McKenzie Baird Photography

McKenzie Baird Photography documenting the wildly in love

Part 3
03/19/2026

Part 3

Part 2
03/19/2026

Part 2

Part 1In March of 2025, I had the great privilege of participating in the student volunteer program with the school of ...
03/19/2026

Part 1

In March of 2025, I had the great privilege of participating in the student volunteer program with the school of , located in the Big Bend region of West Texas. I have so much to say about this school—the people who run it, the students who fill it, my experience within the program, and my time spent in that harsh yet vibrant desert—that it feels nearly impossible to capture it all in a succinct way. The simple version - it opened my world up in the most imaginative, challenging, beautiful way possible. I have endless gratitude and appreciation for whole experience and the people who I met along the way.

I think because the ecosystem has been so stripped down, it quietly(or very loudly) asks the same of those who inhabit it. It felt like a kind of beautiful, abrasive refinement echoing both around and within me—a shedding process that is not always pleasant, but one that is absolutely necessary if you are seeking to grow. And I want to grow.

I knew it was a place where I would learn about natural building and regenerative design, but I wasn’t prepared for the way curiosity, experimentation, and participation would be fostered, or for the depth of heart and dedication that holds it all together. Bob and Heather are the real deal. Their commitment to education, community, and the ongoing work of reclaiming and restoring 20 acres is incredible to witness, and I feel grateful to have been even a small part of the magic unfolding in such a special place.

I’m heading back tomorrow—I’ll get to see updated projects, meet a whole new class of students, and spend time in a place I’ve come to love deeply. For now, here are a few of my favorite images from my student semester.

In January of this year I helped a fellow apprentice and dear friend begin their superadobe home. In less than eight da...
05/17/2025

In January of this year I helped a fellow apprentice and dear friend begin their superadobe home. In less than eight days, a group of people from different parts of the country as well as an incredible local community came together with one common goal, a whole lot of love, and built a 13 foot dome. By the end of it I was able to catch a glimpse of a dream come to life, constructed from earth with our own hands - we all became co-creators in this dream and it was a little slice of heaven on earth. I met in October of last year, by the end of the year he had bought his own piece of property, and within the first few weeks of this year he had prepared the land enough to start building. Talk about some equisisnte ex*****on and divine timing. He has continued to carry out his vision with the help of a beautiful community of people, I am blown away with how much he was accomplished in such a short amount of time- check out his journey and cheer him on! I am forever grateful I got to be a small part of this incredible process, I am forever grateful for the people I met alone the way and the many lessons and gifts given. If any of this stirs a quiet place in your heart, I can’t recommend getting involved in a build like this enough. With a bit of experience and training, this dream can very much become reality.

Part 2. I spent a month camping in th...
11/27/2024

Part 2. I spent a month camping in the Mojave Desert, building a home made from dirt. From full moon to full moon. Here’s my takeaway.
I learned the term : hydrophobic soil. It’s when soil becomes so hardened either by harsh summer months or mild winters without rainfall that the water just beads off and simply cannot be absorbed. I think I felt a little like that hydrophobic soil - desperate for water, but even when flooded by heavy rains, unable to let that water really soak in. I’ve had a longing to explore more sustainable building methods and living practices in general, I’ve wanted to feel more connected to the work I’m doing and more purposeful with the energy I expend. In my circle, I might be one of the few who is choosing a more non-traditional life path. Despite a great career, a home I adored, and a community I loved, I decided to pack up and search for something else. What I found at the Mojave Center, was that I was just one of many people doing the same - that my desire for community, and a eagerness to learn a different way of building that is more in line with nature, and an overall hunger for a deep and connected life that integrates all the parts of your heart isn’t a crazy or wrong thing to want or pursue. In two weeks time we built a 16 foot dome with less than 20 people (the cost of which to build was about $2,000 aside from some equipment that was already purchased), and in the remaining two weeks we plastered the outside and inside of a 14 foot dome and laid the groundwork for the floor. To be able to see something come together in such a short amount of time and to know you were a small part of it all is phenomenal in and of itself, but the people I had the privilege of working along side are some of the most dynamic, authentic, badass people I have ever met and not only am I forever inspired by the stories they shared, I am forever changed on what feels like a cellular level. (Continued in comments)

I spent a month camping in the Mojave Desert, building a home made from dirt. From full moon to full moon. Here’s my tak...
11/27/2024

I spent a month camping in the Mojave Desert, building a home made from dirt. From full moon to full moon. Here’s my takeaway.
I learned the term : hydrophobic soil. It’s when soil becomes so hardened either by harsh summer months or mild winters without rainfall that the water just beads off and simply cannot be absorbed. I think I felt a little like that hydrophobic soil - desperate for water, but even when flooded by heavy rains, unable to let that water really soak in. I’ve had a longing to explore more sustainable building methods and living practices in general, I’ve wanted to feel more connected to the work I’m doing and more purposeful with the energy I expend. In my circle, I might be one of the few who is choosing a more non-traditional life path. Despite a great career, a home I adored, and a community I loved, I decided to pack up and search for something else. What I found at the , was that I was just one of many people doing the same - that my desire for community, and a eagerness to learn a way of building that is more in line with nature, and an overall hunger for a deep and connected life that integrates all the parts of your heart isn’t a crazy or wrong thing to want or pursue. In two weeks time we built a 16 foot dome with less than 20 people (the cost of which to build was about $2,000 aside from some equipment that was already purchased), and in the remaining two weeks we plastered the outside and inside of a 14 foot dome and laid the groundwork for the floor. To be able to see something come together in such a short amount of time and to know you were a small part of it all is phenomenal in and of itself, but the people I had the privilege of working along side are some of the most dynamic, authentic, badass people I have ever met and not only am I forever inspired by the stories they shared, I am forever changed on what feels like a cellular level. (Continued in comments)

**life update**On June 22 I photographed my last wedding for at least the next six months. It’s hard to wrap my head aro...
07/08/2024

**life update**
On June 22 I photographed my last wedding for at least the next six months. It’s hard to wrap my head around, and while I made the decision last October to stop taking new bookings, it still hasn’t quite set in. The truth is, for the last ten years, photography has been my life. I’ve never been one to post a lot in this little corner of the internet, but this has been my full time gig, a core characteristic in my identity - the way I plan my year, my weekends, my life - it’s all centered around this incredible job. I think about the unfathomable amount of editing, the thousands of images for hundreds of clients, the connections I’ve made, the relationships that have become true friendships, the trust given to me on one of the most sacred days of one’s life - it’s all so precious, so infinite, so deeply honoring. To say this has been one of the most difficult decisions of my life would be an understatement. While I’m not ready to walk away completely, there are a few areas of interest I want to explore, some traveling I’ve been meaning to do, and basically I want to give myself the time and space to figure out the next chapter of my life. Along with leaving my job, I’m also packing up a home and saying goodbye to a community of people I love dearly - the layers of emotion and the complexity of life will never not fascinate or humble me.
Recently I read an article about the nature of reality - how a Nobel prize winner theorized that reality lacks permanence until it is witnessed, realized or measured (let that sink in). While so much of that theory truly boggles my mind, there is something in it that resonates perfectly with how I feel about this journey with photography and why I have always been drawn to it. I realize that moments in time are so fleeting, and one of the responsibilities as a photographer is to capture that which is finite and by witnessing that moment, and memorializing it as a photo, that moment in time becomes permanent - it has been fully realized….(continued in comments)

“I get why people do this, it’s a total love fest” - words spoken by the bride at the end of the night, and I couldn’t h...
04/30/2024

“I get why people do this, it’s a total love fest” - words spoken by the bride at the end of the night, and I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Also for anyone wondering about that epic pantsuit, the bride dreamed it up and designed it from two sets of trousers - it’s beyond fantastic. She also makes the most beautiful handcrafted ceramics - check out her company and creative genius

2023 has been a wild one. Eternally grateful for a job like this, the people it has connected me with, the invitation to...
01/04/2024

2023 has been a wild one. Eternally grateful for a job like this, the people it has connected me with, the invitation to witness, the responsibility to document and preserve, the unbridled joy, and the sweet embraces - getting a front row seat to some of life’s most tender moments will never not leave me in total awe. To all the couples and clients who put their trust in me, I am forever thankful! Looking forward to all that 2034 will hold ✨

These two become husband and wife today - bring on the celebration!
10/07/2023

These two become husband and wife today - bring on the celebration!

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