Mercedes Santana Photography

Mercedes Santana Photography Photography for the adventurous romantics 🏔️
I love to photograph love 🖤
Digital + Drone 📸
Alaska + Anywhere ✈️

Motherhood Sessions✨Not the perfectly posed kind.Not the “everyone smile at me” kind.Just the way they reach for you.The...
04/10/2026

Motherhood Sessions✨

Not the perfectly posed kind.
Not the “everyone smile at me” kind.

Just the way they reach for you.
The way they love you right now.

Because this phase won’t last forever.
But photos do.

I’m opening a small number of motherhood sessions throughout the week of April 19th.

Each session includes a small bouquet for you to take home and a couple of instant polaroids so you leave with something in your hands the same day 💐 Your hand-edited online galleries will be delivered just in time for Mother’s Day ✨

$190

Send me a DM or comment below to book 🖤

This shoot started as more of a feeling than a fully formed idea. I knew I didn’t want it to feel like traditional brida...
04/08/2026

This shoot started as more of a feeling than a fully formed idea. I knew I didn’t want it to feel like traditional bridal photos. Not overly soft, not overly perfect. I wanted something with a little more weight to it, something that felt emotional and a little bit mysterious.

The black veil (just some lace fabric I found at Joann Fabrics a while back) was really the starting point, but I went back and forth on it for way longer than I want to admit. I kept questioning whether it even worked with this stunning white dress or if it felt too weird. But the more I sat with it, the more I realized that was kind of the point. It’s okay for things to feel a little unexpected. That tension is what makes it interesting.

We moved through a few different spots: the woods, the beach, all in that in between middle season where nothing looks polished or perfectly green. But that added to the mood instead of taking away from it.

I played around a little with light just enough to create shape and shadow without overpowering the scene. I wanted it to feel intentional but still realistic: something that highlighted Rebekah’s cheekbones, jawline and collarbones.

This wasn’t about recreating a Pinterest version of a bride. It was about the art of creating something that feels a little different.

I recently rebranded, got a new website and so thought it was time to give a little reintroduction to myself 💁🏽‍♀️So her...
03/26/2026

I recently rebranded, got a new website and so thought it was time to give a little reintroduction to myself 💁🏽‍♀️

So here’s a little bit about the girl you’d be hanging out with on your wedding day or portrait session ✨

This whole shoot happened the same way most good memories do:No real plan. Just driving around in our (👀) rental, pulli...
03/26/2026

This whole shoot happened the same way most good memories do:

No real plan. Just driving around in our (👀) rental, pulling over last second when something felt right and hoping there wasn’t a car behind us.
Figuring it out as we went 💁🏽‍♀️

Somehow those always end up being my favorite kinda shoots.

“You are my light in the dark Alaskan winter.” -a line from Gage’s vows to Hallie on the beach out at Land’s End. They k...
03/24/2026

“You are my light in the dark Alaskan winter.” -a line from Gage’s vows to Hallie on the beach out at Land’s End.

They kept it simple.
just the two of them, their vows, the ocean and the snow.

We wandered after along the beach and driftwood stopped off at the iconic Salty Dawg for two shots of Jameson then back out to the water for a few more quiet moments before it was over.

Nothing big.
Just a day that felt like them. ✨

Iceland: The kind of place where the wind doesn’t stopand the ocean never really settles. That feels ancient and untamed...
03/20/2026

Iceland: The kind of place where the wind doesn’t stop
and the ocean never really settles. That feels ancient and untamed all at once.

And somehow,
right in the middle of all of that,
these two felt quiet and steady.

Like nothing else really mattered
except being close,
except staying in it,
despite it all.

Ula and Kel, just in it together ✨

Models:
Dresses:
Florals:
Photographer:

The girl behind the camera: Not in a “here’s my work” kind of way. Just me: the human you’d be hanging out with on your ...
03/19/2026

The girl behind the camera:

Not in a “here’s my work” kind of way. Just me: the human you’d be hanging out with on your wedding day or portrait session 💁🏽‍♀️

Apparently according to my Pinterest board, I like:
-cozy corners
-exotic plants I may or may not keep alive
-adorable outfits that I have nowhere to wear in small town Alaska
-whimsical tattoos
-and anything that feels a little warm and nostalgic

This is the little world my head lives in most of the time. Do with this information as you will ✨😅

When Danika, a fellow local photographer, and I started planning her branding shoot, I kept thinking about all the littl...
03/15/2026

When Danika, a fellow local photographer, and I started planning her branding shoot, I kept thinking about all the little pieces that make up who she is.

The doc martens.
The funky pants.
That hippy personality.
Her cozy cabin in the woods.
Her beautiful dog.

All those small details are part of Danika’s story.

So instead of forcing anything overly polished or posed, we leaned into that. We let her personality shine in a way that when you see her branding photos, you know exactly the kind of photographer you’re going to be working with.

One with a sunshine soul ☀️

Also, check out her work! She’s sooo good 🖤

A lot of my OG friends and family remember this version of me.Before I ever started photographing couples or weddings or...
03/15/2026

A lot of my OG friends and family remember this version of me.

Before I ever started photographing couples or weddings or families, I was mostly out photographing places. Mountains, glaciers, random birds, coastlines. Just chasing light and cool landscapes.

I spent a lot of years photographing places before I ever started putting people in front of my camera.

And I think that stuck with me.

When I’m photographing couples now, I’m not just looking at them. I’m watching the light, how the land sits around them, how the place itself feels in that moment.

Because the location was never just a backdrop to me.

It’s part of the story too!
And if you’ve been around long enough to remember when all I shared was landscapes… you’re a real one 🫶🏽

And in case you wanted to know, these photos were taken in order in: Hawaii, French Polynesia, Alaska, Mexico, French Polynesia, Alaska, Italy, Romania, Alaska, Italy

A quiet afternoon date across the Bay in Halibut Cove 🌲☀️📸
03/08/2026

A quiet afternoon date across the Bay in Halibut Cove 🌲☀️📸

A gorgeous fall wedding on the Kenai River ☀️Assisted on this beautiful autumn day 🍂
12/02/2025

A gorgeous fall wedding on the Kenai River ☀️
Assisted on this beautiful autumn day 🍂

Address

136 Church St
Charleston, SC
29401

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