Adventurous Mountain Elopement. Oahu, HI
Where to even begin with this one.. At the end of 2018 I made a promise to myself to take risks in 2019, and to commit to being the most authentic version of myself. When I first started my business, I never imagined it would be where it is today. My business has grown so much from where I began and my personal growth is right along with it and I am completely grateful. While I am completely proud of how far I have come, I am a dreamer, I always have been, so once I reach one goal, I already tend to have 5 more lined up. Like any dream, mine continue to evolve. Towards the end of this past year, I found myself in a bit of a rut I was taking on too much, I was tired, stressed, overwhelmed and completely uninspired. Us photographers, have labeled this the burn out and most artists deal with burn out at some point or another. So to kick off 2019 I took a leap, investing in myself and my business, and in an attempt to find myself again and break free from the burn outs that hold me back from loving every bit of what I am so blessed to do. First stop in this journey, I headed out straight across the country, to the island of Honolulu, Hawaii on my first ever completely SOLO trip, where I was an attendee at the Evolve Workshop! Wow, just WOW is all I have to say! Walking into Evolve workshops, not knowing a single person, surrounded by some of the most amazingly talented and established woman in the industry that traveled in, from all over the world, was absolutely nerve racking. But as we settled in I quickly realized these woman have been in my shoes, were completely relatable, and understood exactly where I was, which put those nerves at ease. Here I am just a month or so out from Evolve and I have already implemented so many of the business techniques, tools and tricks I have learned. What I took away from this workshop was so much more than what I invested into it. Not only did we get to shoot, EPIC locations, and work with some amazing models, the classes and one on one times were so crucial and the knowledge I walked away with, is just invaluable. I walked away from Evolve feeling more of a passion for what I do, that the Burn out is preventable, a bigger drive to reach my goals (that at one time I considered unobtainable), and to really hit the ground running. I can not say enough good things about the Evolve Workshops and recommend them to every single photographer & creative out there! Cheers to supportive friends, fresh beginnings, and investing in yourself because you are worth it.
That being said, this shoot envisioned and put together by none other than Anni Graham (the visionary, LEGEND) herself, was nothing less than perfection. The four mile hike up the muddy, 2,000 ft. elevation mountain with 12+ attendees, a wedding dress in tow, our freaking amazing couple Sarah and Derek, a floral crown and who knows how much equipment between us all, was worth every single slide, fall, ‘oh shit’ moment anyone of us experienced! The water sparkled from the top of that mountain like nothing I had ever seen before, you could smell the salt, and feel the warm breeze on your face. Our couple truly embraced these moments and it was overwhelming to feel and witness how much love overflows between the two of them. Just one day in Honolulu, is all it took for myself to imagine myself as an islander, these adventures are what I live for.
Thank you to Jamie, Kortni, Anni and the entire Evolve team for the amazing experience! So thankful for you all!
Dress- @ruedeseinebridal Bridal shop- @magnoliawhite_hawaii Florals- @ocean_dreamerr Couple- @sarahhbee_ + @derikbeeston Styled by- @annigraham for the @evolveworkshops
