Photography Locations
Inside an artist’s chest there beats two hearts. One is weak and ugly. It is necessary, the pessimist, the one who critiques, talks finances, and picks out all the little details that aren’t correct. The other one is colorful, vibrant, relishes the colors of the sunset, and imagines up the most beautiful creations. It never thinks about something as trivial as money or food. Those things just don’t matter compared to the soul-filling joy of CREATING.
Emily and Nick got married in the best way. They went on a trip up into the mountains and got married with a photographer and an officiant (who was also a part-time buffalo rancher, eeekkk!!). Emily found me on the Knot and then stalked me on Instagram and decided she wanted me to be their elopement photographer. They traveled there the night before, explored a bit, and gave me coordinates for where they wanted to do it.
As a portrait photographer, I always have a running list in my head of beautiful places. And when a couple like this says, “Whatever you think is best,” this is the result. These two were so sweet and obviously loved each other deeply. Their affection wasn’t showy, but their little whispers and subtle cues showed they knew and paid attention to each other. They were a pleasure to photograph. I love doing engagement photos in nature. In the middle of this session, the wind kicked up and a storm whipped through. You can see the dust and wind in some of the ones by the lake. But they were willing to keep going, so I kept photographing. So proud of these stunning images!Â
I love doing engagement photography for cute couples. And the thing about my idea of a cute couple is that you don’t have to be particularly attractive, young, or thin in order to be a cute couple. To be a cute couple, you have to be in love. You look at each other with that little mix of adoration and let everything else (including my presence) slip away. Be willing to look stupid and try funny things because some lady with a camera told you to. Giggle, tickle, and be ready to tell your significant other what they mean.Â
The thing about photos is that they don’t say a lot about the person’s soul. Their inner being. Because although this girl is beautiful on the outside, her soul is amazing. Although this started out being a hike with a friend, I have a thing for photographing redheads. So I brought an epic skirt and made her run around in the foothills at sunset in it. The varied scenery had so much to offer, and the gentle undulations of the hills are a fashion photographer’s dream.
I love photographing simple weddings. It’s one reason I still offer budget photography packages in Los Angeles. It’s a lot less pressure and sometimes you get to meet amazing, adorable couples like Brenna and Matt. These two tied the knot at Alpine Ponds Event Center. I’d never photographed there before and it’s a beautiful, unassuming location outside of Eagle. Well, it’s 2am and I’m exhausted, so going to sleep now. 🙂Â
So I’ve known this beautiful soul since we were kids. In an attempt to be a semi-normal friend, we decided to hang out. But in typical Mercy fashion, I wanted to photograph her. There’s something special about adventuring with someone and taking their photo. You get to see different sides of them. It gives you something to do and talk about as you wander around and re-acquaint yourselves with each other.
So this year, I was determined to get a few sessions when the orchards were in full bloom. Most people think of these gorgeous pink blossoms as cherry blossoms, but these are actually peaches. They’re pink now, then they turn purple and the leaves start to grow. This cute couple contacted me and soon revealed that they had just been engaged and were looking for engagement photography in the Boise area. Immediately thinking of the orchard blossoms, we booked and agreed to meet at Hell’s Canyon Winery out near Caldwell. I grew up in that area and knew the area was in full bloom. The weather cooperated (despite threatening rain all day) and the photos turned out amazing!Â
Everyone wants to wear cowgirl boots. Nobody wants to wake up at 6am to break the ice on the trough. I love capturing daily life in photography. In a way, it’s a form of unique family photos. More accurate photos. I love giving people memories that they can look back on later and see, “oh yeah! Life was like that!” It gives us perspective, and helps us remember how far we’ve come. That’s why it’s been on my list for awhile to go out and capture morning chores with my big sister, Faith. She and I have always been close. We were the teammates who conquered the outside chores. She was just a little over a year older than me, and we had similar interests in many ways.Â
So after the van conversion, Matt and I went on a trip down the California coast. We were really relaxed with our route and schedule, since we just had to find a space to park every night and our food/shelter was right there. 🙂 It was super fun and I LOVED stopping wherever we wanted to take photos. As a professional Los Angeles lifestyle photographer, I sometimes don’t have a chance to really take pictures of whatever I want. So this was super fun! We also took our two Border Collie dogs, Sam and Sherlock. They traveled so easily, just looking out the windows, chasing the frisbee when we found a park, and just hanging out with us. The beach photos were taken at the Gold Bluffs Beach Campground and the others were taken at various places along the coast.
