Have you ever moved across the country? No? Neither had I until now… and let me tell you, we're officially back in Colorado! I'm now accepting clients starting January 1, 2026, and I couldn't be more excited to share this journey with you.
Let's roll back and start from the beginning. Hey y'all! I'm Jaley, a Colorado western wedding photographer now based back home in the Rocky Mountains. For the past few years, I've been running my western lifestyle photography business out of Tampa, Florida, a beautiful place, but not quite where my heart belonged as a western photographer.
Coming Full Circle
I'm originally from Colorado, but like many young adults, I moved to Florida for college in 2020. After graduating with a degree in psychology and minor criminal justice from the University of Tampa, I stayed because, let's be honest, it was easier and cheaper than making the trek back west. My fiancé (now husband) and I thought we'd settled into our Florida life. We got our sweet pup who absolutely loves her life, and we even got married in late 2023 in Estes Park, because some things just call you home, even when you're trying to stay away.
We always said we'd never move back to Colorado. Famous last words, right? Here we are, having packed up our entire 2-bedroom Tampa house to move back out west to a 3-bedroom home with a bit more space and, most importantly, more community where I can thrive as a Colorado Western Lifestyle photographer.
Roots Run Deep
To understand why this move means everything to me as a cowboy photographer, let me take you back to my Colorado childhood. I grew up on horseback, quite literally. There's a picture somewhere of me with my grandfather on a horse when I was barely one year old, and from that moment, I was hooked.
My grandma enrolled me in horse camp every summer, and at nine years old, I joined Westernaires, a youth horsemanship organization that would shape the next decade of my life. I rode with them until I graduated high school at 18, participating in western drill (imagine marching band formations but galloping on horseback), trick riding, and what they called liberty (jumping bareback without a bridle). Those experiences didn't just teach me horsemanship, they taught me grit, teamwork, and what it means to be part of a western community that I now get to serve as a horse photographer in Colorado.
One of my most unforgettable experiences was performing at the National Western Stock Show in January 2020. There's nothing quite like the energy of galloping into that arena with your team, the crowd cheering, and knowing you're representing something bigger than yourself. The precision required for drill riding – where one misstep could throw off the entire formation – taught me the importance of preparation and attention to detail that I now bring to every photo session. The trust between horse and rider, the split-second timing, the way light caught the dust kicked up by dozens of hooves, these moments were unknowingly training my eye for the kind of authentic western photography I do today.
I still ride my girl every time I visited home, and now I'll get to spend so much more time with her, perfect inspiration for my photos with horses and equestrian lifestyle sessions.
The Camera Connection
When I was about 14, my grandfather – a professional photographer himself – gave me his old camera. I'd take it out occasionally, and sometimes he'd let me use one of his nicer cameras at horse events. Photography was always there, quietly waiting for me to rediscover it.
In 2024, something shifted in my life while I was still in Florida. I dove headfirst back into photography, initially wanting to focus on young couples because, having gotten married young myself, I knew they often don't get the support they deserve. But soon, I felt a magnetic pull back to my roots. I started focusing on authentic western families, real ranch life, and the cowboy lifestyle that raised me.
Finding My Place
The problem was, I wasn't finding what I needed in Florida, both professionally and personally. While Florida has its own equestrian community, it wasn't the western lifestyle I knew and loved. I had very little personal community there; all of my closest friends and family were back in Colorado. The western photography opportunities I craved – from ranch branding photography to authentic cowboy photoshoots – simply weren't abundant in Tampa.
When we were offered a great opportunity to move back, we knew it was time. This wasn't just a business decision, it was personal.
The Honest Truth: I'm Nervous (But Life Back Home is Everything)
I'll be completely honest, while I am SO nervous about this jump in my business, I'm equally excited. I know some people here might still think of me as "that weird horse girl with a camera," but I'm so much more than that now, and I'm excited to show everyone what I've become.
Don't get me wrong, I'm still that crazy horse girl at heart, and I always will be. But I'm also a woman with a family, a solid business plan, and years of experience capturing life's most precious moments. The nervousness is real, moving back home as a business owner feels vulnerable, like showing up to your high school reunion with something to prove.
But that nervous energy is also excitement in disguise, because now that we're settled, the changes have been incredible. I have sidewalks to walk my dog in the mornings (a small but meaningful luxury!), I'm working East Coast hours for my remote job (7-3 Mountain Time), and we're hiking and spending precious time with friends and family. Our pup absolutely loves the mountain air and open spaces.
Most importantly, I'm beyond excited to start working with Colorado clients beginning January 1st. I'll be offering western lifestyle sessions (couples, families, seniors), rustic wedding photography and Colorado mountain elopements, western business branding sessions, and full ranch photography experiences. I've grown tremendously as both a person and a photographer, and I'm ready to prove that I can capture your memories in the best way possible.
What This Move Means
This move isn't just about changing my address, it's about bringing my lens home to where it belongs. It's about being present for my closest friends' most important life milestones, working with families who live and breathe the ranch lifestyle, and having access to the stunning Colorado landscapes that first inspired my love for photography.
I'm ready to capture authentic western love stories against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, document real ranch life, and help families preserve their western heritage through timeless imagery. Whether you're planning rustic engagement photos, need a Colorado Springs wedding photographer, or want to capture your family's connection to the land through western family photography, I'm here to tell your story.
Looking Forward: My Vision for Western Photography in Colorado
Now that I'm back home, I have some big dreams for where this business is headed. My goal is to go full-time with my photography business by the end of 2027, and I truly believe Colorado is the place where that vision can become reality.
I want to become the go-to photographer for authentic western lifestyle photography throughout Colorado, from the Front Range to the Western Slope. I envision documenting multi-generational ranching families, capturing the raw beauty of cattle branding days, and being there for those once-in-a-lifetime moments when a child rides their first horse or a family celebrates their ranch's centennial anniversary.
For couples, I want to offer something truly special, western engagement sessions that aren't just pretty pictures, but genuine representations of their love story. Maybe that's photographing them with their own horses, capturing them against the backdrop of a family ranch that's been in the family for generations, or documenting their barn wedding where every detail reflects their authentic western lifestyle.
I'm also excited about the opportunity to work with western businesses – from local saddle makers and feed stores to larger ranching operations – helping them tell their brand stories through photography that captures the heart of what they do. There's something powerful about documenting the hands that craft custom leather work or the dedication it takes to run a successful cattle operation.
My dream shoots include full-day ranch sessions where I can document everything from the 4 AM feeding to the evening ride home, multi-day cattle drives where I'm there to capture both the gritty work and the quiet moments, and western weddings that last from sunrise to sunset, celebrating not just the couple but the community that raised them.
To learn more about me and my photography business click here.
Welcome to this new chapter – I can't wait to tell your Colorado story through my lens. Any questions, or want more info? Use the form below!
Say hello. Let's work together.
