More Than a Photograph: Welcome to the Wild Side of Cortny Jo Photography



I’ve never really believed that photography is just about taking a pretty picture.


For me, it has always been about being there.


Standing somewhere beautiful and feeling small beneath a mountain. Laughing with your favorite person halfway down a trail. Your dog covered in mud after an adventure. Bare feet in the grass. A wedding day that feels more like you than a traditional wedding ever could. A family running through the woods. A quiet moment that nobody else noticed..

Those are the things I want to remember. And those are the things I want to photograph.


Welcome to the blog of Cortny Jo Photography. A little corner of the internet where photography, adventure, nature, animals, and meaningful stories get to overlap.


Photography rooted in the wild


I’m drawn to photographs that feel like something. Not perfectly polished. Not necessarily even perfectly composed.

I want photographs to bring you back to a feeling. Nostalgia if you will. The way your partner looked at you when you weren't paying attention. The chaos of your kids running through a field. Your dog racing ahead on the trail. The light shining through the tree branches and lighting settling onto your dress. The quiet moment before your ceremony begins.


I love the imperfect, in-between moments because that's usually where the real story lives. That's where we are alive. And that's how your photos become alive.


Nature plays a huge part in that story for me. Give me a mountain, a trail, a river, an old barn, a campsite, or a patch of golden evening light and I'm probably pretty happy. Add a snack and four paws and I would call all that a perfect day.


There's something about being outside that makes people slow down enough to actually be themselves.


And that's where I want to photograph you.


But this isn't just a photography blog. You’ll find photography here, of course.


I'll be sharing stories from weddings, elopements, couples sessions, family sessions, senior sessions, and adventures with dogs. I'll share location guides and ideas for planning sessions in beautiful places. I'll talk about what to wear, how to prepare, and how to make your session feel less like a photoshoot and more like an experience.


But I also want to talk about the things that inspire the photographs in the first place.


Dogs.

Camping.

Hiking.

Nature.

Conservation.

Spirituality.

Slow mornings.

Finding beauty in ordinary places.

Getting outside.

Making memories with the people—and animals—you love.


Because those things are a huge part of why I photograph the way I do.


Let's go somewhere


I've always been happiest when there's somewhere to explore.


Maybe it's a new trail. Maybe it's a waterfall tucked away in the woods. Maybe it's a campsite with a spectacular view. Maybe it's a little town I've never wandered through before.


And sometimes the best photographs happen because you were willing to go somewhere you've never been.


That's something I hope to bring into my photography as well. Your session doesn't have to happen in a studio. Your wedding doesn't have to look like everyone else's. Your family doesn't have to stand perfectly still and smile at the camera. Your dog absolutely does not have to behave perfectly. Beauty and feeling are all found in those imperfections.


Let's make photographs that look like your life.


A place for the adventurous and the sentimental.

Whether you're planning an elopement on a mountaintop, bringing your dog along for family photos, celebrating a new chapter with your partner, or simply looking for a beautiful place to make some memories, I want photography to feel like an extension of the experience, not an interruption to it.


And if you're anything like me, you probably don't want to spend your entire session worrying about whether you're posing correctly.


You want to laugh.

You want to explore.

You want to get a little dirty.

You want to hold your person's hand.

You want your dog to be part of the story.

You want to remember what it felt like.

That's the kind of photography I want to create.


So, what's next?


This blog is going to be a little bit of everything.


I'll be sharing location guides for beautiful places to explore and photograph, ideas for planning elopements and adventurous sessions, tips for including your dog in your photographs, stories from weddings and couples sessions, family photography inspiration, and plenty of behind-the-scenes pieces from life as a photographer.


I'll also share some of the places, people, animals, and experiences that inspire me outside of my camera.


Because photography is only one piece of the story. The rest is the life we're actually living.


So consider this your invitation to come along.


Let's find somewhere beautiful.

Let's bring the dogs.

Let's get outside.

Let's make something worth remembering.


Welcome to Cortny Jo Photography.

I'm glad you're here.