Brian expressed to me his love of this place and how much he wanted to experience it with his fiancé. They decided that an adventure session was the perfect way to celebrate their engagement, so that’s exactly what we did. We hiked through rock formations, embraced the wind, and later traversed sand dunes — all while documenting their love and creating a space for them to experience this place together for the first time.
Brian is a photographer himself, of mostly landscapes and travel. He had been to Death Valley National Park several times to take photos, but his fiancé, Jatciel, had never been. When we were beginning to plan their session, we had thrown a few different locations around, but it always came back to Death Valley. I could tell that this place was going to hold real meaning for them in their lives together.
We went everywhere and did as much as we could before the sun went down. They both decided they wanted photos in wedding attire, because their actual wedding (later this year) is going to be exceptionally simple and small due to COVID-19. Instead of allowing the current situation to dampen things, they decided to turn it into an epic adventure! Now they have “wedding” portraits of them together in such an amazing place, to look back on in their marriage for years to come.
What I loved most about their session is how incredibly intentional they were in the planning process. Through our discussions, we really nailed down what was most important to them, where they wanted to go, and what they wanted to capture. Other than “wedding” photos, they also wanted to capture their relationship in a more relaxed way. Brian brought along his guitar and serenaded Jatciel, while we watched the sun set.
All of the little quirks in their relationship were so fun to watch. Jatciel loves poking Brian’s face, and wanted to make sure we had a photo of it. They also love getting “jump” shots at every place they go, so that they can have a memory of that iconic spot, in their own unique way. Don’t you just love it?! I sure did! I could go on and on about these two, but I’ll let the photos speak for themselves…
Featured On — WANDERING WEDDINGS
