“With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:2,3
A Husband and wife photography team
Based in the Greater Austin area
We have been married for 30 years (it’s true)! Mercedes grew up in Manila, Philippines and Jesse in Orange County, California. We met at a friend’s house which just happened to be everybody’s hangout place. Following our graduation from art school, Mercedes did a lot of work as a graphic designer, and Jesse worked first as a 3D artist and then transitioned into digital strategy.
Thirteen years ago, we moved from California to Austin, Texas, and ten years ago started a wedding photography business. For many years we limited the number of weddings we would do in a year so that we could focus more on our kids. Our two boys, Noah and Joshua, were homeschooled until high school. Once they hit that stage, they started attending a private school that’s like a home school co-op. That gave us more freedom to open up our schedule to more clients and give them the personal care and attention they should get.
Recently we bought a couple of acres out in Driftwood (south west of Austin and next door to Dripping Springs) where we have our outdoor studio. The lighting is just perfect here! We are very blessed to own a place now populated with a flock of chickens, ducks, and guinea fowl. It’s been amazing to be so close to so many wedding venues in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. The sunsets? Just wow…we get to live here! And to be so close to Austin with all its uniqueness? It’s like getting the best of all worlds.
We love photography, and it was a dream of ours for many years to pursue a career in it. To get to be there when a couple plans and says their I dos is a privilege we treasure. Marriage is a significant milestone, and we very much value the trust a couple gives us to help them remember it in beautiful photography. It’s also a joy to get to be there as their families grow and celebrate each beautiful and significant change. Their time and trust is a gift we appreciate very much.
Fun Facts
Mercedes and Jesse
1. Jesus is our rock. Our faith grounds us and keeps us going.
2. Our kids are fantastic human beings who both have a great sense of humor.
3. We are currently watching Kara and Nate, The Why Files and Dry Bar on YouTube.
4. We own 14 chickens, 4 ducks, and 5 guinea fowl. They were added to our corgi/heeler mix, Sprocket, and marmalade kitty, Pumpkin.
5. Our outdoor studio in Driftwood faces just the right way for amazing golden hour photographs. We love getting to host couples for their engagement sessions and families for their lifestyle sessions.
7. We love Torchy's and PTerry’s.
8. That one time, when we checked out the Sleep Number store and left the sales guy sad because we ended up with the same number? Fun times.
9. We love to meet with our clients over coffee to better get to know them, and now... Zoom, or coffee.
10. These games are awesome: Apples to Apples, Exploding Kittens, Munchkin (we have most of them), GURPS, and WOW on the Mac.
11. Our birthdays are three years and three days apart.
Mercedes vs. Jesse
1. Coffee: decaf americano with heavy cream vs. Mexican iced mocha, 2 shots.
2. Pokemon: Yes, please (go team Valor!) vs. nope.
3. On footwear inside the house: wish I could go barefoot vs. shoes and socks all day.
4. World of Warcraft: dps vs. healer. Yes we are playing The War Within.
5. Meyers-Briggs: INFP vs INTP.
6. Future wish car: Miata with pop-up lights vs Jeep with a winch in front. Maybe a converted Sprinter Van.
7. Flowers: white, blush, lavender vs. hot colors like yellow, red, orange.
We are lifestyle photographers, with a style that is candid, warm and romantic. Our photographs are approachable, relaxed and timeless. Artistically we like warm shadows and clean, realistic skin tones. That said, we do occasionally stray into the dramatic. We love to play with smoke and old lenses for their unique qualities, and how can a good Golden Hour photo not be dramatic!
our style
Every soon-to-be bride I speak with, I tell them that finding a photographer for your wedding is THE hardest thing. There are SO many photographers to choose from so I had tasked my mom with helping me find one… she picked Mercedes Morgan Photography and we couldn’t be more happy with her selection. They photographed our engagement shoot and our wedding day. They were AMAZING at suggesting locations for our engagement session that matched the style I was looking for. We loved our engagement photos and am still in awe over our wedding photos. They sure know what they’re doing. Not only were the photos stunning, Mercedes and Jesse are fun to be around and easily share in the joy that is happening during your wedding day (which makes posing for pictures all day MUCH easier). We’ve already told Mercedes and Jesse that we want them to capture every next step in our lives… these photos are going to be cherished for our lifetime, our children’s and many more.
– Abby and Robert’s Wedding Driftwood, Texas
Mercedes and Jesse were wonderful to work with and I’m so glad we chose them for our wedding. They really took the time to get to know us and was so sweet and responsive during the process. I didn’t know what to expect but I let them know what I was looking for and they delivered above and beyond. They are extremely talented and have an eye for light. I was absolutely blown away by the pictures and have received so many compliments from our family and friends. They took our engagements photos as well and made us feel so relaxed and comfortable throughout the shoot. You won’t regret choosing Mercedes Morgan Photography for your big day, they are amazing!!
– Helen and Wes’ The Creek Haus Austin wedding
We absolutely loved working with Mercedes Morgan Photography!! They took our engagement photos and did all the photography at our wedding. They captured everything my husband and I wanted in both our engagement photos and our wedding photos. They are so talented, and was absolutely amazing to work with! We loved their creative eye when capturing special moments. Whenever we need pictures in the future, they will be the one we go back too!
– Kayla and Tyler’s Zilker Park Clubhouse Wedding
what people are saying
We Capture Those Special Moments that Last a Life Time
Fill out the form below or email us at smile@mercedesmorgan.com or call us at 512-289-4341. If you don’t hear back in 24 hours, please check your spam folder. Sometimes our emails can end up there.
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affiliations
Associated Wedding Planners of Austin - Preferred Vendor 2020
Professional Wedding Photographers of Austin Member
