Morgan & Jimmy’s Windswept Desert Engagement // Joshua Tree, California
These two are engaged to be married in Malibu later this year, and we are scheduled to be guests! Yes, you heard that right, we actually get to ATTEND a wedding and not photograph it. Can you believe that people still let us do that?
Morgan and Jim came to us with the idea of meeting up at Joshua Tree National Park. It is obviously a favorite for so many SoCal residents since it should only take about 2 hours to drive there from the middle of L.A. Also, Jim had some close ties to his Army friends based close by in Twenty Nine Palms, and would explore the park often.
We all met in Palm Springs on Super Bowl Sunday and drove into an incredibly perfect day; 70 degrees, no clouds, and a light wind blowing. At the very first stop, before we even had our cameras out, we lost Jim. Well, not really, but within 2 minutes he had scaled a 30-foot rock formation, and shouted out to Morgan to join him.
Cue the first staging. Michaela stayed down at the bottom, and I climbed another rock to about 15-feet to get a different backlit angle. Pretty sure that between shots, Michaela was checking to see that our insurance was up to date, as we all climbed up and down the rocks. (We were covered, BTW.)
Throughout the 2-hour session, Morgan and Jim both gave us some unforgettable poses and moments, along with their spot-on style and attitude.
The wind gradually picked up over the course of the first hour, lending to some great movement and motion for some of the photographs. It also drove us a little deeper into the park, close to a section called the Amphitheater. Here, we were able to find some shelter from the wind, and get the shade we needed behind a 100-foot rock face.
By the close of the session, the breezes turned to gusts, and the sand blowing through the valley told us it was time to wrap. In spite of the elements, we had a great time getting together with these two for a romp in the desert sun.
Thanks always to:
Richard Photo Lab for scans and processing of our film.Film Supply Club for our … uh, film supply!Kodak Alaris for making our fave film stock. Portra 400 and TriX 400 Black and White film.