Every year I do a giveaway right around Thanksgiving to express my gratitude to you all for being on this journey with me and to give back. This year Jess + Mason won and it was so perfectly aligned. They were so engaged with each other and the land while we were out, it was really special to witness.

Synchronisity is really interesting; especially, how it shows up. I had a few locations in mind for their session. We knew we wanted to make a fire and (selfishly, my spirit has been calling out for the river) I wanted to be around water so river access necessary. When we were driving I decided to stop at one of my favorite haunts. It turns out, this is also where Jess + Mason spend their summers to swim and play. We couldn’t believe how it all shook out – Jess said to me, “I love this so much, we’ll treasure these photos because they’re at the river”.

We made a fire and they spent time cozying up around the warmth. We went down to the water for a while and found some stones for them to add to their crystal collection. We also explored the surrounding woods and Jess found a great spot in a birch tree’s roots for a smudge ceremony. She and I snuck away while Mason tended the fire. I loved seeing her close her eyes and relax in the embrace of that proud birch tree.

I also challenged myself this shoot. I have a tilt shift lens that rarely leaves my bag and I’d like to change that. I kept it on my 6D MkII the entire session and forced myself out of my comfort zone. I’m super stoked on the photos that came from that challenge.

I hope this inspires you to get out in the wild soon to make a fire of your own. If you’d like to share the experience with me, please reach out. And, remember, the woods are waiting.