Joshua Tree National Park

the hearnes » adventure elopement photographers

ben + rachelle's adventurous engagement photos in joshua tree

I knew we were going to love Ben and Rachelle from the very first e-mail. They described themselves as a real-life Ben Wyatt and Leslie Knope, and then proceeded to prove the claim true after Rachelle listed her detailed hopes and dreams for their photos and experience with us, and bonus: they both work in politics because, of course they do. They are currently living in Pheonix, Arizona and have been loving all of the desert adventures they have at their finger tips, so when we began planning a location for their engagement session and we realized they’d never been to Joshua Tree National Park, we agreed it’d be the perfect place! They made a weekend out of it, staying in Palm Springs and enjoying the late winter temps. We all met up for dinner + drinks in downtown Palm Springs the night before their session so we could get intros out of the way and get to know each other in a more comfortable setting, and after shutting down the place we finally split ways a few hours past our bedtimes excited for the photos the next day! 

The day of their session was absolutely beautiful - there is nothing quite like Joshua Tree in late winter - but it was extremely windy and the wind was c-o-l-d. We had just spend the month in the snowy mountains in Yosemite National Park, but somehow that Joshua Tree wind was still bone chilling!! Rachelle was a total trooper, sporting her gorgeous dress and braving the cold. We began their session in a cool little slot between some rocks, which felt especially fitting considering they were engaged in Antelope Canyon in Page, Arizona! After climbing around the rocks and out of the little canyon, we made our way around the open desert, soaking in California’s best sunshine and the gorgeous golden sunset light. By the time their session was over, we were all between shivers and smiles, it was so much fun and we can’t wait until we get to hang with these two again.

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The Hearnes Adventure Photography is run by Abbi and Callen Hearne, a husband & wife wedding photography team with an emphasis on adventure. They live on the road as full-time nomads in their big white van, allowing them to serve a large portion of the western US including California, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming. They believe love is the greatest adventure and strive to create photos that are epic, romantic, true, and timeless.

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