We woke up at the crack of dawn with Julia and Andy to Adventure into the very beautiful and popular Moraine Lake in Banff National Park. Autumn here is Larch season, when the coniferous Larch trees turn their needles into a beautiful orange colour before shedding them for the winter. It’s such a popular time that the parking lot to enter the area is full by about 7:30 AM. And you know what? It was entirely worth dragging our groggy faces out of bed and driving from Calgary with our hot caffeinated beverages in hand. We arrived during sunrise and got to witness the cool mist rising over the lake and the dawn light turning from a beautiful soft blue into vibrant yellow rays of the morning sun. It was a pretty special time to experience an already magical place, and getting to be there with Julia and Andy as they took in these mountains for the first time made it feel even more wondrous. Thank you, Julia and Andy, for getting up early and adventuring through this magical part of the world with us!
We also want to thank Clint Bargen for coming along, we got to spend a few amazing days hanging out with Clint as a mentoring student who we also got to explore the Rockies with!
Here’s their story from Julia’s perspective, along with advice for couples about to be photographed:
1. Tell us about your thoughts leading up to the session, did you plan it together?
Actually, we were so rushed going into the session, we didn’t have much time to plan at all. You see, we initially planned to fly out to Portland for a shoot at Wahclella falls, but a fire at the Gorge forced us to change our plans at the last minute. We found Abby + Dave on a Wednesday, flew to Calgary (from Houston, TX) Thursday, and were shooting Friday morning!
2. Why did you choose the location?
We were struggling to figure out another location near Portland that was similar to Wahclella Falls, since we had already booked our flights and Airbnb. Every location we found was either at the Gorge or several hours outside of the city. I (Julia) was starting to lose hope until I scrolled past this absolutely breathtaking picture a friend had posted on Facebook. It was so picturesque – the clear blue water surrounded by gorgeous mountains and lush greenery. Fortunately for me, he tagged the picture #lakemoraine, so I went to Googling (I have since learned that its “Moraine Lake,” but kept it that way for accuracy). I scrolled through, what seemed like, hundreds of photos of Moraine and every single one of them was amazing. I knew it was a long shot, but I talked it over with Andy to try to work out the logistics. As fate would have it, everything fell into place! From finding Abby + Dave, booking our flight, and even the weather (yeah it was cold, but it made for a great photo op), everything was perfect!
3. What was your favourite part of the shoot?
Can we say “everything” here?
This was our first shoot with a professional photographer, but right off the bat, we were at ease Abby + Dave. We got some great direction and even plan to do the “kissing game” for our wedding shots!
Going into the shoot, we were a little concerned about the crowds at Moraine, especially with Canada 150 and larch season in full swing. In spite of this, we were able to get some really great shots without any tourists in the frame. Abby would go scope out great vantage points, while we warmed up under our coats (mind you, Banff was below freezing and we had just flown in from Houston’s sweltering summer heat).
All in all, we loved everything about that photo session! The views were beautiful, and we had great company. You can’t beat that!
4. Why did you choose us?
We loved your moody shots and the fact that your photos didn’t look too staged. We didn’t have much time to think, just do, and we’re so happy we did. You guys rock!
6. Do you have any advice for couples getting a photo session in the future?
Don’t stress and remember to have fun. If you’re like us and have never been professionally photographed, you don’t know your good angles or how to pose. Let Abby + Dave worry about that. For you two, it’s just another lazy Saturday morning together lying in bed. Or another slow dance in living room when your song comes on. Be in the moment and enjoy each other. Trust me, it’ll show through in your photos.
– Julia
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