I hadn’t been to Chautauqua Park since I visited with my 11th grade writing class – we visited the park to find inspiration for our poetry unit based on the colors in nature. At the age of 16, I wasn’t too interested in nature, and left feeling that there was way too much dirt out there! Because I was a perfectionist when it came to my English grade, I wrote about the golden grass blowing in the wind. If I had had my way, the poem would have been about the gross brown dirt and all the creepy little black bugs. In other words, I wasn’t very impressed by Boulder’s beautiful scenery. I’m so glad that as Boulder engagement photographers, my husband and I had the chance to return to Chautauqua for Jessica and Clay’s engagement session… it is so beautiful! There is a pretty little park, complete with a white swing set, a Colorado meadow framed by the Rocky Mountains, and little paths leading to more stunning little alcoves of nature. Needless to say, my view on nature has taken a drastic turn in the past 12 years. Jessica and Clay also love nature… they love to go on bicycle rides together. In fact, Clay is a mountain biker; and as a high school math teacher, I would bet he’s a fan of the Fibonacci sequence. Jessica is currently earning her masters in anatomy and loves all things nature and science related. Knowing this adorable couple, my husband picked the perfect location for their engagement shoot! The evening began with creamy light filtering over Boulder’s foothills. Jessica and Clay frolicked in the meadow a bit before breaking out their bicycles for a short ride. We spent the next hour exploring the secretive paths and trails, one of which ended in a miniature poppy oasis. Before falling under an opium fog, we walked back to the park for some swing and flag shots. Then, the magic really happened! We got to end our night with some stunning photos of Jessica and Clay embracing in front of one of Colorado’s famous sunsets. If I had to write a poem after this visit to Chautauqua Park, I would have a difficult time selecting just one inspiration – and brown dirt would not be a contender. Lucky, a photographer gets to tell countless color stories- just one perk of being a wedding photographer!
