I've always told myself that I would one day blog my travels and be consistent with sharing my photos. Considering that this trip to Utah was taken in March of '22, and it's now months later... these photos are a bit outdated now but hey we have to start somewhere right!? I also have to admit that sharing my personal photography requires a bit of vulnerability. I'm so used to sharing portraiture and photographs from 'paying clients' that when it comes around to sharing my personal photos, it almost seems like I'm giving away a part of myself. More-so, I'm sharing a glimpse into my life that is typically unseen. I don't believe that photos were meant to be stored away on a hard drive-- they're to be shared, viewed by others, and appreciated for their beauty. Photographs are captured so that we can live the experiences over and over again, they are meant to be seen.
And so, I'm excited to begin sharing more of my adventures on this platform I've created for myself. In March of 2022, I put sessions and weddings aside and took a week to explore the beautiful state of Utah with my family.
The trip first began with these beautiful views just outside of my airplane window. We just so happened to be landing in the evening around golden hour. The sun was perfectly peaking through the canyons and creating gorgeous shadows and colors. Naturally, I had to pull my camera out and snap a few photos.
After driving through Las Vegas and hitting the road for a few hours that night, we made it to our final destination that we ended up exploring the next day-- Zion National Park.
We spent the next few days hiking, wandering around the park and its trails, relaxing and watching the sunset while the deer peacefully roamed the property.
Did I mention how beautiful the place was?
One day trip consisted of driving to Bryce Canyon National Park. The views were breathtaking... literally! So much so, that our whole crew ended up getting lightheaded from the altitude changes. Was it worth it? 10000%!!
Takeaways from this trip!? Utah has so much to see and explore!! As picturesque as it may seem, every place has its downsides-- the only flaw that I could find is that the park (and typically every big/well-known national park) was swarming with people. If you're traveling to Zion anytime soon, don't have high hopes to go on a quiet hike or be alone with nature... I guarantee that you will be moving out of the way for groups of people on any easily accessible trail within the park.
My favorite photographs and moments ended up being the quiet ones-- the hidden gems in Zion.
There were so many opportunities where we would pull over the car while driving, just to explore a vacant area hidden behind the trees. It really was a reminder to look beyond what's in front of you.
Not captured on camera = the local stores & art, good eats (coffee shops galore!), sitting and just listening to the wildlife, glorious sunsets and early moons, and a sky full of stars at night.
Utah, I'll definitely be back one day!
Thanks for the read,