle on top.
  • Envelope with a red heart seal and string bow
  • A cow skull with long, curved horns.
  • A cowboy boot with brown leather and decorative stitching.
  • A vintage Miranda camera with a black and silver body, featuring a lens and viewfinder.
  • Starfish-shaped cookie with intricate brown and beige patterns, partially visible.
A red dirt road winding through colorful, layered rock formations in a desert landscape with sparse vegetation.
A white envelope decorated with a red, heart-shaped seal and a thin string crossing over it in an X shape.

Free Guide

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Free Guide ✷

Bride and groom holding hands on a rocky ledge overlooking a river canyon at sunset.
Desert landscape with various cacti including saguaro and cholla, and dry desert plants.

Your Love Story Starts With a Plan

Grab our free 30-page Wedding & Elopement Guide packed with inspiration, tips, FAQs and full galleries that will get you dreaming big and feeling more excited than ever.

On the blog

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On the blog ✷

Our Fav Adventures & Best Tips

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