Amanda + Elias

I’ve been DYING to do a shoot at the Muir Beach Overlook and Amanda and Elias made all my dreams come true! I also hadn’t been to Muir Woods in many years so I was excited to go back and shoot there!

Because Muir Woods gets so busy (especially on the weekend), we decided to shoot in the morning. So we met early that morning at the Muir Beach Overlook and to our excitement, there was hardly anyone there. I discovered the overlook years ago before it was well known and it’s kind of a bummer how popular it’s gotten because it used to be this little hidden gem. So it was fun to have the overlook to ourselves for a little bit! And it was such a gorgeous day – we got so lucky with the weather! 

I’ve also been watching the Immersed Education composition and storytelling courses by Anni Graham recently (never stop learning!) so I was channeling my inner Anni Graham and really taking a step back and really capturing the whole picture. These photos from the overlook are some of my favorites I’ve taken this year and I can’t wait to continue putting everything I’ve learned recently into action (and into photos haha). 

After we finished at Muir Beach Overlook, we headed to Muir Woods. It was a Saturday so it was poppin’ but it was gorgeous. The redwoods at Muir Woods are far superior to any other redwoods I’ve seen – they’re thicc. I will say however that unless you feel comfortable getting your photos taken with an audience, if you want to shoot in the redwoods for your session, I would definitely recommend a different location. It was just so busy and we spent a lot of time waiting for people to get out of the frame. You can check out a session from the Oakland redwoods spot here and a session from the Occidental redwoods here!

Nevertheless, it was still so much fun! Wild piggy back rides definitely happened and we *attempted* a bouncy run but Elias insisted on skipping instead (all jokes Elias, we love your skipping). I can’t wait to share their wedding photos as well!

Photographer: @rebeccaskidgelphoto

Location: Muir Woods National Monument & Muir Beach Overlook