Mountain Portrait Experience with Scott & Emily
I was thrilled that Ross invited me to join him on one of his mountain portrait experiences in the Goat Rocks Wilderness. Ross is a talented photographer in the Pacific Northwest. He offers hiking experiences that include portrait sessions in the mountains of Washington state.
He asked me to join so I could help him capture some behind-the-scenes content and write this blog where I get to share my perspective on his mountain portrait experience. This adventure in the mountains was for Scott and Emily, an adventurous couple who were celebrating their 1 year anniversary.
First light and first views of Mt Rainier after over 6 miles on the trail
To begin with, I was honestly a little bit nervous about the fact that we would be hiking in the dark as we started out on our hike up to Old Snowy mountain. This hike was pretty ambitious compared to what I am used to, but at the same time, I was really excited about this challenge. As soon as we started on the trail all the nerves just melted away…
A Call for Celebration
A Call for Celebration
Emily and Scott are a lovely couple that chose to do a mountain portrait experience with Ross in celebration of their one-year anniversary. They moved to Washington State about 3 years ago and are in awe of the beautiful surroundings the Pacific Northwest has to offer. They are an active couple and seem to get outside as often as possible. They frequent hikes near their home in North Bend.
They both work in the Seattle area in the healthcare industry. Emily is an ICU surgery nurse and Scott is a heart surgeon. They eloped one year ago in the North Cascades. It was just them, the photographer and one friend. They had to make a last-minute change to location due to wildfires and still experienced a smokey backdrop that day. Those photos were beautiful but they didn’t have the full mountain landscape they were dreaming of. They came across Ross’ mountain portrait photography and saw it as the perfect opportunity for some new photos together in the mountains.
Colors of sunrise forming in the sky to the NW
Let’s Go on an Adventure
Let’s Go on an Adventure
The mountain portrait experience began early in the morning, or evening if you count the drive. I am based in Tri-Cities, WA and so is Ross. We met Scott and Emily in Packwood and then headed about 45 minutes up a service road to the Goat Rocks Wilderness. The summit of Old Snowy awaited us with 360-degree views of the cascades, including gorgeous views of Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Saint Helens. An endless backdrop for gorgeous couple photos in the mountains of Washington State.
We set out on our hike just before 3 am. The goal was to make it as close to the peak as possible before sunrise. As we wandered through the hiking trail in the dark, I actually enjoyed the peace and stillness that surrounded us. The anxiousness of being in the dark fully focused on watching my footing and keeping up with the steady pace. As we made our way up the trail we enjoyed great conversation getting to know one anothereachother while also being mindful of the many tents and people camping along the trail.
The Photo Shoot
The Photo Shoot
In planning the day’s time schedule, the goal is to be in great views when the sun puts on it’s show. As you see in the above photos, we reached the perfect photo point just as the sun began to peek above the horizon. This part of the trail was rocky, windy, and really chilly but it didn’t hold the couple back from posing for some spectacular photo backdrop of the cascades. Ross was running everywhere for angles all while directing them towards the best locations and helping with poses for mountain photography. The photo session continued as golden hour created the perfect natural light for more portraits. It was really special to be there in the moment, not only seeing the views of the mountains but capturing all that went on behind the scenes of the mountain portrait session.
Enjoying the warmth of the sunlight
It’s All About the Experience
It’s All About the Experience
Once the photoshoot commenced, it was time to make our way to the summit of Old Snowy. It was a little bit of a rock scramble to reach the top, but nothing too crazy. We found a little nook on the summit where we could be better blocked from the wind. We then enjoyed a hot noodle brunch and coffee to warm us up and to regain more energy. An added bonus was a great conversation and learning more about eachother during our little break.
The couple, along with Ross, decided to traverse across the neighbor peak to find a natural rock arch. They trudged through some deep snow and found the natural arch before making their way back to the summit in no time.
We had made good timing so far, so we decided that we had the energy to take a little bit of a different and longer trail back down the mountain. We headed on our way towards Goat Lake which we could see in the distance. Along this path, we were greeted with gorgeous fall colors surrounding us. We made it to Goat lake which was a beautiful green hue and we were so happy to also spot some goats in the distance on the mountainside nearby. After a little rest and snack, we were on our way again heading down the Goat Lake Trail.
I was on the back end as we made our way down keeping up with this awesome crew but even from a little distance behind on the trail, there was never a shortage of conversation. I felt the camaraderie among the group and was delighted to be amongst such great, positive company. Despite starting so early in the morning and tired legs the smiles never stopped. There was even some singing as we continued on down the mountain.
Me (Courtney) and a ton of deep red Bilberry leaves
Mountain Portrait Experience
Mountain Portrait Experience
The best views for mountain portrait photography come with an exciting challenging climb. This hike is an example of a full-day mountain portrait experience with the main destination, Old Snowy, being a total of about 15.5 miles and 3600 feet of elevation gain without the extra loop.
Ross has done numerous mountain portrait experiences along different hiking trails in Washington state. He not only takes amazing mountain portrait photography in the Pacific Northwest but he is also a guide along the hike. He knows the trails well and is an experienced hiker. He had extra equipment ready, has safety as a priority, and goes at a pace that works well for his clients. You can inquire and book the experiences with him through his website or checkout his experience through Airbnb HERE.
POST AUTHOR: Courtney Brady
Courtney is a freelance social media manager. She loves spending her free time traveling, enjoying the outdoors and trying new things. You can learn more about her by following her on Instagram @journeywith.court