I first met Colton and Ray a while back at a dinner for my niece Katie before she left to start a new life with her significant other in Northern California. But it was an Instagram post about their “almost 5 sappy years later” together by one half of this adorable couple, Ray to be precise, that hooked me. I just fell in love with their vibrant energy and unabashed love of living life on their own terms.
In a challenging world where being together for any length of time is something to be celebrated, I knew I wanted to plan a very special photo session for these two. One that would speak of their love, what they mean to each other, and highlight their love of nature.
But how do you create a beautiful scene at a location that has been ravaged by wildfire?
Expecting the worst, I racked my brain for ideas outside the box of ways to make it work. I even thought for a moment that maybe an expanse of moonscape devoid of life could be kind of a 'cool' backdrop. But as Mother Nature would have it, nothing is ever destroyed or taken away that something beautiful, maybe even magical is left in its place. What the Woolsey Fire destroyed left behind a blank canvas that was delightfully brushed over with sparkling streams and lush verdant growth by recent rain storms . Instead of a scarred, barren landscape we were treated to a rich landscape positively teeming with all kinds of wildlife! A beautiful, magical setting perfect for celebrating the "almost five sappy [happy] years later" of Colton and Ray.
BTW, Colton and Ray will officially celebrate five sappy years this April.