About IAZ Photo Studio
Meet the People Behind Your Mesa Wedding or Quinceañera Coverage
IAZ Photo Studio is a team of professional photographers and videographers in Mesa, AZ, covering weddings, quinceañeras and graduations with photo and video, in English and Spanish. The studio was founded in 2004 as Mi Foto Evento and has covered more than 500 events since 2004.
Today Cristobal Varela, Sonia Varela and Melanie Rocha set the style, train our photographers and videographers, and review every delivery. That way your wedding or quinceañera gets the same standard of care, whoever is behind the camera on your day.
How IAZ Photo Studio Began With a Mesa Wedding
It started with wedding invitations, not a camera. Back then, Cristobal ran a small print shop in Phoenix. A mother came in to order invitations for her daughter's wedding and asked whether he knew anyone who could handle the photos and video.
Cristobal had no weddings in his portfolio yet. What he did have were videos he had edited himself, with titles and transitions, and he showed her one. She decided to give him the chance. Cristobal and Sonia covered that wedding together at a reception hall in Mesa.
That day taught them something the team still works by: at an event, the ceremony happens once and nothing can be redone. The hall's owner watched them work and started recommending them, and so did the bride's mother. One wedding led to the next, and that is how the studio was founded in 2004 as Mi Foto Evento.
The IAZ Photo Studio Space in Mesa, Across From an Event Hall
Over the years we opened a space in Mesa, across from an event hall, with room for the print shop and a photo studio. We shared it with an event DJ company. A family looking for photos could also find music and invitations under one roof, and the two businesses sent clients to each other.
The arrangement with our neighbors was a handshake deal, and it worked. Still, those years left us with a habit: put in writing what each side promises. That is why every event today is booked with a contract that spells out what your package includes, how many hours we cover and which locations. The Mesa space ran for several years.
In Mesa we have covered weddings and quinceañeras at places like Lindsay Grove, The Wright House, Arizona Golf Resort, Sahara Reception Hall and Versalles Reception Hall, and Masses at Queen of Peace Catholic Church and San Maximiliano Kolbe. You can see those events, with every venue and its city, in our Mesa event gallery.
Why the Studio Is Called IAZ Photo Studio
Later, the studio took the name IAZ Photo Studio. The name changed; the way we work did not: one photo and video team, a clear contract, and service in English and Spanish. You can see the whole studio on the main IAZ Photo Studio (opens in a new tab) site.
The IAZ Photo Studio Story, Year by Year
| Stage | What happened |
|---|---|
| The start | First wedding, at a reception hall in Mesa. The studio is founded as Mi Foto Evento. |
| The Mesa space | We open a space in Mesa with the print shop and a photo studio. |
| A new name | The studio takes the name IAZ Photo Studio. |
| After the space | The Mesa space chapter ends. Sonia, who filmed our events and edited the videos, hands video editing to the team. |
| Today | More than 500 events since 2004. The founders and Melanie Rocha set the style, train our photographers and videographers, and review every delivery. |
Who Sets the Style of Your Mesa Photos and Video
Our photographers and videographers cover your event. Cristobal, Sonia and Melanie set the standard they follow: how an IAZ Photo Studio photo looks, how a video tells the day, and what gets checked before anything is delivered.
Cristobal Varela, Co-founder and Director of Photography
Cristobal covered the studio's first wedding with Sonia. Before photography he worked in graphic arts and ran a small print shop in Phoenix, which is where his eye for design and for how every album is delivered comes from. Today he sets the photography style, trains our photographers and reviews every delivery.
Cristobal is writing a book, El fotógrafo que no quería ser, with the event stories that shaped our contracts. Read Cristobal Varela's profile (opens in a new tab).
Sonia Varela, Co-founder and Director of Videography
Sonia filmed the studio's events from the very first wedding and edited the videos herself for many years. Later she handed video editing to the team, which today works in the style she set. As Director of Videography, she trains our videographers and reviews every video before it reaches your family. Read Sonia Varela's profile (opens in a new tab).
Melanie Rocha, Founding Director and Director of Creative and Social
Melanie leads creative direction and social media at IAZ Photo Studio. Together with Cristobal and Sonia she sets the style, trains our photographers and videographers, and reviews every delivery, so your photos and your video feel like one piece of work. Read Melanie Rocha's profile (opens in a new tab).
How Our Photo and Video Team Works in Mesa Today
Every event follows the same approach, no matter who covers it:
- One photo and video team. The photographer and videographer work together, with the same light and the same moments.
- A plan before the ceremony. Before the Mass or ceremony they agree on who stands where, so neither blocks the other.
- A clear contract. Your package, hours and locations are in writing before you hold your date.
- A review before delivery. Every delivery is reviewed by the founders or by Melanie.
- Service in your language. We work with your family in English or Spanish.
What IAZ Photo Studio Covers in Mesa: Weddings, Quinceañeras and Graduations
Getting married? See how we handle wedding photo and video in Mesa, from getting ready to the last dance. Planning a quinceañera? Look at our quinceañera photo and video, with the Mass, the waltz and the pre-event session. For cap-and-gown portraits, see our Mesa graduation sessions. Have a specific question? Reach us through the contact page.
Work With IAZ Photo Studio as a Photographer or Videographer
Are you an event photographer or videographer? Read what the work looks like with our Mesa team and visit the IAZ Photo Studio careers page (opens in a new tab), where each role says whether it is open.
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