Hy and David booked to shoot in the fall which was great mainly because it’s a really unique and special time. Fall in Utah isn’t like fall is in a lot of other places. The colors and calm, cool weather doesn’t necessarily stick around for a month or two. Sometimes it feels like we go straight from summer heat to winter temps. If you really want a guaranteed fall session, you should probably book it early and in the mountains and still, you could be in for an early snowstorm (still beautiful in its own way) or a cozy cold and cloudy day.

This is why situations like this where the fall colors and bluebird skies align are so special. There’s just a window of time every year where you can get beautiful fall engagement photographs in Utah. But that’s what we had this day. The trees were turning orange and yellow as the last bit of fall air was making its way out of Utah. There was a slight breeze which made it all absolutely perfect.

As I was shooting these beautiful friends engagement photos,  I saw their relationship was one of those that just makes sense, even to someone meeting them for the first time. They’re both creatives, Hy is an illustrator and David is a fine art wedding photographer. Also, they both share the same not-suitable-for-my-professional-blog level of humor I have.

After meeting and all the laughing we remembered we still had to go shoot! We started out on some trails through a forest (the aspens were in the prime of their color). Then we found our way to a field. Hy and David were so smooth and casual about everything. One second they’d be sharing an intimate moment and the next making one another laugh with some joke they pulled out of nothing. We kept exploring and found a road with some beautiful views of Utah’s mountains. We did a quick wardrobe change for the road photos. Hy and David were naturals in front of the camera in every way, always playful and never hesitating to take things in their own direction.

This little sliver of time in the fall brings such amazing light. Well before “ideal” times to shoot, the sun is still a little lower than usual and leaves you with this really airy golden light that is a ton of fun to play with. Hy would walk around a tree, David’s hand in his, and there would be a whole new range of light and colors. Also, let’s not forget that fall brings the best fashion out of all of us. Cue Hy and David’s jackets, button up shirts, beanies, and boots – these dudes know how to dress.

Shoots like this are generally pretty short, but just like this one, they are so low-key, yet meaningful and fun. I could have hung out with Hy and David for so much longer, which is probably why we’ve actually stayed good friends since their engagement session! They’re going to be the fun husbands of every friend group, for sure.

This day was so fun because of who Hy and David are, but also because I love getting to shoot same-sex couples more and more. Love is love is love, and it’s so fun seeing people who’ve found their person- capturing the comfort, joy, and general stoke that comes in the process. I can’t wait to hang with these two friends again, laughing till it hurts while exploring Utah or grabbing dinner and drinks… anything to have that much fun again.