When Life Hands You Lemons...

I’ve been on quite a few photo shoots by this point, and while I always try to prepare for the worst case scenario, sometimes there are still surprises. I’ve had pictures turn up out of focus once I got them up on my computer, and on one nature hike I actually forgot both of my SD cards. *facepalm*

However, every so often there is a very pleasant surprise that happens. 

On a fairly recent photo shoot, I asked a model that I had worked with previously if she would be willing to pose for some dreamy, summer shots. I had a particular location in mind, off a random federal road near the town of Sisters, Oregon. Well, Kayla totally delivered with a beautiful, flowy white dress that was exactly what I had envisioned. 

We went to the spot that I thought I really wanted, and walked around a little bit. I was able to get some decent shots, but I was a little disappointed. It wasn’t exactly what I had originally hoped to capture. 

Now, they were certainly still some nice photos, but they didn’t quite have the drama that I had wanted. Perhaps I was just aiming too high, I thought. 

On a whim, I told Kayla that there was one other spot that I knew of that might be a good location as well. It was about five miles down the road from where we were. She was a great sport and instantly said, “Let’s go!” 

We drove out to the second location, the one that I had put in mind as a backup because I didn’t really think it would be as good as the first. 

Only low and behold, this was the spot. 

The second location that I wasn’t sure of ended up being covered in manzanita in full bloom, adding the perfect element to the photos. It turned out exactly how I had wanted it, and I couldn’t stop grinning through the whole shoot. 

The dramatic mountain views, the perfect rays of sunlight, and the flowering manzanita made it one of the best photo shoots I've done.

Sometimes as photographers, we have to be ready to make last minute changes, even if we think we have everything prepared. Which is perhaps a good metaphor for life as well, eh? But when faced with the unexpected, we have to remember that it’s not always going to be a bad thing. In fact, sometimes it will give you the very shot that you wanted in the first place. 

Happy travels!