emily + ben
dead horse point engagement photos
There are a lot of reasons why I love dead horse point state park. For one, I am convinced it is the best place to watch the sun go down anywhere around Moab. The way the sun falls on the canyons and river below is unlike anything I have ever seen. You can sit there and just watch the curtains of light get longer and longer as the sun lowers, all the while you are trying hard not to blink because you know it’ll be gone before you know it. Second, I love that this park is not nearly as busy as its national park neighbors, Arches and Canyonlands. The crowds that do tend to show up for sunset each night tend to stick to one area, so it’s easy enough to walk down the trail and find a little solitude and tons of epic views.
When Emily and Ben reached out about wanting to take their engagement photos while out on a climbing road trip around Moab this past fall, I knew we’d be fast friends. Back in the day, I used to climb. A lot. It was all I thought about and it was how I spent every bit of my free time. I miss it desperately, and am trying to figure out how to sneak it back into my life, but for now it’s fun to live vicariously through couples like these two who rented a van and spent time at my favorite place in the whole world – Indian Creek.
We started up highway 313, stopping at a new spot to explore a little, catch some different views, and get to know each other a bit. I could tell right from the start that these two were going to be a total breeze to shoot. All they did was laugh and love on each other, and totally put up with my ridiculous sounds when the light did its thing. Thank you! I sometimes get so stinkin’ excited about light that I squeal a little. I can’t control it, and I think some other photographers might know what I’m talking about. The desert in the fall is just too good!
We made our way up to Dead Horse Point for sunset, and it definitely did not disappoint. Wandering along the trail that circumnavigates the mesa top, we found little nooks and crannies that were away from the crowds but covered in crazy good light. I knew they were after my own heart when they whipped out an adorable mini bottle of Woodford Reserve. We sipped the good stuff and talked about climbing, dogs, different camping set ups (they had just bought a Scamp, we just got a van), and life in general. I had so much fun with these two. I just hope they come back sooner than later so we can get out and play!
On a different note, you may notice that I have made a few changes around here. I revamped my website, updated some things, changed some others, and I couldn’t be more excited about it all. I’ll still be making a few more tweaks, but please take a look around and let me know what you think!
