Utah Engagement Photos at Bonneville Salt Flats
Utah Engagement Photos at Bonneville Salt Flats
Meet the couple behind these Utah engagement photos
These two met on a road trip for photographers and now road trip together with their sweet little pup who sort of looks like the footstool from Beauty and the Beast so it should be of no surprise that we did their Utah engagement photos on the Salt Flats at Bonneville. They bought a bus shortly after getting married and are still fully renovating it into their dream bus. You can actually follow their bus at @sasquatchthebus on instagram (you will not regret it)! These two still choose lunchables for picnic dates, are not afraid to get the bus stuck in some mud, love cuddles, and are root beer bottle snobs (the artwork needs to be nice and clean yet fun for these two!! HAHA). But they are also are two of the friendliest and most inviting people I have ever met. Callie and David had India and I feeling like we were all four besties in minutes. As soon as I heard David jamming to Rainbow Kitten Surprise, I knew i liked them. It was only fitting we had their little loaf of bread doggy and their bus in the shoot, so scroll down and enjoy a look into the crazy fun, beautiful life of David and Callie.
The Best places for your engagement photos in Utah
Utah is one of the most gorgeous states you can choose to go to for your engagement photos, with so many different epic landscapes and so many choices! So I am going to make deciding easier for you, with a few of my favorite places to go in Utah for your engagement session!
Moab
Lake Powell
Heres the thing, I could go ON AND ON about a list of locations to do your engagement photos in Utah at, but every place is so so unique that it truly is all up to you and your preference, and your level of adventure and willingness to explore the outdoors! These locations have easy trails, drive up sites, and also have hard day hikes, and miles worth of exploring so anyone at any level of experience can spend the day exploring these parks and places in Utah!
How to prepare for your Utah Engagement session:
Utah is a state full of so many different landscapes but also unpredictable in the weather and time of year. So there are many things to take into consideration when preparing for your engagement session all throughout Utah!
Permits!! this is a HUGE thing to think about. If you are working with a photographer who does not know about the permits, it is best to already know what is needed by doing your research or find a photographer familiar with the area who knows all about permits (not to brag- but I am constantly researching permits and will never risk anything for my couples!). Every national and state park is different on what is needed to get a permit and what activities require a permit! It is best to go on their website and call their permit center and explain to them what will be taking place and whether or not a permit is needed (or have your photographer do this- they should be okay with it!).
Time of year: Utah is a state full of mountains, deserts, lakes and forests, so the weather is going to be different in each of these places! so time of year is key to choosing the perfect spot and time for your engagement session! Keep in mind, certain parks will close during certain times of year, and certain trails will only be accessible during the summer or spring (a lot close down in fall and winter). Think about what type of outfits are most flattering on you, and what your favorite colors are! If you don’t love sweaters and more muted colors- than stay away from doing your engagement photos in Utah in the late fall and winter!
your outfits: think about where you want to be shooting for your engagement session! Are you wanting green grass and mountains? Or golden rocky formations at Lake Powell or Arches National Park? We all learned about complimentary colors in elementary school, but who thought that would come in handy when planning for your engagement photos?! Think about the greens you want to show up behind you, you don’t want to blend in do you?! You also do not want to wear something you would NEVER wear except for engagement photos. You are then going to feel awkward and unlike yourself. I do not recommend buying something new solely for your photos. Use your own clothes, that you know flatter you, that you feel good in, and think about movement, what moves well with your body and what flatters you when you move? So heres a few ideas for different locations for your outfits:
For mountains: think about the green grass and blue hues in the mountains, stray away from blues and greens in your outfits!
For desert and rocky formations: think about the orange and red hues that hit the rocks when the sun shines, stay away from oranges, reds, yellows and pins and light tans and try to go for more deep colors that will pop out against those rocks and sunset colors!
For salt flats: the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah are known for their white salt and the blue hour beauty that happens after the sun goes down, the salt and sky light up in blues and pinks, so think about what colors would look good against a blue and pink painted sky! stay away from whites and light pinks as you may end up blending into the salt flats and sky once the sun goes down!
How to find your Utah Engagement photographers.
Picking your photographer for your engagement session can be so stressful yet it is so important! Especially when doing your photos in a place like Utah! You want to make sure you have a photographer you can trust in all different landscapes, one who is familiar with the legality of shooting in Utah and one who is comfortable leading you around these areas during your session! So here are a few things to think of and look for when choosing your engagement photographer in Utah!
Do you and your photographer click well? do you have things in common and genuinely want to hang out with them?
Do you like how they shoot in ALL types of lighting? Direct sun, sunset, blue hour, inside, in the mountains AND the desert? You need to like it because you NEVER know how the lighting will be the day of your own session!
Do you trust them when it comes to the legality of shooting and acquiring the permits needed, if needed?
Do they have the same vision you are looking to achieve in your photos and do you trust their ‘posing’?
If you are still looking for your Utah Engagement photographer I would love to work with you and chat! I have given you a list of locations that are broad and cover a TON of land but I have a narrowed down list of specific locations in each of those bigger locations that I share with my clients and help decide what exact spot if perfect for you! Along with a style guide to help you pick your dream outfit! You wanna explore Utah together?! Find out more about my sessions here and then message me here!
