August 7, 2018

COLORADO ALPEN GLOW ADVENTURES|CLIFF+AMY

Colorado Adventures

COLORADO ALPEN GLOW ADVENTURES|SUNRISE HIKING ADVENTURES|ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER|CLIFF+AMY|JUSTYNA E BUTLER PHOTOGRAPHY|ADVENTURE HIKING ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER|CREATIVE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY FOR ADVENTUROUS COUPLES|COLORADO MOUNTAIN WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER| Cliff+Amy Gallery

THE ADVENTURE STORY

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!

As I type this memory, Justyna has just posted the first picture from this session on social media.  I am awe struck.  The picture is striking and captures the connection that I have with my wife.  During our photo shoot, we stumbled over one another, fought the chilly wind, laughed, and danced.  Somehow, Justyna was able to capture images that were graceful and showed our connection.  Our experience was wonderful.

THE COUPLE’S EXPERIENCE

Very few people in this world surprise me.  I can honestly say that Justyna has simply amazed me.  I cannot say enough about her professionalism, creativity, and most of all – her character.  Justyna photographed our engagement pictures and our wedding.  Her work is OUTSTANDING and it speaks for itself.  More remarkable than her work is her personality and her integrity.  Justyna is energetic, fun, and passionate.  My wife and I felt so comfortable and our experience was delightful – and Justyna’s work is exceptional.  Our most memorable and impressionable experience getting ready for a wedding was working with Justyna.  Justyna was just as passionate about our experience as we were.  Her penchant for capturing pure and organic moments is unrivaled.  The memories she helped to create are incredible.  I cannot say enough about her or her work.   As I mentioned before, Justyna’s work is outstanding, but the person is even more amazing.  Justyna is a gifted photographer with an incredible ability to connect with people.

WANT MORE ADVENTURES ?

• ADVENTURE DESTINATION ELOPEMENT IN RMNP
• LOVELAND PASS ELOPEMENT
• MARRON BELLS HIKING ADVENTURES 
• SUNSET TRAIL RIDGE ELOPEMENT
• SPRING Rocky Mountain NATIONAL PARK ADVENTURE SESSION
• WINTER MOUNTAIN ENGAGEMENT IN THE SUMMIT COUNTY
• FALL DREAM LAKE ELOPEMENT IN RMNP

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