the journal

A couple running down Spearfish Canyon after an elopement

Couples, Elopements, Wedding Planning, weddings

An intimate wedding in the Black Hills I first met Michaela in a film photography college class. There aren’t a lot of us Michaela’s around and we instantly hit it off. Years later, when she reached about photographing an intimate wedding to her fiancé, Morgan, I was excited to incorporate 35mm film again. I helped […]

A Spearfish Canyon & Lead, SD Elopement on Digital + 35mm Film

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