Chris & Sydney (Eastern Sierra Elopement)
The Memories of an Eastern Sierra Elopement.
Some couples plan their day around a venue. Chris and Sydney planned theirs up the trailhead of Big Pine Lakes, around the general area of the Alabama Hills and Mt. Whitney.
The vision was simple, yet incredibly beautiful. A getaway with friends, a hike into a meadow, fly rods in hand, all leading to a moment likely to change their lives forever. There was no ballroom or tables to set, just the insurmountable beauty of the mountains, the sage-scrubbed high desert, and the particular kind of quiet that only exists at this sort of elevation.
I've spent enough time in the Sierra to know that the landscape has a way of doing the emotional heavy lifting. The granite peaks, wide open sky, and the way light moves; it’s all different up here and has a way of making everything feel more honest. More like itself; and Chris and Sydney fit right into it.
The fly fishing wasn't a prop or a cute detail for the photos. It was just part of their day, the same way it's part of their life together. (Fun fact, I attribute my love for fly fishing to Sydney and Chris.) My job was to be there when it mattered and stay out of the way when it didn't.
That's the kind of day I'm always chasing.
Planning an Eastern Sierra elopement? I know these roads well and I'd love to hear what you're envisioning. Let's talk.
“Working with Phil was incredibly comfortable and easy. He somehow made frolicking through a field feel totally normal. It was important to us to have someone who could capture both the dramatic Sierra landscape and the intimacy of our elopement, and he absolutely nailed it. Phil understood that fly fishing the small creek was a meaningful part of our day and captured it beautifully. With only a small amount of reference, he delivered far beyond what we hoped for, instinctively knowing what we wanted and offering direction exactly when we needed it.”
