Wild Prairie Photography

In a pine forest, they poured out their hearts in evening light.

These two chose Black Forest for a reason. Before the rings, before the reception, before anyone else arrived, they slipped into the tall pines and said what needed to be said. Just the two of them and the quiet that only trees can hold.

Then they came back and celebrated surrounded by the people who love them most.

That's the kind of wedding day I'll carry with me for a long time. Congratulations to these two beautiful brides.

There's something about a newborn session outdoors. The way the light softens everything. The way new parents move a little slower, a little closer. Marina was just a few weeks old, and Megan and William held her like she was the only thing in the world. Because in that moment, she was.

Their full session is on the blog now.

https://www.wildprairiephotography.com/colorado-photographer-blog/colorado-maternity-newborn-photography-bundle

Great Sand Dunes National Park is one of the most extraordinary places in Colorado, and I don't get to photograph there nearly often enough.

Jessica and Mitchell brought their whole family to the dunes to celebrate a new chapter. Steady love. A blended family finding its rhythm. Their daughter Leia, their baby boy Quinton (not yet one), grandparents Bob and Sandra, and Moose the Newfoundland, who was every bit as majestic as the landscape.

We started in the trees and chased the sun out onto the dunes as the light turned gold to amber to pink. At some point, Quinton was ready to eat. There was no waiting, no fussing about where or when, Jessica settled right there on the sand and nursed her son while the wind moved across the dunes and the sun kept sinking lower. Meanwhile, Mitchell and Leia wandered off together, exploring the ridgeline, just the two of them.

That kind of moment doesn't get planned. It just happens when there's enough space and time built into a session for a family to actually live inside of it.

This location falls under my Wild collection, destination and mountain sessions outside the Colorado Springs area, travel included. If you've ever thought about taking your family somewhere extraordinary for photos, this is what that looks like.

Full story and tips for planning your own Sand Dunes session: https://www.wildprairiephotography.com/colorado-springs-family-photographer-blog/great-sand-dunes-family-photography-colorado

Alyssa and Carsten traveled to Colorado to marry themselves in the mountains near Lake George. Not just for the scenery, but for the freedom.

In Colorado, couples can legally self-solemnize their marriage. No officiant. No witnesses. No gatekeeping. Just two people making a decision together. For many q***r couples, that autonomy means everything.

Their evening started slowly. Before wedding clothes, before vows, before rings, there was time to simply arrive. They wandered through tall golden grasses, letting the wind settle their nerves into something softer. They got ready in a vault toilet (the only structure for miles), and emerged looking like themselves.

And then they stood in the open mountain air and spoke their vows. Just the two of them. The wind moved through the grasses, the mountains held steady, and the light wrapped around them.
It was an honor to witness it.

Read the full story: https://www.wildprairiephotography.com/colorado-springs-family-photographer-blog/lgbtq-mountain-elopement-lake-george-colorado