Ashley & Brian’s Sedona Engagement Session

Nothing safe is worth the climb…

Driving through the rain, my umbrellas packed in the trunk, I rounded the corner overlooking Sedona, and I could have sworn it was a scene from a movie. With beams of light illuminating the red rocks between slivers of dark gray clouds, the gorgeous scene gave me butterflies ( and all that could come to my mind was The Lion King scene where Rafiki is lifting baby Simba up)! Those cloud would loomed overhead the entire time we captured the magic of this day, but only a few drops of rain actually fell down on us. Since Ashley and Brian had decided long ago that they wanted to shoot their engagement session in Sedona, we were not going to let a little rain stop us! We weren’t going to let anything stop us from shooting this session (even if that meant climbing up a mountain with heavy cargo and full hair and makeup, but I’m getting ahead of myself).

We started our session at the base of the trail, with smooth flat Sedona rock under our feet and a stunning view behind us. After capturing some beauty in that spot, we decide it was time to *try* to hike to the top of the trail. They changed into their hiking clothes, and we made our way up the smooth, steep cliffs. They each carried bags full of clothes to change into, and I carried my heavy camera gear in a backpack, so this hike was no easy feat. We started to sweat and lose our breath (specifically me, who is just a tad out of shape), and we made it to the halfway point. A breeze picked up, bringing some sweet relief from the humidity, and we looked around, and looked at each other. We needed to make the decision to keep going, or finish the shoot here. We were tired, a little beat up, and weren’t sure if going the rest of the way would be worth it to shoot for 15 minutes before there was no sun. But, we chose to keep going, knowing that we might feel that longing sting of regret if we didn’t at least try to make it to the top. We pushed, and pushed, thinking we were almost there only to be met with another steep climb or set of stairs. Finally, we crawled our way over the last ledge, only to be met with a view that took the little breath left in our lungs away. Red rolling hills speckled with greenery blanked the valley beneath us, the gray clouds billowing above, our jaws on the floor. We smiled and knew this was absolutely worth it. They quickly changed, and we captured their love for the last 15 minutes of light into the blue twilight. It is a moment I will forever remember, and I know they will too. It was absolute magic, and I’m so thankful we kept pushing forward when we wanted to play it safe.

Ashley and Brian, the time we spent celebrating your love was so indicative of your relationship, and I can’t wait for your big day! Not only did you climb up a mountain for your shoot, but down it in pitch black (with a flashlight in my mouth), and it gave me a small peek into not only your adventurous spirits, but resilience when life seems…steep. I’m so excited for this next part of your journey, and I know it’s only uphill from here! Life won’t be perfect, things will get hard, but nothing worth having comes easy. And nothing safe is worth the climb. <3