Family Photos in one of Arizona’s most Iconic Landscapes

I was thrilled when Melissa contacted me asking for family photos near the Superstition Mountains. We both knew the perfect location, Lost Dutchman State Park! We had such gorgeous scenery to work with during her family’s shoot here.

Lost Dutchman State Park

It’s truly the perfect spot for those looking for the iconic desert landscape Arizona is known for. Named after the fabled lost gold mine, this state park is located in the Sonoran Desert, at the base of the Superstition Mountains, only 40 miles east of Phoenix in Apache Junction. It’s a stunning (and in my opinion, underrated) addition to the lively Sonoran desert.

Check out all of the incredible state parks Arizona has to offer here.

We were originally supposed to start early at 8 am. But since it was pouring rain in the morning, we opted to meet up at 1 pm instead. Thank goodness the rain stopped by early afternoon! With her family visiting from out of town, we couldn’t have rescheduled.

When all of us arrived on site, we were pleased to see that the rain stopped. But the clouds stayed around lingering in the mountains, which turned out to be a wonderfully unique addition to these photos! It’s rare to have rainy days like this in December in Arizona.

We had a lot of fun starting out with some group shots of everyone, which included her immediate family along with her & her sister’s sweethearts! The mountain showcased at this state park makes for such a fantastic background, especially for large group shots.

After the group photos, we moved on to more focused moments – including some of Melissa & her sisters, and some of the couples in the group. Because it was cloudy and slightly clod day, we used some blankets to add warmth and intimacy. I love how they added some additional textures & patterns to the scene!

Overall, Melissa and her family were great to work with. It was a fantastic hour of shooting in one of Arizona’s most iconic landscapes!