Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes Session with Brett+Emily

 

Back in June we were in Northern Michigan for two weeks, living in our camper in the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes National Lakeshore and we wanted to shoot on the dunes really bad. We've been so lucky over the years to meet SO so many people. Often people in love, celebrating exciting milestones and excitedly partaking in life's adventures! That's the best part of this gig. Brett and Emily drove 3 hours so that we could adventure in the sand together! What transpired was pure human connection. Brett surprised Emily by being completely hilarious and romantic in front of the camera. We laughed and talked about all the things...hiking, road tripping, long stints living in vehicles, we had so much in common and made a real life friendship out of an Instagram message!
 
It was an honor to document this basically random season for these two in their relationship and in life...they're both on separate paths, yet finding their way together. We were so glad we could all convene here for this short time to make something beautiful and real together. 

Check out Emily on Instagram, she's an adventurist like myself @hikingwithheels

 

Ashley + Colton | Sand Dunes Adventure Session

Ashley + Colton made the drive from Albuquerque, New Mexico to meet us at Great Sand Dunes National Park. We arrived the day before and slept in the van (secretly) in the backcountry parking lot overlooking the dunes. We fell asleep to the quietest, pitch black night and woke to the white, hot sun trying to melt the sand and the van.

This place is incredible, vast and other-worldly. The wind sweeps sand in every direction until it's swirled into massive mounds that harmoniously blend into the pale blue sky at every vantage point. We sat back and watched as Colton and Ashley danced in awe; The most beautiful story, their love for each other, for adventure and for the moment. In the heat of the setting sun, at 10,000 feet elevation, they let the grains of sand sting by the millions against their skin and curled into each other for shelter; a sentiment worth documenting in any place but especially a place as beautiful at this.

Dress from KII Boutique, Albuquerque, New Mexico