Mountain bridal shoot with Jean and Brian
Washington State has some of the most beautiful hiking trails you can find. Summit Lake Trail is no exception with it’s views of Mount Rainier. It’s quick access from the greater Seattle area also multiplies this hike’s popularity. Summit Lake Trail is located near Carbonado, Washington, you can find the specific location and directions on All Trails. The hike is a little over 6 miles and is considered moderate.
Now, it was time to set out on another mountain portrait adventure in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. I was lucky to get to work with Brian and Jean for a second time. This time they had their hearts set on wedding photos at Summit Lake Trail and Summit Lake Peak. Similar to the engagement photos hike we did last year, this trail rewards with gorgeous Mt. Rainer views, but with only one third of the miles required, we were going to be able to focus more on wedding bridal photos with less of a hike challenge. To make sure we would have plenty of opportunity for ample photo shoots we decided on an overnight trip for both sunset and sunrise.
On the day of the hike, we met at the trailhead at about 4 pm in the afternoon as we wanted to make our way up the trail in time for sunset. Then we would camp for the evening and wake up early for mountain sunrise photos again for more gorgeous views of Mt. Rainier and the surrounding landscape. Upon meeting Jean and Brian at the trail, Jean was already in her makeup and had a gorgeous bouquet of flowers in hand. She was determined to make it to the top ready for close-up portraits. They also packed along with them her wedding dress and a suit for Brian. They had gotten married a year prior but dreamed of having their wedding photos with the mountain landscape in their new home in the Pacific Northwest.
The photo team (consisting of myself, Courtney, and my dad) found a campsite and quickly setup camp while Jean and Brian changed into their formal attire.
Jean and Brian are from Taiwan but moved to Seattle, WA in 2020. They spend a lot of their free time hiking and enjoying all the beautiful outdoors that the Pacific Northwest has to offer.
At the peak, the couple found their own perfect spot for their tent right there. We continued to take photos there at the top with perfect light through sunset and dusk.
Once the sky was mostly dark it was time for some dinner. The photo crew headed back to the first campsite, but I had arranged that I would come back to the peak in an hour and a half to attempt a night shot.
After some much-needed hours of sleep, we woke up to the sun. The photos during sunrise were just as magical again with views of Mt. Rainier and also with Summit Lake and the seemingly endless cascade mountains as a backdrop.
A couple of hours later and our photos were complete. We had some breakfast, packed up our tents, and made the few-mile trek back to the trailhead. Another mountain portrait adventure was complete!
I had Brian and Jean answer a few questions so you can get to know them better, below:
Has hiking always been something you have enjoyed or how long has it been a part of your life?
Yes, Jean is enthusiastic about hiking in general and brought Brian into this field since they were together.
What do you love about hiking and being outdoors?
See nice mountain views and use different equipment to survive in the wild.
What are some of your other hobbies or things you two enjoy doing?
Running, cycling, ultimate frisbee, disc golf, etc.
What do you love the most about living in the PNW?
Evergreens in the wild and mosses. Cool temperature and mild weather.
Why did you want to have wedding photos taken out in the mountains?
We both enjoy hiking and decided to include the mountains in one of our biggest life event.
Taking wedding photos in different landscapes is in Jean's bucket list since childhood.
Why did you choose Ross for your photography?
We were first attracted to Ross because of his portfolio photo on his website. He has tons of different and often unique trails for photos in his reservoir.
After connecting with him, we found that he is very flexible and easy to communicate with, even when we gave out specific requests.
We love the first set of photos and we are glad to be his return clients too.
Thank you for taking the time to read through this post. If you want to chat about booking a guided Mountain Portrait Adventure please get in touch by email, instagram @rossjamesphoto, or check out my listing on Airbnb Experiences.