Tex Kelly Productions
Editorial photography portfolio image from Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona

Photographer · Sedona, Arizona

Photographer in Sedona, Arizona.

Editorial, commercial, and lifestyle photography. Award-winning, FAA Part 107 aerial-capable.

Tex Kelly, photography for Sedona, Arizona

Hi. I'm Tex.

Welcome to editorial photography, Sedona edition.

I'm a North Coast filmmaker and photographer, voted Humboldt County's Best. Editorial, commercial, and brand photography in Sedona runs across portrait sessions, hospitality and restaurant brand work, real estate listings, and the kind of long-form editorial that turns a small business into a recognizable local brand.

My job is to put you, your team, or your space in front of the most cinematic light Sedona and the surrounding Yavapai County have to offer, and to do it in a way that doesn't feel staged. No corporate-stock smiles. No templated compositions. Just real, intentional, editorial photography that reads as a brand asset, not a stock photo.

Now booking Sedona photography sessions and brand campaigns.

Photography in Sedona, Arizona. Tex Kelly Productions

A note from Sedona

Editorial, commercial, and destination photography in Sedona, Arizona, world-class red rock backdrops including Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, and Oak Creek Canyon. Shot by a Prescott Valley native who knows Sedona's light, permit process, and best-kept vortex locations. FAA Part 107 aerial integration available.

The Approach

Photography in Sedona. Made for this place.

The Sedona location

Sedona backdrops, picked on purpose.

Sedona is one of the most photographed places on earth, and that's both an opportunity and a challenge. The opportunity: there's nowhere else like it for destination editorial, brand, and portrait work. The challenge: the most-photographed spots (Cathedral Rock parking, Bell Rock pullout) are crowded, permit-restricted, and overshot. Sedona photography work needs a guide who knows the hidden compositions, the Oak Creek bend that opens up the red rock without the crowds, the Boynton Canyon angle no one else shoots, the golden-hour Cathedral Rock view from the back side.

Photography, Sedona, Arizona
Editorial portrait, Yavapai County.
Photography, Sedona, Arizona
On location, editorial direction.

The Sedona session

No templated compositions. Real editorial direction.

Most Sedona photography is destination work, couples flying in for editorial portraits, brands shooting tourism campaigns, families documenting Sedona vacations. Permits required for most City of Sedona public venues + Red Rock State Park + Coconino National Forest commercial photography. We handle the permit pull as part of the booking workflow.

The Yavapai County scouting advantage

Sedona, Scouted for years.

Knowing Sedona matters. Regular travel into Yavapai County for photography sessions over the years means the scouting is already done, the right light, the right hour, the venues that photograph well. Not a resident, but the regional knowledge is built and ready before the session.

Photography, Sedona, Arizona
Hometown editorial, Yavapai County.

Now booking, Sedona

Now booking Sedona photography for the year ahead.

Sedona sessions and brand campaigns book on a rolling calendar, weekday brand work fills first, weekend portrait dates fill around it. Send a note with your timeline and we'll find the right window.

Recent Work

Photographer in Sedona. A look at the work.

More from the studio

Beyond the still frame. Selected wedding films.

Photography here lives alongside a full cinematic wedding practice. Here's the moving-picture side, feature-length wedding documentaries and editorial wedding films. Click any thumbnail to play in place.

  • David & Monica's Wedding Documentary, 35 Years Before They Met, His Dad Saved Her Dad's Life

    Feature-length wedding documentary

  • Brunton Wedding Film

    Northern California wedding cinematography

  • Shane & Sofia Weekly. A 45-Minute Wedding Documentary

    Northern California long-form wedding film

  • Mrs. & Mrs. McClurg

    Cinematic wedding film

  • An Emotional, Romantic & Cinematic Wedding Film. Trinidad Elopement

    Trinidad, California elopement

DaVinci Resolve wedding-film edit in progress. Tex Kelly Productions editing suite

The Editing Process

Months in the edit suite, curating the story.

A wedding film isn't shot in a day, it's made over months. Hours of raw cinema footage, multi-camera audio, drone aerial, and second-shooter coverage get assembled, color-graded, and scored frame by frame in the edit suite.

Every transition is intentional. Every cut earns its keep. The goal is a film couples actually want to re-watch, not a montage of clips. That kind of editorial discipline is the difference between a wedding film and a wedding highlight reel, and it's why these turnarounds run weeks instead of days.

Venues + Locations

Where I shoot photography in Sedona.

  • Cathedral Rock

    Sedona's most iconic backdrop. Permit + sunset timing for the cleanest compositions.

  • Oak Creek Canyon

    Riparian red rock combo. Less crowded than Cathedral; offers water + cliff in the same frame.

  • Tlaquepaque Arts Village

    Spanish-colonial-style village. Indoor + outdoor permit-friendly editorial backdrop.

What's Included

What's included with photography in Sedona.

  • Award-Winning Photography

    Medium-format-quality stills with the dynamic range to handle harsh sun, golden hour, and overcast equally well, print-grade detail at billboard scale.

  • Drone Aerial (when relevant)

    FAA Part 107 commercial drone work integrated when the project calls for elevation, coastal, redwood, and architectural scale shots.

  • Print-quality Files

    Full-resolution edited JPEGs and TIFFs, ready for billboard-scale printing or web-optimized for digital deployment.

  • Private Online Gallery

    Password-protected gallery for clients and approved guests, easy downloads, easy sharing, no third-party watermarks.

  • Licensing as Needed

    Commercial and editorial usage rights negotiated at proposal stage, broadcast, print, and digital licensing terms made clear up front.

How It Works

How it works in Sedona.

  1. 01

    Consultation

    We talk on the phone or meet at the Eureka studio. I learn what you need photographed, when, and what the deliverables look like.

  2. 02

    Proposal & Booking

    Within 24 hours of our call, I send a written proposal with scope, timeline, and pricing. Signed agreement and deposit reserves the date.

  3. 03

    Pre-shoot Planning

    Location scouting, shot list refinement, and any logistics coordination, venue permits, model releases, scheduling.

  4. 04

    The Shoot

    Day-of execution. professional camera setup, drone where called for, ambient and supplemental lighting as the project requires.

  5. 05

    Edit & Delivery

    2–3 weeks for portrait/editorial, 6–8 weeks for full wedding galleries. Rush delivery available on request for press deadlines.

Investment

Photography pricing is project-specific. Send a note describing what you need. Tex replies within 24 hours with a tailored proposal.

Photographer in Sedona. FAQs

Frequently asked questions.

  • Do I need a permit for Sedona photography?
    For commercial photography in most City of Sedona public spaces, Red Rock State Park, and Coconino National Forest land, yes, a permit is required. The City of Sedona Special Events Permit process is straightforward but takes 14-30 days lead time. We handle the permit pull as part of the booking; private property (resorts, vacation rentals, etc.) generally doesn't require a city permit.
  • When's the best time of day to shoot Sedona?
    Golden hour (45 min before sunset) lights the red rocks like nothing else. Sunrise is also stunning and far less crowded. Midday is brutal, high contrast, blown-out red rock, harsh shadows. We plan every Sedona shoot around the golden-hour window and arrive 60-90 min early for setup + crowd control.
  • What kind of photography do you do?
    Editorial, commercial, lifestyle, and event photography, wedding photography, senior portraits, surprise proposals, brand and product shoots, real estate, and editorial features. The same professional camera setup and the same eye across every category, delivered across both California and Northern Arizona service areas.
  • What's the difference between hiring a photographer for weddings vs. portraits vs. commercial work?
    The skills overlap, but the deliverables and process are different. Weddings are full-day, time-sensitive, and emotionally driven. Portraits are 1–2 hour location-driven sessions. Commercial work involves art direction, brand alignment, and licensing. Tex Kelly Productions handles all three with the same standard.
  • Do you do photo + video together?
    Yes. Most weddings, brand campaigns, and event work include both, full photo and film coverage delivered together so you don't compromise on either side. Solo coverage is also available, just plan accordingly.
  • How fast do I get the photos?
    Standard turnaround is 2–3 weeks for portrait and editorial sessions, 6–8 weeks for full wedding galleries. Rush turnaround is available for press, deadlines, and yearbook submissions, let Tex know your deadline up front.
  • What about prints and licensing?
    All clients get full-resolution print files included in their package. Commercial and editorial clients can negotiate licensing terms (web-only, print, broadcast, etc.) at the proposal stage. Print orders directly through Tex are also available.

Inquire

Photographer in Sedona. Tell me about your photography needs.

Every inquiry gets a personal reply within 24 hours.