Love Among the Pines: Capturing Utah’s Wild Beauty at Jordan Pines Campground
Tayler and Seth came to me wanting to capture a few professional fall photos together as a new couple. In complete transparency, this was my first couple’s session ever. But I am not someone to turn away from a challenge, especially one that will better me and my photography. Once we worked out our schedules and avoided the bad weather, our window for the orange-and-yellow fall backdrop shifted, so we went with an earthy theme instead. I may be biased, but the warmth of their love and laughter made these photos glow. It was about 40 degrees Fahrenheit, I was bundled in a down jacket and a beanie, and they were able to make these pictures come to life with their own warmth.
We started a little earlier than needed, and the entire session took about 90 minutes. Ideally, a full session will take 60 minutes, and then mini-sessions will be 20 minutes. I have a love for overshooting, so if there isn’t a time constraint, I won’t rush the fun. Since we were going to be in the mountains, I wasn’t sure exactly when the lighting would be ideal. Going off the sun tracker, golden hour started around 7:20 am in the valley. We arrived at the location around 7:35 am with blue hour lingering, so I got comfortable with prompting and dialed in my camera settings. Poor Tayler and Seth were bundled up in blankets for as long as possible.
Once everyone got settled, we started right up with the prompts that required the most movement. Since it was still really cold, I figured I’d keep them moving around while they warmed up. For the average person, it also takes a little bit of time to become comfortable in front of a camera, so using the more quirky prompts lightened the mood and lessened the tension. Before I knew it, my nerves disappeared, we all found a rhythm, and everything else around us fell away. There has only ever been one other experience when I felt completely at ease with the task at hand, and that was when I was showing horses as a kid. Beforehand and after, I was a total ball of nerves, but as soon as I walked through the gate, nothing else existed. It means the world to me that I have found something else that compares.
As soon as I got home, I headed for my computer. I was too excited and slightly worried there wouldn’t be anything worthwhile. Once all photos were downloaded to my laptop, I couldn’t wait to start picking through them and ended up spending all of Saturday and most of Sunday at my computer editing. I know many photographers still struggle to balance editing time with their daily lives, and I can see why. It’s slightly addictive. Figuring out a better process for managing my time and not ignoring things like food, water, and my family is a priority. If anyone has any recommendations, let me know.
As someone just starting out, I am highly impressed with myself and how this photoshoot turned out from start to finish. But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t initially very nervous for this session. I am very comfortable taking candid photos, not really existing and blending into the background. This photoshoot was the complete opposite. From planning out time, location, and posing/prompting, I was out of my element. With a quick reminder to myself that I have to be vulnerable to grow, I fixed my attitude in no time. Using Unscripted eased my nerves and let me plan the photoshoot all in one app. From posing ideas and questionnaires to a sun tracker and timeline checklists, the app is a one-stop shop for photographers. It also has a ton of educational resources and a fantastic community of photographers who are so supportive. This will be my go-to for a long while.
Key takeaways from my learning experience that I need to work on include capturing different angles rather than the same few over and over. While I had a great variety of prompts and poses, I need to adjust my position relative to the couple. It’s hard to describe this in words, but you’ll see it in my upcoming work. I should have also taken advantage of being the only photographer at this location when we arrived and gone straight to the prime location, instead of gingerly making our way in that direction. Once the lighting was perfect, the best spots had already been snagged up. Lastly, my most immense task at hand is getting more comfortable, not rushing through a prompt, and making sure my camera settings are adjusted to the changes in lighting. I know what needs to be changed, but I just get stuck focusing on what the couple is doing instead of checking my work. Overall, I still have a lot to learn! But the best way to learn is to gain experience in different scenarios. So, if anyone is in the Salt Lake area and wants to spend a morning or evening in front of my camera, I’m ready!
