zion national park adventure portraits

Making friends on the internet and then meeting them in real life is the craziest thing.. Just a few years ago, I never would've thought a person I met through a Facebook group would end up becoming a close friend, especially considering she is from Illinois and I am from Texas. In case you didn't know, those states are really far apart. But, internets make distance nothing, and a love for the south western desert can bring anyone together. This all started when Kristen began planning a trip to Utah (on which she saw her first national park!! So cool!!) and I gave her some beta for how to experience Moab in a limited amount of time. I ended up writing them a novel of an e-mail (I get excited about people experiencing the magic of the desert out there) and continued to help her plan leading up to the trip. We kept lamenting that we wouldn't be in Moab at the same time, but about a week before they left, Callen and I decided to go through Zion National Park on our way out to California and although I figured it was a slim chance, I asked Kristen if they might hit up Zion on this trip. Sure enough, she had been considering it! So we did our own little happy dances and started trying to plan a time we could meet up to hang out and shoot some photos.

I was a little nervous about meeting them but those nerves went away pretty much immediately as we biked up to their car and exchanged hugs and handshakes, a weird mix of first meeting someone, but also finally seeing a friend you've been wanting to see! The four of us did a small hike in the canyon, getting to know each other and talking about their time in Moab. Then we headed out to take some photos and play in the Zion high country. It was such a dream! Kristen was afraid they'd be awkward, which is hilarious to me when looking at these photos because thoee two are GORGEOUS. There is something so special about doing sessions for married couples and these two were a perfect example. Their connection and chemistry is so strong. Eric absolutely adores Kristen and it's so easy to see how secure she feels wrapped up in his arms. We shot well past sunset and ended up capping off the night with some pizza in town. I'm sure if Callen and I hadn't had plans to wake up at 5am the next morning, we would've been up all night talking. I am so thankful we were able to make this happen, and I love knowing these two will be dear friends for years to come. I already can't wait until the next time we get together. Be sure to check out her gorgeous website, this girl's work is amazing!

Canon 6D // Canon 50L f1.2 // Sigma 35 ART f1.4