5 Places to Take Photos During Your Amangiri Stay | Amangiri Photographer Tai Lee Photography
Amangiri Resort Photography Inspiration, and Ideas
Utah Elopement and Fine Art Wedding Photographer | Tai Lee Photography
LUXURY WEDDING PLANNING AT AMANGIRI RESORT IN THE UTAH DESERT
The Amangiri Resort is one of the most magical places in the wild west, located near the Utah Arizona border. The design has integrated modern, minimal architecture that is complementary to the natural surroundings of the desert landscape of red rocks, mesas, slot canyons, and sand and because of this, there are endless photography locations both at the site of the luxury resort and in the nearby surroundings. It’s remote, secluded, and they have beautifully integrated the culture of the Navajo Nation into their experiences that they offer. I’ve got SO much respect for our Native American family and am so glad that we are able to pay them for the cultural experiences that they have preserved for generations, despite all that they’ve been through.
The Aman resort puts so much effort into creating a beautiful experience for their guests and it is a high priority that they honor the privacy of their guests. To honor and be respectful of the privacy of other guests, it tends to work best to shoot in the early morning around 6 or 7 to allow you to photograph in the areas you would like.
SO, without further adieu, I’ve made a list of 5 must-have photos that you should definitely take while staying at the resort as well as a couple bonus locations nearby, whether you want to take them on your cell phone, or you’ve hired a photographer to take engagement or wedding photos for you. If you choose to hire and Amangiri photographer, I would actually recommend doing a two day photo session with them so you are able to really utilize the experience and get a variety of photos both at the resort, as well as at some of the surrounding areas outdoors (see bonus locations at bottom of blog post).
Click HERE to view Amangiri Engagement Photo Session
1 | The Spa
The spa at Amangiri is a beautiful blend of concrete walls, modern architecture, and water, creating a peaceful atmosphere with soft, neutral colors. This area allows for lots of unique photography ideas to come to life. In this area you can dress up in engagement photos outfits, or your wedding attire and visit the step pool, or even get in your swimwear and start your day out or end the photoshoot with a dip in the water with the rock backdrop. This area has lots of clean lines which allow for cool photography compositions, framing, and shooting from unique angles to create modern, artistic photographs. Near the spa there is a small breezeway that creates a really cool frame to take photos in as well and can have some interesting light to work with. See photo below.
2 | The Pool
This is an area that there are typically a lot of guests and the resorts privacy policy really needs to be respected. But if you can get here early and shoot in certain directions, you can maintain privacy of guests and get stunning photos. The pool at Amangiri is INCREDIBLE and was built around the natural rocks, making your swimming experience feel one with nature. A gorgeous photo to take here is of you as a couple walking along the outer ridge of the pool with the soft red rock in the background. You could also shoot on one of the cabanas for some snuggly poolside photos.
3 | The Algae Wall
As you walk to the algae wall, you will hear the trickle of water in the hallways, which, again, just contributes to such a peaceful and therapeutic environment. I can’t think of a better way to experience having your engagement or wedding photos taken. The algae wall has water that gently runs down it allowing the algae to grow naturally along the concrete. If you didn’t know it was algae, you might think it was a moss wall because of it’s colors and they way it naturally grows. I’m in LOVE with the green, brown, and earthy colors of this area. There is another small breezeway in this area as well that is a popular location to take photos.
4 | Mesa Breezeway
The resort has two of these, and they do not allow photographing couples in the main area near the entrance, again, to respect privacy of guests coming and going. The other location has the same look, accompanied by stunning light, and a vast, open view of the desert. The overhead cabana filters the sunshine and you get this really cool lighting effect because of it, and just fyi, it makes for some KILLER black and white film photos. Or even just black and white photos in general. This is another area that has a lot of clean modern architecture that allows you to use leading lines, and framing in your photography compositions.
5 | In Your Room
This Aman experience may be a once in a lifetime thing for you, and they have designed their rooms to be spacious with natural materials with breathtaking views of dunes, plateaus, and mesas. This location would be a PERFECT way to begin or end an engagement photo session or a wedding day. Taking photos in your room with really help capture some of the intimacy of the whole experience and connection with your partner and mother nature. Spend time around the fire pit, getting ready together in the bathroom, showering or bathing together, or snuggling in bed.
To see a sample of what this can look like, click HERE to view an indoor film photography engagement session that started out snuggling in the sheets, and ended with a dip in the tub.
6 | BONUS
It wouldn’t be a locations blog post from me without a couple bonus places to take photos. Here are a few of my favorite outdoor locations in this Southern Utah area that are on Amangiri property and also nearby.
Slot Canyons
The Amangiri property has some white slot canyons that are near the entrance to the property. This are is a MUST for some photos. These slot canyons are of white rock, so you get that cool swirl created by water over millions of years, and keep the colors soft and neutral. There are also large cliffs that make such a cool backdrop.
Navajo Nation
Now if you are wanting the red, rust-colored slot canyons, this is where you want to go. You do need to hire a guide to go here, but I would 10/10 recommend this location and the experience of them playing the flute while the sounds reverberate through the canyon on the sacred rocks of Mother Earth. One thing to keep in mind when touring slot canyons is SAFETY. Flash floods can happen in these areas so please discuss with your guide and use caution.
Horseshoe Bend
This epic landscape is popular for a reason, and is only 30 minutes away from the Amangiri resort. An early morning sunrise photo session here would be epic, and something you’d never forget.
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Tai is a wedding and elopement photographer based in Northern Utah, that travels within the US to artistically document families, weddings, and elopements. She mixes digital and film photography and takes a documentary, storytelling approach to her session.
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