Robert Mitchel Owenby Photography

For the second year in a row, and I are spending part of Semana Santa in the beautiful valley of Orosi in the province of Cartago. Today we made the short drive to visit the Ruins of Ujarrás, one of the most historic places in Costa Rica.

The church here dates back to the late 1500s and was once at the heart of one of the country’s earliest Spanish settlements. Dedicated to Nuestra Señora de la Limpia Concepción del Rescate, it stood here for centuries before repeated flooding from the nearby Reventazón River forced the town to relocate to what is now Paraíso in 1833.

I’m so grateful to be back in Costa Rica this week making lovely memories and building beautiful traditions with Juan! Neither of us can explain exactly why, but there’s something so wonderful about Orosi and we both just feel so at home here.

SemanaSanta History TravelCostaRica

Man, I can’t believe it’s been almost six years since Marcus Hopkins-Turner and I last shot together.

He’s one of my absolute favorite collaborators, and this afternoon felt like picking up right where we left off. We came in with a plan, caught up a bit, and spent the afternoon working through a handful of different lighting setups and looks.

Some sessions just click like that.

Actors who are willing to explore different looks always end up with the most interesting images, and Marcus brought a lot of range to this one.

We had a hard time narrowing these down, but here are just a few of the favorites from the session.

I’d love to know which one stands out to you!