Isabelle & Jairus are two of the gentlest and kindest people you’ll ever meet. They both have soft and sweet demeanors, and both are filled with desire for adventure and passion for helping others. Prior to this shoot, I spent two weeks on the road with Isabelle traveling through the southwest. My favorite memory with her is when she hiked Angels Landing in Zion National Park with Jeremiah and I. I was honestly terrified and definitely had a big freak out moment when faced with sliding down the ice and snow towards the 1,500 ft drop, but Isabelle was calm and cool the whole time. Her confidence in the situation helped through it.
During that hike I learned more about her work with the red cross, her education background and passion behind helping people, and I also learned about Jairus. She told us about all the fun adventures they’d been on together, and the future ones they were looking forward to like Havasupai Falls and their real wedding in Italy this year.
She told us that she missed him, and wished he could’ve come on this trip and been apart of this adventure as well. Well, her wish came true. Jairus ended up having a change in his work schedule, and flew out to meet us in Moab and Colorado for a few days! I knew I HAD to take photos of them together!
This shoot came together perfectly. Malachai, my photographer friend came to meet up with us in the Great Sand Dunes. He brought florals he made himself, as well as a dress and suit that just so happened to perfectly fit Isabelle & Jairus. Once at the Sand Dunes, we hiked up almost to the top, but could go no further due to the crazy wind conditions around us. The wind picked the sand up off the dunes and whirled around us, cutting at our skin like tiny knives. It was the hardest conditions I’ve ever shot in, shooting pictures through tears and sand in my eyes. But wow, it was so worth it! We had a beautiful time walking through the giant dunes with the view of the grey Colorado mountains surrounding us.
I can’t wait to meet up with Isabelle again this summer in the pacific northwest and continue our adventures there! Can’t wait to see how Isabelle & Jairus’s story grows from here, this is only the beginning.
