Dennis Arriaza

I document life, chase horizons, and build things that help people breathe easier.

I grew up around church sound systems, cheap instruments, and people with big emotions and even bigger stories. That turned into a lifelong obsession with capturing moments – through audio, video, photos, design, late-night conversations, and whatever tools I can get my hands on.

I’m the guy who will hike a trail just to see what’s around the next bend, ride for hours just to clear my head, or sit under the stars wondering how any of this exists at all. I love the human mind, the human condition, and the way stories shape how we survive, heal, and grow.

Over the last two decades I’ve also been a barista, hitch installer, landscaper, recording engineer, live sound tech, photographer, filmmaker, consultant, and unofficial therapist for a lot of creative people. I like learning how things work, fixing what’s broken, and making systems that feel effortless for the people using them.

Elevated Media Group is the business side of all that. This site is the human side – the full story, the experiments, the doubts, the philosophy, the adrenaline, the bruises, and the lessons I hope my daughters (and anyone else who cares) can learn from.

I’m not here just to work. I’m here to feel alive.

I’m a biker, a hiker, a musician, a photographer, and a person who believes in getting uncomfortable on purpose. Chase the adrenaline. Take the leap. Try the new thing. We only get one run at this.

I got into photography to document life, not to make money. I ride to clear my head. I hike and explore places not many get to see. I listen to music like it’s oxygen and make music when I need to say something I don’t have words for yet.

I’m obsessed with the stars and space, with the unknown, with thinking deeper and bigger than what’s directly in front of us. A lot of that will eventually show up here as:

• Photo series from the desert, the mountains, and the in-between places
• Stories from rides, hikes, and moments that changed how I see things
• Thoughts on creativity, fear, faith, doubt, and what it means to grow

The sandbox for everything that doesn’t fit in a neat box.

This section is for the things that don’t have a clean commercial label: personal photo series, behind-the-scenes breakdowns, thoughts on music, tech, creativity, and the way people treat each other.

Eventually this will become a mix of:

• A blog / journal
• Galleries and print projects
• Vlogs or breakdowns for other creatives and techs

Right now it’s mostly a promise to myself: keep making, keep sharing, even when it’s not “for a client.”

A message in a bottle for three humans who know me better than anyone.

This site is also a message in a bottle for my daughters. A place where you can see the full picture – not just the highlights, but the process, the doubts, the stubbornness, and the way I’ve tried to build something from what we were given.

If you’re reading this years from now: I hope this place helps you understand not just what I did, but how I thought, what I valued, and how much of this was really about giving you more options than I had.