Yosemite Sunrise Engagement Session | Orange County Elopement Photographer
A Sunrise Adventure | Hannah + Taylor Elopement + Adventure Wedding Photographers
KALLIE AND THOMAS’S SUNRISE ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
Kallie & Thomas first reached out to us through a mutual friend they needed an engagement photo shoot. They had planned to return to the East Coast where they are both from to have a wedding where more family could be a part of their special day, but they wanted a unique moment that would capture the two of them and their love for nature and adventure. Kallie & Thomas had never been to Yosemite National Park and since it's a place that Taylor and I visit yearly, we were super stoked to not only share the park with them but get to show them one of the most magical times of the day to visit…sunrise! When we were initially planning the photoshoot, Taylor and I immediately thought to bring up doing a sunrise shoot, but we also understand that not everyone enjoys this because it typically means a very early wake-up call, and about an hour before the sun comes up you're already up and tackling the day! When we mentioned this they immediately said yes. Not only did they say yes to an early start but they also said yes to walking around in 20° weather in the middle of winter.
If you have you ever been to Yosemite during wintertime? You know that it's either cold with no snow or very cold with lots of snow. This time around we got lucky and didn't end up having snow now I say “lucky” because this is the ideal time to visit in the winter when for those that aren’t used to driving in snow. However, we always recommend that you have snow tires, chains, and experience driving in winter conditions if you plan to visit Yosemite during those winter months and that equipment is typically required to have on hand when traveling through the area. Thankfully, this trip was pretty smooth and seamless. We decided to meet up the night before to get some drinks and talk about the day ahead with Kallie & Thomas. It was amazing getting to hang out with them ahead of time to know them, learn what makes them laugh, what their plans are for the future, and just have the opportunity to make a new friend in the process.
After we hung out for a bit, we decided to call the night as we had a very early wake-up call. We then met up with Kallie & Thomas inside the park at one of the first locations, which was a stunning misty meadow. The four of us must've been super excited because we ended up arriving a bit early and it was too dark to start shooting so we decided to move to the second location and come back to our first spot later on, we then walked to a stunning location where a beautiful riverbed awaited us and we were able to get some incredible photos on one of the bridges that you can find in the park. After that, we made our way to the second location, which was a meadow and boardwalk that was like something out of a dream. This is one of the more accessible parts of the valley floor, but the one advantage to arriving at sunrise is no one else is there so we have the place all to ourselves. It was truly magical, seeing how misty and dewey everything was, and made for the perfect backdrop for photos. Then we headed to the final destination, which was the tunnel view (probably one of the most well-known spots in Yosemite and you drive right by it when entering the main park entrance) by this point more and more people started to show up, but we were still able to take advantage of smaller crowds and had no issues getting the perfect shots.
We're always so excited when our couples are game to go on some pretty wild adventures with us during our sessions. The best part about this is we don't ever feel like we're working but rather exploring with friends and just happen to have the honor to be a part of capturing the memories that they're making. Kallie & Thomas had a beautiful wedding and we couldn't be more stoked for them at this stage of life. If you are curious about how to plan a sunrise engagement shoe be sure to check out our other bars that we have with all of our tips tricks and recommendations here!
