Taft Point Engagements | Yosemite National Park
the hearnes » adventure elopement photographers
Hannah + Clay’s Taft Point Engagement Session in Yosemite National Park
We are so excited for Hannah and Clay’s wedding in Moab this Fall! We had such a fun time with them for their engagement session in Yosemite last Fall, and I thought it’d be fun to include a few Yosemite-related Instagram Captions for this blog post - I want to work my IG captions into my blog more since I put so much time and thought into them, and this feels like a more permanent way to preserve them! If you’re a regular reader, let me know what you think! Is this entertaining to read, or would you rather me just stick to stories about the couple/session? Or do you just look at the photos and not ready anything? ;)
IG Post from October 1, 2019 (when we photographer this engagement session!)
“Hi Abbi and Callen, welcome home.” - basically what Yosemite said to us with last night’s insane sunset.
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So stoked to be back in the valley!! Hannah and Clay came all the way out here from Ohio for their engagements and this view was their first glimpse of Yosemite (insane right?!) and I’m pretty sure the valley pulled out all stops for them 💞 we are photographing their elopement in Moab next fall and seriously couldn’t be more excited...the Moab-Yose link-up is like a unicorn to us 🤸🏼♂️🏜🏞 I’m sharing a little “day in the life” in my story today to give y’all a glimpse of how we try to fit work and play in our visits here to make sure we’re still getting amongst it in a time that it can be so tempting to workworkwork. I gotta admit, while it may seem hectic to some I pretty much thrive in this. Our dirtbag friends are always shocked at how much we work when we’re here, and our photographer friends are always shocked at how much we play, but I wouldn’t have it any other way 🥰
We’ve been going to Yosemite regularly for about 5 years now. And by the end of every season we’re pretty much ready to hit the road and get out of the valley scene (especially now that we work during most of our time there). After weeks of keeping Charlie on leash (and keeping ourselves in invisible leashes 😂), we all look forward to that moment we get over the pass and stop in some BLM or National Forest land to slip our collars and let loose.
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But then...without fail, there comes a time when I start missing Yosemite like hell and dreaming of our next trip back! And while I’m certainly no where near ready to leave Moab yet, I’ve been dreaming of lazy days in the meadows and sunset after sunset at the top of my favorite cliff this summer season. I know we’ve made Moab our physical home, and I truly wouldn’t choose anywhere else in the world for it, but I’m pretty sure I’ll never stop day dreaming of Yosemite when I’m away. I’ve been saying this for years...but being torn between two places in this way is such a gift. Today I’m soaking up the sun in the Moab desert and dreaming of the breeze in Yosemite Valley. I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Somebody asked me recently if I ever get tired of taking photos in the same place. The thing is, we’ve hiked out to this point over 50 times in the past few years, and a majority of those has been with couples for their elopements, engagements, anniversaries, weddings, and so on. Sometimes we’ll hike here 4-5 times in one week during our busy season! It’s become a pretty popular spot, so these days there are often other photographers and hikers there with us.
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Do I get tired of it? Absolutely not. Do I miss the days of hiking out here and having it to ourselves? Sure, but honestly in my experience 99% of the people we meet out here are kind and respectful, and it’s a great experience (as long as they leave the drone at home...). Seeing this place over + over through the eyes of our couples is such a refreshing and wonderful experience. Seeing it so often myself never ever ever gets old. I never get tired of the gorgeous hike through giant trees dripping with green lichen, or the fern-covered forest floor, or that “reveal” moment when we emerge from the woods and glimpse the summit of El Cap across the 3,000 foot gorge of Yosemite Valley. I never get tired of showing this place to people for the first time. People who have often traveled the world and seen the most amazing sights, yet this one consistently takes their breath away. Watching as they creep up to the edge to peer over. Seeing the birds swooping by, pointing out routes on El Cap and telling stories of climbing feats and days spent in the meadows below.
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I could go on. And on and on and on. I could hike out here daily for a long time and never wish I didn’t. I have a lot of reasons for that, so my answer is almost always a bit different when people ask how I do it so often...as if this isn’t the most ideal commute to a job in the history of the world.
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The other day I reminded someone, that most people drive the same road to the same office to sit 9-5 Monday-Friday for an average of 281 days of the year. So no, I surely don’t mind hiking the same trail to the same point for about 20 days of my year. I don’t mind it one bit. #HearnesTinyCouples
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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. Unless stated otherwise, all blog and social media posts are written from the perspective of Abbi! Our photography style is adventurous, full of stoke, and centered around telling a true story. We are nomadic wedding photographers living on the road, which allows us to photograph your adventures anywhere in the world. We especially love the sierra mountains in California, southwestern desert in Utah, and the glacial landscape of Alaska. We have updated passports and are willing to travel anywhere in the world.
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