Chasing the ever changing (see what I did there) fall colors is always a photographer's dream and nightmare. If you are lucky enough to get out during the week you avoid the insane traffic of all the other leaf peepers, but you still have to know what weekday to pick (every year in Colorado is different, sorry Bride's trying to plan your wedding day... it's hard to predict) and pray bad weather doesn't roll in and destroy all of mother nature's hard work over night. Colorado is a finicky state, we can go from 80 degrees to 20 the next day in the Fall, and the beautiful colors collecting so nicely like pots of gold spilling down mountain sides can be wiped out in one freeze.
So to say I was super excited when Megan and Doug were not only flexible but patient and trusting of my knowledge of golden locations is an understatement. Driving up to an old haunt of mine on a Tuesday night brought back memories and with every turn more pines gave way to pops of yellows and orange. I grew more and more excited as I climbed towards towering 14ers to the mountain meadow I've loved to play in for so many years.
I always get places early, to check my light, my gear, and because I'm always worried some kind of hiccup will need to be taken care of before a couple arrives. I like to have everything as easy as possible so all of us can just focus on having when it's actually time to shoot. Not surprisingly, a few other couples were already waiting to also have their picture taken and I spent the first few minutes at location awkwardly asking people if they were Megan and Doug after we all stared - but tried not to stare- at each other to figure out if we were supposed to be meeting each other. I should have known they weren't who I was waiting for because the second this adorable couple arrived, waving vigorously, I could feel their energy of love and adorableness. It came around the mountain with them and seemed to add an extra glint of light to the already beautiful valley.
A keeper of quotes I like to match them up with people I work with. Most of the time they form in my head as I watch a couple being naturally themself, like discovering the long lost key to a lock I've been curious to open. From the moment they stepped out of the car and Doug helped Megan across the field I knew their's instantly. Hand in hand this couple truly writes their own story.
They say some kids are born with old souls, I think some relationships are the same. They form lifetimes before, in the collisions of stars, and are destined to be in our current world. You can see it in couples like these two, where they are so instantly at ease with each other, they laugh at each other's jokes like no one else is around, and they don't just like to touch, they have to touch and be around each other. They know each other so well, Doug knew before Megan picked out her own ring that she was going to do so ... PS: her antique taste is on point!... so though he wanted to buy one he waited until she made her choice and then secretly did so while she thought she was cleverly giving him "hints" at what she wanted.
I had the most amazing evening with these two cuties who made my job so easy I could have stayed there all night. It was one of those nights I wanted to rush home and share all I witnessed because even seeing love like this makes the world a little bit better of a place. I can't wait for next summer as I know with Megan's taste this wedding will be one love filled, beautiful, and joyous occasion.
Thanks you two for making it hard for me to pick a photo to post (guess I will just have to post a ton).... and for doing creepy posing with me and pulling it off like the champions you are (you know what picture I'm talking about *wink).
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