Behind the Camera

About Monica Saaty - Saaty Photography: Northern Arizona Styled Shoot Wedding Workshop

This is Me!

My Little Family

How He Asked: My Engagement to Jonathan

Koda and Arlo

I’ve been playing with cameras since I was a child. I used to steal my parent’s camera and use entire rolls of film to photograph my stuffed animals. My parents weren’t thrilled then – but looking back at it now – this explains where my lifelong obsession began. I’ve owned cameras since I was little, but it wasn’t until high school that I really started exploring endless photographic possibilities that surround our world.

My passion for the field expanded while studying at Northern Arizona University – where I obtained a Bachelor’s in Photography and Visual Communication, accompanied by a Master’s in Career and Technical Education. I am a strong advocate for alternative education and lifelong learning. Now, I lecture part-time in the Photography and Visual Communication Departments at NAU. Go Lumberjacks!

My little family and I live in Flagstaff, but I travel all around the state of Arizona for photography. When I’m not out chasing the Arizona sunsets with my amazing clients – you can find me playing with my daughter, hiking in the forest with my dogs, camping with my husband, helping students in the field, or working in my cozy home office.

I love the visual arts because I feel the creative process centers me. The act of looking through the viewfinder allows me to be totally connected with what I see. The experience of really noticing the world around me is the greatest inspiration of all. I truly love my line of work and welcome any opportunity to create meaningful images.

Nature is my muse, and the great outdoors is my canvas. I find inspiration in the raw beauty of landscapes, the changing colors of the sky, and the harmony of nature’s elements. My photography sessions often take us to breathtaking locations where we can embrace the beauty of the world around us. Whether it’s a mountain peak, a tranquil forest, or a serene lakeside, I believe that the backdrop of nature adds depth, character, and a touch of magic to every photograph. Through my lens, I capture not just people but also the symbiotic dance between humanity and the natural world.

Northern Arizona is filled with stunning destinations and easy access to the great outdoors. This area has much to offer – from red rock country, into the lush creekside, and up to the cool mountain forest! Exploring this state is an unforgettable experience. I LOVE sharing some of my favorite places to eat, hike, explore, and relax. Click here to enjoy free travel resources!

Features

Best Photographers Flagstaff Sedona 2020
HowHeAsked
Arizona Destination Photographer
Saaty Photography

Testimonials

Words can not express how thankful and happy we are that we chose Monica to capture our perfect day. She made us feel both comfortable and confident in the whole process. She has this ease that makes you feel you've known her for years. Her kindness, personality, and professionalism was beyond what we could have hoped for. Her communication and organization was so impressive as well (I am far from organized)! Our photos are AMAZING, they are perfect. We wish we could do it all over again, and again. Seriously, book her right now! Best choice we could have made, and she helped make our day so wonderfully memorable and way less stressful.

Small USA Ceremony Northern AZ
- Nora H.

We LOVED Monica!!! I spent a long time researching wedding photographers in my area and was hit hard by Monica’s work. We are SO happy that she could shoot our wedding in Flagstaff this summer. After having the opportunity to meet, it was clear how her energetic personality and passion matched her talent. She is incredibly helpful, detail-oriented, and organized. I felt so comfortable having her on my team. On our big day Monica was focused, professional, and attentive behind the lens and so much fun during all the bits in between. Throughout the course of the day, Monica continued to be enthusiastic for capturing our wedding and what made that day so special for us. It felt more like having a friend there with me than a photographer. She made our whole bridal party laugh and it never felt intrusive having her there documenting the day. Our images were absolutely amazing. They truly captured all the details and special moments perfectly. THANK YOU, Monica!

Saaty Photography
- Annie W.

Monica is the vendor I was not going to compromise on. I HAD to have her photograph my wedding and from day one of corresponding with her, it was evident she was the best. She stuck with me for TWO years through planning, postponing, and re-planning, and was patient, professional, and HELPFUL the whole time. When the big day finally came, she made me feel confident, beautiful, and celebrated, and made sure that my groom felt special too. Our pictures have turned out better than I could have asked for and I’m already looking at booking some more trips to Flagstaff to do some beautiful mountain shoots with her again.

Lindsey and Oz: Sedona Elopement Photographer best couple poses
- Lindsey M.

Monica is such an amazing person to work with! We saw her name on another wedding website and decided to work with her because the reviews were great - which turned out to be a great decision! She is very friendly and professional. Once we received the pictures, we couldn't stop staring at them for almost an hour! Her lighting and framing of the pictures are an absolute perfection. Also, her friendly personality is really comforting throughout the wedding. I felt like she was a friend to us who took pictures of the wedding. Her assistant was also super helpful and a fun person to work with. Thank you, Monica!!!

Seda and Chad - Flagstaff Garden Wedding
- Seda E.

Monica did a phenomenal job creating our "picture perfect" wedding day. She was very professional, flexible, and was great at finding beautiful picture locations. She made me and my husband feel very comfortable and relaxed during our one-on-one photos. Monica ensured she captured all the moments we asked for and more. We would not change a single thing about the photos we received! We really could not have hired a better photographer for our big day. You will not regret hiring Monica!!

Lauren and Maxwell: Flagstaff AZ weddings lean back
- Lauren B.

To be quite honest , I was so nervous that I was going to hate the way I looked in my wedding photos. Plans to lose weight before the wedding did not happen. BUT oh my goodness did Monica capture my happiness and the beautiful day more than anything! I LOVE her photos and these are just previews!!! We cannot wait to see what is to come. Thank you Monica for making me feel like the most beautiful bride and making my now husband super comfortable In front of the camera! I could not recommend a better photographer for engagement and wedding photography.

Alyssa and Derek: Northern Arizona Wedding Photography: hand on face
- Alyssa C.

Monica did a fantastic job capturing the magic of our elopement. She was very organized, structured, and easy to work with. Jeff and I had no clue what we were doing, but Monica was able to guide us through the elopement process on top of taking incredible photographs of our special day. The day after our elopement, we were sent several pictures of our special day. Not even a week after our elopement, we were sent the full gallery. I would strongly recommend Monica as a photographer to anyone!

Brittany and Jeff: Snowbowl Elopement Photography walking How to Elope in Flagstaff Arizona
- Brittany M.

Monica at Saaty Photography and her team did an incredible job for our engagement photos and our wedding. She and her team made us feel comfortable and relaxed the entire time. She did a great job photographing our fur babies (two stubborn and high energy Australian shepherds) in both our photo shoots. Our photos are better than I could have ever imagined. The best advice I ever got when wedding planning was to invest in the photos, because your photos are what you have left when the wedding is over. I am SO glad we did! Icing on the cake is that we found Monica's rates to be the most competitive in our region! I would recommend Monica and her team to anyone.

Pine Canyon Flagstaff Wedding portrait
- Sara P.

Monica was recommended to us from our Wedding planner and we are so happy that we were able to hire her for both our engagement and wedding photos! Monica is very communicative and was able to be flexible with us due to a snafu for our engagement photos and due to changes in our wedding planning as well. And during the photos shoots she did an amazing job getting us loose and helping us have a ton of fun. The photos she took turned out gorgeous and she was able to get them to us very quickly. We are so glad we worked with Monica, and will definitely work with her again for future family photos!

Brooke and Will: Arizona Red Rocks Wedding best locations
- Will G.

Monica was wonderful! I had a vision for our engagement pictures and was so excited when I found Monica and Saaty Photography. We booked a trip to Vegas and thought it would be a great idea to get engagement pictures taken in the Grand Canyon. Being travelers, it can be hard to plan, know the best spots, what to wear, etc. From the start, Monica provided links to ALL of these resources: suggestions on what to wear, the best places to go in the Canyon for what we envisioned. We don't take photos often and are somewhat awkward, but Monica directed us every step of the way in our pictures and had great ideas for some shots with our doughnut props. She made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera and had us laughing the whole time. The best part of all is how the images came out. She was able to capture the sunset, the sky, and the lighting perfectly. I now have amazing and unique engagement photos because of Monica. I would highly recommend Saaty Photography!!!

Holly and Erick - Sedona Arizona Elopement Photography - Sunset
- Holly L.

I hired Monica Saaty to do a family photo session on our recent vacation in Sedona. I could not be happier with the experience. From the get-go, Monica was so easy to work with–communicative and very professional. The resources she provided prior to our session, such as the location guide and style guide were really well done and helpful. She knows what families need to have a positive experience. When it came time for the actual photo session, Monica was a pleasure to be with. She is kind, fun, quick, and personable. We have a big family, with lots of big personalities; Monica didn’t miss a beat with us. She worked efficiently and kept things interesting and focused for our group. Honestly, we all wanted to hang out with her more! She’s just a super cool person. Of course, the best part was getting the photos a week later. They were stunning! Everyone was thrilled with the results. She managed to make us all look fantastic. Yay! Her photographic skills are top-notch, so the final product is well worth it. If you are looking for a true professional who can work well with your family, go ahead and book a session with Monica. You’ll be glad you did.

Northern Arizona Graduate Photography 0
- Emily K.

Monica was very professional and punctual. Throughout the entire process, we felt like we were in such great hands. From our consultation meeting, to our engagement session, and throughout out wedding - the experience was perfect. Her photography and personality are wonderful! She helped us to plan specific photography spots and preview the lighting before to our wedding date during a venue walk-through. She created a customized timeline for the wedding day, which made everything run SO smoothly. She was affordable, personable, and a pleasure to work with. We are so happy with the images – they were beautiful! We especially loved that she included some prints in her wedding package for us. Thank you for making our wedding so memorable, Monica! We can't wait to use you for all of our future photography needs 🙂

Saaty Photography - Kelly and Bill - Winter Mountain Portraits Flagstaff
- Jillian M.