EAGLE FALLS ANNIVERSARY | SARAH & ROBBY
“Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” -John Muir
There are so many reasons why the Pacific Northwest is amazing, one of them being how easily accessible the most amazing scenery can be. It doesn’t take long (traffic being acceptable, mind you) to get somewhere beautiful from anywhere in the state. Of course, the more effort involved usually results in a more epic payoff, but the soul can still be fed by a visit to a local park, lake or beach. Washington has so much to offer; literally everything from desert to rain forest, ocean beaches to sand dunes, lakes to snow covered mountain ranges and everything in between.
The most amazing rock formations can be found in this remote spot called Eagle Falls that is hardly noticed by passersby, myself included. Turns out this spot is right off of highway 2 on the way up to Stevens Pass and on to the amazing Bavarian town of Leavenworth. For some reason I’ve never noticed it before, even though I’ve passed it countless times. The power of the Skykomish is evident in the grooves and deep crevasses carved in the granite river bed along this particular river bend. Also, the heavy rain that had fallen recently caused a lot of snow melt to rush down from the peaks in high volume, which in turn caused the sediment and soil runoff to turn the water a teal blue color. It was pretty rad and made for an even more epic backdrop for our fun anniversary session with two of my favorite people, Robby & Sarah Shaffer. These guys are always up for an adventure and this day was no exception even though the forecast was iffy. We thought we might get accompanied by some rain, but just as we arrived at our destination the clouds broke and the sun poured through. It turned out to be just the most perfect Northwest day.
I also love when couples bring along their furkids on sessions with me. There are a few things that can be done that make having them along a both enjoyable and stress-free experience.
- Make sure your pup is tired out prior to the session. Take them on a walk, run or to the dog park to get out some of their pent up energy so they won’t be too hyped up, and you won’t be distracted.
- Bring someone else along to help manage your pup for in-between moments or outfit changes, as well as just generally keeping track of him/her so you can concentrate on each other.
- Bribery! Treats are always a good idea, especially when trying to get an easily distracted K9 to make brief eye contact with my camera. Squeaky toys work well too.
I highly recommend involving dogs in engagement sessions, even if just for a few photos. They are family members and should be involved in important moments!
“Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one, is a life diminished.” – Dean Koontz
