Erin and Mitch chose to do a full adventurous Tahoe National Forest couples session. Honestly, WE LOVE THAT.

We went to a top-secret alpine lake in California. MAN, it was defs worth the 2-hour drive for me to get up there. Seriously, it was incredible.

I was a little nervous because there is absolutely no cell service out there. For most of the drive too, if I remember correctly! So, client communication beforehand was super important and I’m glad we all found one another!! Let’s just say that I was stressed, but I was confident in our capabilities.

Scouting the Location Before Tahoe National Forest Couples Session

I left town SUPER early so I could have a couple of hours to explore the area before my couple got there.

This area has a pair of twin lakes and a hike that connects the two of them. So I took the trail and as you hike up you have these epic mountains in the background. While you’re hiking alongside the lower lake, the views are STUNNING. Can I just say it again? STUNNING.

If you continue on the trail, you will reach a second lake. I didn’t make it there this time. Honestly, I wish I would have, but all the more reason to go back!

After my hike up full of taking in the views, I was convinced that I had found the perfect spot for this session. I headed back down and explored the bottom. There’s a little dock that you can get on and of course, you can get lakeside and have these awesome mountain views behind you.  

Some Cold Ones with the Dogs in the Tahoe National Forest

Once I came back down from literal HEAVEN ON EARTH, I found Mitch. He actually works in forestry so he was out on a job in the area which is why he was there early. He and I cracked a beer and got to know each other while we waited for Erin to get there.

My couples? THE COOLEST.

Erin brought their 3 german shepherds (and a bonus human to help wrangle them – this is a MUST DO when you have pups). We all drank a beer together before making the trek up. The dogs got to take off and explore as we worked our way up!

We started photographing all the views and making sure we got the “fridge pic” of the two of them smiling with the pups. Once we got all the views we worked our way back down and ended up lakeside with those stunning mountains looking down on us. We also got to play on the dock out there a bit and it was honestly just a vibe.

TIP: And I know I’ve said it 1000 times and I’ll keep saying it, BOOK AN ENGAGEMENT SESH WITH YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER. Seriously, it was so nice to get real-time with these two before the big day and for us to get to know one another. They got to see how I work and what to expect on their upcoming wedding day. Plus only one pup was going to be in the wedding so it was a great opportunity for them to get photos with all 3 dogs!