photographer in a black dress holding her cameras and smiling

Meet Makaila, Denver Based Wedding Photographer 

I’m a Colorado photographer dedicated to capturing milestone moments for wedding photos, families, couples, and events.

I can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t obsessed with photography. Starting in 5th grade with my point-and-shoot, upgrading to my first DSLR in 9th grade, and graduating to my first full-frame camera after college. I moved from Chicago to Colorado when I was 18, and my world opened up. I had so many reasons to keep my camera by my side as I explored all the beauty my new home had to offer.

Capturing the ordinary, everyday moments in my life was my gateway to capturing the once in a lifetime milestones for my clients.

Hand-holding with space to breathe:

We’ve all experienced awkward moments in front of the camera. This is the last thing you should worry about on your wedding day. My goal is to make clients feel natural and effortless. I strive to help couples feel the freedom and confidence to be their spontaneous and authentic selves in front of the camera, which doesn’t come easily for everyone — I see you, camera-shy babes! When I’m behind the camera, you won’t have to worry about what to do with your hands, where to look, or any of that jazz. I’ll guide you as needed, delivering a mix of traditional photos, documentary style photos, and artistic images.

wedding photographer photographing a bride and groom by a river surrounded by leafy trees
A woman with long curly hair lying on a couch, holding a camera to her eye as if taking a photo, with a brick wall, framed pictures, a window, and a bookshelf in the background.

A quick note from your photographer Makaila…

As I take this time to introduce myself to you, it’s important for me to tell you about a core belief that shapes how I show up in the world and in my work. Before I was a wedding photographer, I spent years as a community activist advocating for human rights on a local and federal level—fighting for reproductive freedom, voting rights, racial justice and gender-equality. Those values still guide me every day. Supporting clients of all races, religions, sexual orientations, gender identities, and backgrounds isn’t just part of my business—it’s part of who I am. I’m proud to celebrate your love, exactly as you are.

Woman holding her cameras in front of a couch, looking down

Let’s get together. Coffee or beers. Virtually or IRL

Wherever you are at in your process.

I’d love to get to know you. I am here for the love stories, the “oversharing,” and all the little things.

Spending your wedding day with you is a big deal. I’ll be with you behind doors that are closed to most of your guests, as tears flow, and the laughs belt.

I can’t wait to hang with you from dawn til dusk on your wedding day and throughout the planning journey.

AS SEEN IN

A black silhouette of a person lifting their arms above their head against a red sunset sky.
Black and white text displaying the words "Business Insider."
Silhouette of a baseball player swinging a bat, with a baseball and a baseball glove on a black background.
Close-up of the words 'BRIDAL GUILD' written in black capital letters on a dark background.

Heck yes, I travel.

    • Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs

    • Colorado Destinations: Buena Vista, Crested Butte, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Steamboat Springs, Aspen, Estes Park,

    • San Luis Obispo, CA

    • Chicago, IL

    • Putney, VT

    • Spokane, WA

    • Faroe Islands

A few of my favorite things:

get to know me through photos

Dog in snowy mountains
Photo of a couple in a field with their dog

My pup, Bruno Buttercup

  • He was a pandemic adoption and the best thing about 2020! We didn’t quite know how old he was when we adopted him, but the rescue estimated he was 1.5-2 years old. When he isn’t busy having the zoomies, he’s a major couch hog, snuggle bug, and master beggar.

    You caught me, I’m obsessed with him. So obsessed I gave him a million middle names:

    Bruno Buttercup Peach-Pit Turkey-Leg

Tents by lake in mountains

camping adventures

  • Fun Fact: in 2020, we bought a camper. In all its 80s glory, we drove from Colorado to Vermont and back to see family during the early months of the pandemic. It’s safe to say we will not be doing that drive again in our camper…our A/C cut out in the middle of summer, and we may or may not have taken out a drive-through sign. We still put it to good use but limit our distance to a 6-hour radius.

Young girl skiing in mountains
A person dressed in blue ski gear holding ski poles, smiling while standing on snow with a mountainous, snow-covered landscape in the background.

getting my turns in!

  • I’ve been skiing since I was three years old. My parents are big skiers, and I’ve been following in their footsteps (or tracks?). It’s my favorite winter activity by far.

    P.S. It’s a bucket list item of mine to capture some “I do’s” on the slopes! If this is you, hit me up!

A woman and a man performing on stage with microphones, surrounded by decorative drapes, trees, and string lights.

live music & songwriting

  • I love seeing live music, perusing record stores, and playing music with friends. If I’m driving to photograph your gig, I’m undoubtedly belting my little heart out the whole way there.

    Singing and songwriting are some of my favorite things in the world. You can find me on Spotify and performing around Denver from time to time.

Photo of a flower garden with yellow and white flowers

Are we a match made in heaven?

Make the first move & send over an inquiry!