What better way to celebrate your 25th wedding anniversary than in Estes Park with a portrait photography session?

Paul and Rachel are local Estes Park residents and spend much of their time time hiking, fishing, and exploring. They have Rocky Mountain National Park in their backyard and it’s an incredibly meaningful spot for them. Prior to our portrait session, it had been many years since they’ve had professional portraits taken. When their wedding anniversary came around, they decided it was the perfect milestone to hire a photographer! When it came to deciding where to go, it was an easy choice.

Dream Lake is one of their favorite spots in Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s only a 2.2 mile roundtrip hike and there are stunning views and photo opportunities the entire way. Dream Lake is a special place for them. It’s where they take their friends and family on when they’re in town for a visit. It’s a location they’ve already shared many important memories together, and someplace they’ll always keep coming back to. Hallett Peak, the towering mountain just behind the lake, happens to Rachel’s personal favorite mountain peak too!

For their hiking portrait session, we met well before the sun came up for the day at Bear Lake Trailhead. Starting early, especially in a National Park, is a great way to avoid the crowds. We arrived at Dream Lake just in time for sunrise. It was a crisp morning in April and the snow still lingered all around the lake. The wintery scene was absolutely stunning as the first light touched the mountain. The sun rose in the sky, and a brilliant glow came across the mountain peaks. Dream Lake is often windy right at the lake, but the blowing and sparkling snow made for sun fun photos!

The morning was spent wandering around, taking portraits, and enjoying the picturesque views in every direction. It’s the kind of hike that offers many viewpoints, and it’s easy to hike it slowly and simply take it all in. That’s just what we did that morning.

Estes Park portrait photography

Lifestyle portrait photography sessions are perfect for any occasion including a family vacation, anniversary, engagement, proposal, or just because! Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park hold some of the most scenic spots in Northern Colorado for a portrait photography session! To learn more about lifestyle portraits, check out my couple sessions page.