Step into the experience with butterflies in your bones; with a nervous feeling so beautiful , you know you're doing something right."
- D. Antoinette Fay
...spread the wings
-adventure
Behind The Lens of Justyna E Butler Photography
What things can we include in your Colorado adventure elopement that will wisk your adventure wedding from the ordinary to magical? The secret of adventure is not in the specific location you will hike for your adventure wedding day, but in your unique love story and vision details.
I’m in love with the raw, natural, organic, the way wind blows your hair and your bridal Free People dress that when the shutter speed is set to be slow just to capture the love dance.
In low light, at blue hour, dancing to the Alpine Tundra breeze at 11,990 feet at 39 degrees. Those intimate snuggles, kisses, that give you goosebumps and that smile even though you know you might be freezing but that does not matter because you are with your love and nothing else matters at 5:30 am. And laughing so hard you tear up, the sleepy eyes, the butterflies in your stomach moments, the true moments that is purely you, no shyness, only pure and raw and under appreciated moments like these. All those quiet moments, the in between ones.
Only your love tale in the most epic place you dream of.
That is my goal to capture.
MY PHILOSOPHY
The laced up hiking boots covered in snow on a mountain trails, the tears of happiness on your rosy cheeks when you share your most unique moments of your lifetime just with your love....or maybe the closest family and friends...that day is truly yours and only yours for unique adventure opportunities. That is the definition of an adventure elopement to me.
Conveying the emotions in each frame and feeling though the moments you will remember for the rest of your lifetime...ten, twenty years later I want you to feel exactly how you felt at that particular moment...that's what I promise you.
I promise you an experience of a lifetime.
If you haven't had a chance to watch my Behind The Lens film, stop now and watch it!
I am an open book to help you to discover YOU, your VISION and let your alpine dreams come true. Guide you with all my experience and share my passion for the fresh breath of air. The beauty of elopements and those heart warming intimate weddings is that you can make it truly your own and unique. Don't be afraid to reach about planning and your wedding needs. I am here to customize your unique experience to make sure we capture it all.
Elopements are for those who would rather eat a homemade PBJ's for a lunch on a filled wildflowers trail with best friends and enjoy the first sunlight on their faces rather than the traditional wedding. Backpacking adventure elopements are for adventurous souls who are not afraid challenges that Colorado weather might bring. Adventure intimate weddings are for couples who chase experiences rather than things. A non-traditional elopements are for those who would rather cuddle in the mountain top alpine meadow after a hike of the lifetime. Adventure elopements are for those who are not afraid of waking up 2am to star gaze and to witness the most epic sunrise just to share. It's all about the EXPERIENCE.
When I put all the puzzle pieces from 20 years ago where it all started for me on Monhegan Island, Maine when my husband and I fell in love with lifetime adventure. We are inseparable ever since. Back then, I had no idea where our path will take us, but now deep down I have determined one fact for sure: Monhegan opened the door to fall in love with adventures!
Are you ready?
I believe..
nothing beats that alpine wind movement...
in a perfect flowy dress...
Best adventure elopement dresses are the ones embracing the mountain elements like movement. I love capturing movement. Be ready to twirl, dance barefoot or in your hiking boots in the rythm of the alpine breezy wind.Those moments win my heart embracing all the alpine wind every single time! . And that dress plays a huge role in the look...so make sure to pick one that combines the latest women's fashions with forever-stylish silhouettes. The right dress can make you look and feel your best. Discover uniquely curated dresses just to adventure the trail and stand out in any adventure weather. Whether it's a vivid bohemian pattern, color block, or a classic flowy look, these styles are for the adventurous and bold. They are totally swoon-worthy styles you're sure to love.
No matter the occasion, adventure elopement, vows renewal, couples adventure you deserve the perfect dress that brings out the best in you on the trail of your life!
I BELIEVE
in windswept moments embracing the element of epic nature that surrounds us...
Do you want amazing, unique photos? Do you like adventure? Do you want a photographer who is passionate about capturing YOUR love story? Well then look no further because Justyna is the photographer for you! We recently hired her as our wedding photographer and had our engagement shoot in Rocky Mountain National Park on Aug. 11th. She met us in the park at 4:30am and we took photographs under the stars. We watched the alpenglow illuminate the peaks. It was such a beautiful, magical experience! Justyna is so fun to work with and the results are seriously perfection!! My fiancé and I could not stop gawking over the them and we are SO excited for her to shoot our wedding next May! I highly recommend that anyone reading this who is looking for a photographer to please invest in yourselves and hire Justyna! You will thank yourself later when you get the pleasure of seeing all the nuances of your love captured on film.
I BELIEVE
In rosy hues of alpine landscapes...
that's my HAPPY PLACE.
Getting up at 2am to hike up to the epic spot that is YOU by sunrise. Hiking by the light of the headlamps and studied the stars to witness the alpenglow as epic as I get to see every singe adventure! Those rosy hues warm my heart and soul.
"It’s 12:57 in the morning. Remarkably, I’ve somehow awoke before the alarm on my phone lets loose the most annoying sound to wake us from our slumber. My wife Amy and I snap out of bed and start to get ready. We’re meeting our adventure elopement photographer, Justyna, who I can only describe as brilliant, in Estes Park Colorado for an adventure shoot. We’re after pictures with the wonderful aura that only the alpenglow illuminating a Colorado mountain scape can provide. We want pictures that capture our love and passion in a unique setting that isn’t cliche. It’s a race against time for us to get ready, and make the 2 hour drive from our home to the mountains in time to capture the perfect lighting. We’re running late and it’s early, but I have coffee in hand and the excitement of trip to the mountains ahead. As soon as I start the car, I realize we’re in a game of chicken with the gas needle! We stop for gas, but it’s even too early for the gas station….the pumps won’t work! I get back in the car only to find that Amy has spilled most of my coffee on the floor. Miraculously, her dress somehow avoids disaster. No gas and no coffee…….the two essentials that we need to get to the mountains. I’m ready to go home and go back to bed. However, I recall Justyna’s enthusiasm for an alpenglow photo shoot and that fuels me to press on. This is our third photo shoot with Justyna and I’ve learned to trust her genius. Justyna photographed our winter Rocky Mountain National Park adventurous engagement and our Colorado mountain wedding just months prior to this shoot. If I had to describe those experiences in a single world, I can only say …spectacular. Undeterred, I get in the car, find a station that can actually pump gas at that hour and away we go.
I-25, normally the best free parking lot in Denver, feels like the Autobahn! We cruise into Estes and find the meeting point. Somehow, we’re early! Justyna finds us 10 minutes later and she is amped about this shoot! Her energy is infectious and we forget that we’re tired and we find our second wind. We drive up a winding road towards our location and I realize just how epic this shoot will be It’s dark, but the silhouette of the mountains teases us. We park the cars along the side of the road and Justyna grabs her gear bag and off we go. We hike down a berm towards a pointy, rocky ledge that reaches out towards a colossal mountain across the valley. It’s still dark, but I can make out the spectacular view! The crisp mountain air is invigorating and I see Justyna prep her camera and lenses. I can see her creative mind at work as she takes in the breathtaking view and determines how we fit within it.
The sun starts to crest a nearby peak in the east, and Justyna situates us on that rocky ledge that we hiked to. With Amy in my arms, I look at my feet….roughly 3 inches from a 200 foot drop and a gorgeous mountain view behind us, I envision the moment that Justyna will capture. I feel the adrenaline and move closer to the ledge. Justyna finds a perch across from us on a rocky bluff and it’s on! Justyna directs our movements and works to capture our love and passion for one another. Our experience is organic. We feel free, invigorated, and are having an incredible experience! We can see Justyna angling for the perfect shot. She changes location, position, and altitude to capture the perfect moment. It’s clear that Justyna is having just as much fun as we are. We’re in an surreal location, with a friend, and having an incredible time. We spend the morning laughing, chatting, and shooting and then our session wraps up. We had so much fun!" Cliff + Amy
I BELIEVE
elopements are not for everyone....you are the right soul for it you love nature and you are not afraid of challenges... if you are hoping your adventure can be “lunch with a view.
Hiking has been a hobby that has bonded us since the very beginning, and over the past four years we have loved every opportunity to lace up our boots and hit the trails together. We love nothing more than to choose a hike less-traveled and enjoy a well-earned PBJ sandwich at the top, or as we like to call it, “lunch with a view.” With no cellphone service, we are at the mercy of the elements and our own devices, so our hiking adventures have served as reflections to some of the pillars of our relationship: support, encouragement and trust. "Julianna+Darren
I BELIEVE
IN EMBRACING THE ELEMENTS NO MATTER WHAT THE WEATHER CAN BE...
.. laced up your boots, ready for majestic woodlands of Evergreens and though the wildflower meadows squeezed between the peaks....where the towering mountains twinkling with alpine lakes, where the sweeping ridges and airy vistas soar well above the tree line.....hearts dancing, twirling, snuggling....in love no matter what the weather is.
I BELIEVE
IN EXPERIENCE...
Adventure Elopements are not just photography portraits sessions...they are so much more...they are not "....spare of the moment...escaping the family alone...away...just to get hitched type of thing. NOPE. They are planned out EPIC DAYS based on a dream, vision that we share....carefully planned...and they are YOU.
"Justyna is out of this world! My husband and I came to Colorado to get married and Justyna captured it all so perfectly. What I loved most about Justyna (besides everything, honestly) was the connection she was able to create with us. She is such a warm and passionate person who genuinely cares about her couples. I immediately felt like I had known her for years and was sad when our time was up. I'm already trying to think of more reasons to travel the world with her so she can capture it all. 🙂 She is AMAZING! I cannot recommend her enough!"
I BELIEVE
IN GAZING AT THE STARS MOMENTS WITH HEAD LAMPS ON...starting up bright and early...
From the beginning, with a simple phone call talking about how we pictured our adventure session, Justyna was very energetic and on the same page with our vision. In viewing her other sessions and reading her blogs and Instagram posts, we fell in love with her eye and her perspective on how love looks. In the weeks following up to our session, we had many back and forth conversations with questions, ideas and excitement about the session. We had no idea just how in tune and comfortable we’d be in person, and she hands down exceeded our expectations! Ian and I are super private as a couple and our relationship is very important to us to keep it that way. Justyna understood every bit of our needs and delivered 100%! The session itself is something we will never forget, with the locations we were able to visit and the company we were surrounded by, it was a very amazing encounter. Greeted by warm hugs and optimism, we felt very received and welcome into a sometimes uncomfortable situation with new people and a camera. Justyna made us feel very comfortable, especially for Ian who has never been comfortable in front of a camera. Prior to the session I told him to follow my lead and to try and stay optimistic, however, Justyna’s approach and energy made him feel like he could be himself in front of the camera. We were very much at ease and very much ourselves during the session, all thanks to Justyna! We cannot wait to view our intimate moments from another perspective, for our relationship and our devotion to one another is very deep, and we’re very excited it was captured by Justyna. -Ian & Amy Bant
I BELIEVE
Embrace the Colorado weather changes...
and elopements are not for everyone... you are not afraid of challenges that Colorado weather can bring...FLEXIBILITY is YOUR SECOND NAME you are the right couple to adventure with me!
Consider the season for sure. Colorado weather is very unpredictable and it ranges with altitudes 5,522 over 14.000 feet , where the weather can be very extreme. Sometimes Estes Park downtown is in 80's, and Trail Ridge Road is only in 40's...sometimes, Breckenridge is sunny flip flops weather...and top of the Loveland Pass is in 30's and snowy.
That's the beauty of adventuring on Colorado trails. Embracing the weather elements, going with the flow, carefully preparing for any conditions...will make reward you with lifelong experience and memories that will last forever...even if you take of your boots and dance in the rain on the top of the world.