“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 34 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 worked 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 perfect! We are very blessed to own a place now populated with a flock of chickens, ducks, and guinea fowl. We're surrounded by some of the most beautiful wedding venues in Texas. 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 are a gift.
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 The Endless Adventure, The Why Files and Dry Bar on YouTube.
4. We own 14 chickens, 4 ducks, and 5 guinea fowl and a marmalade kitty named Pumpkin.
5. Our outdoor studio in Driftwood faces just the right way for warm and intense golden hour photographs. We love hosting couples for their engagement sessions and families for their lifestyle sessions.
6. We love Torchy's and PTerry’s.
7. 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.
8. We have a lot of fun playing with friends and family: Apples to Apples, Exploding Kittens, Munchkin (we have most of them), and World of Warcraft.
9. 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 Midnight.
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, Ok we got the 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 and golden hour is always 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
We are booking weddings for 2026 and 2027, and portrait sessions for Winter and Spring 2026. If you like what you see, we'd love to talk — fill out the form below, 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.
We'll set up a quick call to learn more about your plans, and send you a sample gallery. Be sure to choose the type of photo session you are interested in below.
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affiliations
Associated Wedding Planners of Austin - Preferred Vendor 2020
Professional Wedding Photographers of Austin Member
