Estes Park Engagement Photographer with Brittney & Brandon at Dream Lake for Sunrise
Being an Estes Park Engagement Photographer, you have to be ready for all types of weather especially when shooting in Rocky Mountain National Park. Brittney and Brandon really wanted to get photos of the two of them during sunrise at Dream Lake. They were well prepared with lots of layers, different types of boots, a blanket and flashlight.
Starting the Hike in the Dark
We did this engagement photography shoot in November and started up the snowy trail in the dark. Being early in the winter there wasn’t a ton of snow. Most of it was packed down along the trail which made it fairly easy to hike through. The trailhead to Dream Lake sits at about 9450′ feet in elevation. So although the hike up to dream lake is just a little over a mile, it can be a little strenuous.
Getting up to Dream Lake
We made it up to Dream Lake just as it was starting to get a little less dark in the sky. Unfortunately the wind right around the lake was super strong. It made the whole experience WAY COLDER and really loud. We all did some jumping jacks and moving around to try and keep warm. While hiking up to the lake the wind wasn’t that bad. But right around Dream Lake it was a little more exposed and intense.
As the sun started shining on the mountains behind the lake Brittney and Brandon got brave for some photos. They decided to take off their jackets for some and use the blanket to wrap up in and stay warm. Brittney even took off her gloves for a few shots to show off her ring in photos. But it was really cold! They took breaks to huddle in jackets in between taking photographs to try to stay warm. I love being a Estes Park engagement photographer, but sometimes crazy weather is a difficult challenge and is just part of the cost of doing business there.
Hiking Back Down
After a little while, we started hiking back down. It was nice to walk away from the crazy wind at Dream Lake. We took a few more photos as we headed back down. We also stopped by Nymph Lake, which is a really small lake along the same trail. It was a little less windy there. We could actually talk to each other while taking photographs at this spot.
Being a Estes Park Engagement Photographer
Usually I give my clients things to do while we take engagement photos. Estes Park is such a scenic place, I love photographing couples there! I might ask couples to walk or talk about something specific. But when we were up at Dream Lake Brittney and Brandon couldn’t hear anything I was saying to them. The wind was so intense and so loud that it created a barrier between us. I think during that time, they mostly were just trying to stay warm. With that being said, I think we still came away with some really beautiful images for them, but we decided to plan another shoot later on to capture some of those more candid natural moments.
Thanks Brittney & Brandon
Brittney & Brandon, thanks for braving the weather for these engagement photos at Dream Lake. I know it was a little crazy in terms of cold and difficulty. But you made it happen! I look forward to doing some more photos in a warmer place with you two when things settle down and parks open back up. I appreciate your adventurous spirit! Much love to you two and we’ll see each other again soon.
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