I take peoples family pictures as my profession. Well mostly I'm a mom but I do about 80 photo shoots a year. And yet I don't get professional photos of my own family very often. It's partly a cheep thing and partly a not wanting to deal with the kids and Bryan with it. I'm also very busy during the best times to get family pictures taken! But I felt strongly last year I wanted them done. And I knew Bryan was in a state where he would be very good about it. So I spent a long time looking up photographers.
I had followed Cali for years and always loved her work. I especially loved her beautiful mountain shots. Let that be a tip for people looking for photographers. Look at the photos they take and the locations they love. Because it's where they can shine as a photographers. Where they love. So I knew Cali was a mountain girl like me. And mountains fit my family! I had this dream of a beautiful huge canvas in my home of my family with the mountains behind it. So I jumped in and booked her.
We did these the first week or so of September. I honesty didn't even buy the clothes until that week. The dress I ordered for me was back ordered so I had to last minute get this one. Which was a huge win because I love this one a lot more and the one that finally came was WAY too big for me.
Bryan let me pick the location and I picked a really far one. This was up cottonwood canyon. A good two hour drive. I told them I understood it was far. I knew it wasn't fun but please this is really important to mom. Please be good.
It starts to rain in SLC while we are driving and their really had been very little rain in the forecast. We get to Jordan Pines and there are wall to wall photographs there. Many whom I recognized from social media as some of the best in the state. Its easy to see why this spot is so popular. Its insane beautiful! So we get started and about 5 minutes into the shoot it starts to rain. Not then it starts to REALLY rain. So we ran for the pine trees to take cover. My boys didn't really care if they got wet but I sure did! It took me forever to do my hair! Then it started to POUR! Lighting and thunder. The whole bit.
I'm kind of funny because when stuff like this happens I laugh it off. Because nothing could have been done. It's no ones fault. So just laugh it off. I mean I had just drove two hours to get here and I wasn't about to just turn around and go home. I wanted to at least wait and see what the weather did. After a little bit Cali (who was the real MVP) took the boys out and got some photos of them in the light rain. I still hid in the trees. You can see rain on them in some pictures. Then I started to pop out of the trees and jump in a few pictures. I just wanted anything! I knew we weren't going to get my family here again.
Soon the sun came out. And the clouds left. And a FREAKING RAINBOW came out! And no one was around! We were the only ones who stuck it out. And we got all of these beautiful shots.
I know I'm the only one who will understand this next part. I honestly felt like it was Gods way of tell me it will be ok. You can make it though the storm. And at the end it will be so amazing! Look at this rainbow!
When I say I'm going to treasure these photos forever I mean it. My sweet little family. Words can't express how much I love my boys. I just am so grateful for each and every one of them.
