the journal

Custer State Park Wedding Photo with sunset and bison

Wedding Planning, weddings

For weeks, the Black Hills were drenched in golden sunshine and heat. Then came July 11th, with a forecast full of nothing but rain. I checked the radar over and over, hoping for a break, but the skies just opened and poured. Reese and David’s outdoor ceremony was quickly moved inside the State Game Lodge […]

A romantic, rainy wedding in Custer State Park

Rapid City Editorial Wedding Photographer featuring a couple at sunset

Wedding Planning, weddings

There’s something so special about weddings that take place at home. Eli and Elizabeth’s wedding day began in the bride’s own backyard, surrounded by their closest friends and family. The intimate ceremony was filled with laughter, happy tears, and the kind of joy that only comes when you’re gathered in a place that already feels […]

Eli & Elizabeth’s Backyard Wedding Ceremony & Arrowhead Country Club Reception | Rapid City Wedding Photographer

Nighttime wedding portrait of couple

Wedding Planning, weddings

Aaron and Breanne’s intimate wedding just outside of Spearfish, South Dakota was everything a laid-back, heartfelt celebration should be. The June sunshine showed up in all the best ways—warm but not too hot, with the kind of golden light that photographers (and romantics) dream about. Their ceremony took place in a quiet meadow tucked into […]

Spearfish Intimate Outdoor Wedding: Aaron + Breanne

I'm Michaela mader Tully

The Michaela you'll find making beautiful images of your family. 

I’m a storytelling photographer based in the Black Hills of South Dakota, specializing in family connections, intimate weddings, and elopements.

My style? Think warm evening light, authentic moments, and a dash of Mary Oliver poetry—because life’s best stories are a little wild, a little soft, and always real.

When I’m not behind the camera, I’m probably chasing my kids, hiking trails that smell of Ponderosa pine, or sipping coffee that’s gone lukewarm because, well, #momlife.

Let's create something beautiful and real together.

The kind of photos that feel like home, like belly laughs and evening light, like the fleeting moments you never want to forget. Ready to tell your story? Let’s do this.

let's create