Rocky Mountain Lake Engagement Photographer in Boulder, Colorado | Amanda + Chris

This Rocky Mountain Lake session with Amanda + Chris was the perfect example of making an engagement session a fun date night. These two met at a brewery and they wanted to incorporate elements from their first date into their session. They brought their favorite beers from the brewery they met at and when they went to open them they actually exploded because of the high altitude! They were still able to have their moment and have a few sips but Colorado’s altitude is no joke. It was so sweet and such a creative way to make the session so authentic to them! I love that they thought about what was special to them and their first date. We talked all throughout their session about the time they met and why it was important to them to incorporate these elements into their engagement session.

For their outfits, they did such a great job of choosing colors that would go really well with the background. Chris wore a terracotta shirt as a pop of color but it still worked so nicely with all of the tones of the environment around them! Between the blue mountains, the deep green trees, the lake, and the rocky beach their outfits went so well. Chris’ shirt was such a nice contrast and brought out some of the warmth in the environment around them. Amanda brought a hat and she wore it for some of the photos but took it off to mix it up in others. When you are taking your engagement photos, consider bringing an accessory like a hat that you can add or take away easily for some variety in your look without having to change your outfit entirely!

I love that they kept it really casual with light-wash jeans and boots. If you’re wondering what to wear definitely go with something you are comfortable in! Amanda + Chris went with outfits that were comfortable, felt authentic to them, and what they wanted for their photos, you will naturally look more comfortable in photos if you actually are comfortable. I’m also obsessed with Amanda’s white blouse. For engagement photos, white is always a great go-to. It feels somewhat bridal whether it’s a dress or a blouse and goes with any type of environment you will be in.

When thinking about the when and where for your session, if you are going to be somewhere like the Rocky Mountains you want to keep the time of sunset in mind. If a mountain range is your background the sun will “set” behind the mountains a lot sooner than the predicted sunset time and will affect the lighting for your session. Once the sun sets below the mountains you will be in blue hour which has a completely different look and feel than golden hour. Blue hour feels a lot cooler because there is no direct light while golden hour will bring a golden haze and glow to your photos.

This session was a blast! I think recreating a date and making it into a session is so much fun and feels so genuine. It represents you and your partner and what you love doing together. If you choose to do something for your session that you are used to you will likely already be comfortable and have a good time naturally without having to force anything at all. If you are looking to do this with your partner for photos ask yourself what you do for date night, do you two love hiking? Kayaking? Going on picnics or going to the movies? Making brownies in your kitchen and dancing together? Going to your favorite coffee shop? It could be anything and everything. Whether it’s your first date like Amanda and Chris did or a date that you love to go on with your partner, consider recreating it and getting photos! It will be so meaningful to your relationship and they are always so much fun to be a part of because I get a sneak peek into what is special for the two of you.

Keep scrolling to see the whole session!