I’ll be honest, It’s been a long time since I’ve offered engagement photos. A while back, I decided to stopped advertising as a wedding photographer because I knew I did not want to build a business around working long weekends. And part of that was also not really offering engagement photos anymore because it didn’t fit the direction I was going. But when Joey asked me to shoot engagement photos for him and his finance Kelsey, it was an easy “yes”.
I have known Joey Graziadei and Kelsey Anderson for a couple of years now, and I have been lucky enough to work with them on several brand projects during that time. Most people know Joey and Kelsey from The Bachelor, and I did too, but over the years, we have become friends and I always love seeing them on brand projects we are working on together.
I first met Joey and Kelsey during Super Bowl weekend in New Orleans. I was there shooting a brand activation for Verizon, the House of Verizon, which was one of the coolest and most high-energy events I have been a part of. The weekend was packed with live music, athletes, celebrities, football fans, and brand activations for the 2025 Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. I wrote a full blog post about that event, but one of the best parts of the weekend was meeting Joey and Kelsey.
I saw them later that year in New York when Joey ran the New York City Marathon with Team ULTRA. I was hired to photograph the entire marathon weekend with Michelob ULTRA as part of their influencer marketing campaign. The weekend was full of dinners, morning shakeout runs, and post-race celebrations and I got to know Joey and Kelsey quite well over that weekend. In fact, we spent most of the marathon day with Kelsey, chasing Joey around the city. We also spent a weekend in Park City for Michelob ULTRA’s Team USA Winter Olympic celebration.
So when Joey asked me to photograph their engagement party and take their engagement photos in Malibu, I was incredibly honored.
Malibu Engagement Photos at Golden Hour
The first part of the shoot was Joey and Kelsey’s engagement party at The Hollywood Roosevelt in Los Angeles. More on that later!
A few days after the party, we planned to do beach photos somewhere near Malibu. Honestly, I didn’t know the area at all and I drove around looking for good spots the day before. I’d like to say I had the perfect spot planned, but it sort of came together last minute. I had a spot picked out at El Matador but then realized the tide would be way too high during golden hour to be able to use it, so we pivoted and went to my backup spot. Parking was a nightmare and we had to pivot again, a little bit further down the coast, until we finally found a parking spot. It actually worked out perfectly and I don’t think it could have turned out any better than it did.
The spot was perfect and the weather was unbelievable. We had clear skies, soft ocean light, and an amazing California golden hour. Colorado has some pretty incredible light, especially in the mountains, but there is something different about golden hour on the California coast. The sun reflects off the water, everything becomes warmer, and the entire beach starts to glow. And that blue hour just hits differently in California than it does in Colorado.
Joey and Kelsey were so much fun to photograph. Kelsey is hilarious and I relied on their chemistry to bring out their candidness. We of course tried some posed shots but the moments would quickly unfold into laughter and connection and that is always when the best photos happen. The combination of the ocean, the California light, and their natural chemistry made this one of my favorite couples sessions I have photographed.
Joey and Kelsey’s Engagement Party in Hollywood
The Roosevelt is classic Hollywood. It has so much history and character, and it was the perfect setting for their celebration. The lighting, architecture, and overall atmosphere gave the entire evening a classic Hollywood feel without making it seem overly formal.
The party was mostly made up of Joey and Kelsey’s close friends and family. Everyone was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and fun to be around. Sometimes photographing a private event can feel a little hectic, especially when there are a lot of people to photograph, but this party was just fun from beginning to end.
My goal was to capture the energy of the night without making everything feel too posed. Of course, we took plenty of photos of Joey and Kelsey with their family and friends, but I also focused on the candid moments happening throughout the party.
There was a lot of laughing, dancing, hugging, and people genuinely having a great time together. Those unscripted moments are always some of my favorites. They tell the real story of the night and give Joey and Kelsey photos that will bring them right back to the party years from now.
It was also really cool seeing how much love and support surrounded them. Their relationship may have started in front of millions of people on television, but this celebration felt personal, relaxed, and centered around the people who matter most to them. And that’s very true to who they are as people and as a couple.
Me with Joey and Kelsey at their engagement party in Hollywood, CA.
A Denver Photographer Who Travels
Even though Joey and Kelsey’s engagement photos were taken in Hollywood and Malibu, I am based in Denver, Colorado. I was actually going to be out there for the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Los Angeles, and flew out a few days early to shoot Joey and Kelsey. More on the World Cup in another blog post!
Most of my work as a Denver photographer takes place throughout Denver, Boulder, and the surrounding Colorado areas, but I also travel regularly for photoshoots and events. Over the years, photography has taken me to New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Park City, and many other destinations around the country. And I recently just got back from 6 weeks on the road shooting the FIFA World Cup with Michelob ULTRA, which Joey and Kelsey were a part of.
I love being a Denver photographer, and Colorado will always be home, but destination shoots give me the chance to work with new locations, different light, and incredible people.
Photographing Joey and Kelsey’s engagement celebration was especially meaningful because of the friendship we have built over the last couple of years through our brand work. From working with them on branding photography campaigns with Verizon and Michelob ULTRA to getting to photograph something so personal and meaningful felt like a full-circle moment and will always be a career highlight for me.
I am so happy for both of them, and I am honored that they trusted me to capture such an important and exciting time in their lives.
Congrats, Joey and Kelsey!
YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER
DENVER, CO BASED PHOTOGRAPHER
Hey, I’m Tim. I’m a Denver-based photographer, and I’ve been doing this full-time since 2016. I specialize in photographing people, including high school seniors, personal branding and lifestyle photos, families, couples, and events. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with everyone from local families and business owners to professional athletes, influencers, CEOs, and major brands like Google and Michelob ULTRA.
No matter who I’m photographing, my approach is pretty simple: keep things relaxed, have fun, and create natural, vibrant photos that actually feel like you. Most of my work is in Denver, Boulder, and throughout Colorado, but I travel regularly for photoshoots and events around the country.
If you’re looking for a Denver photographer for your next photoshoot, event, or adventure, I’d love to work with you.
