On a late September Sunday morning, I found myself driving in the dark along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was before sunrise, and I had the road to myself as I wound along the mountain-hugging curves. Light started to seep into the sky as the clouds clung low in the hills. Out of sheer compulsion, I pulled over a few times just to get out of the car and breathe in the cool, still air as the heavens warmed from navy to pink. It was probably the most peaceful I’d ever felt on the way to a photography job.
Heather and Josh, clever couple that they are, spent the night at the Peaks of Otter Lodge. So, though they missed out on a quiet morning drive, they got some extra sleep and woke up already in the mountains - lovely! After a quick hello at my car, we promptly took off for the trails, soaking in all of the early morning beauty the area has to offer.
Nestled in between two mountains, Sharp Top and Flat Top, the lodge sits on a small body of water that contains all sorts of trails along its border. We traveled across boardwalks, explored bits of forest, and generally clung to the water’s edge as much as we could. The sun rose so gloriously across the water from us, a warm star peeping between the very spot where Sharp Top and Flat Top converge into a valley.
Josh and Heather were great sports about sitting in dewy grass, walking in the woods, even clinking wine glasses and taking some sips at that early hour. They claimed to be unsure of how to behave in front of the camera, and yet the magic was in those very moments where they were not being anything for the camera but themselves – and there were plenty of those!
I met this lovely couple in Roanoke, but not long after our café date they moved to northern Virginia. They said they took this engagement shoot as an opportunity to return home, visit family, and get away to the mountains again. It was so special to capture their togetherness in this beautiful place at what I believe is the most divine hour of the day. They doted lovingly on each other, making sure they were comfortable. They constantly laughed and joked together, the conversation flowing easily between them. With a recent move, new career plans, and an upcoming wedding, Heather and Josh have what many would consider good reasons to feel worn out or stressed. I’m sure they have those moments, like all of us. But on that morning, it was just...peace.