the place where it started
A few short months ago, Ben surprised Laura with a mountain top proposal followed by warm embraces from out of state family and friends who were hidden away until it was time to pop out and celebrate. Ben really went all out with his proposal right there at Mount Falcon. So, when it came time to choose a location for their engagement shoot it was an easy choice!
Mount Falcon West Trailhead is my favorite of the two entrances. The East entrance also has some beautiful views, but the West entrance provides incredible overlooks, and gorgeous golden hour light and is very easily accessible. We planned our shoot to start about an hour and a half before sunset to give us time to walk along the trail, explore the space a bit and take our time capturing different scenes. It can be a bit busy during golden hour, but there are so many great locations for shooting that it isn't difficult to avoid other people.
Mount Falcon 5 minutes away from the parking lot
the hike to the lookout
From the West Trailhead parking lot there is about a 35 minute, 1.5 mile hike to Mount Falcon Lookout. The trail is well marked and easily accessible other than the fairly steep incline in a few places. After an outfit change at the onsite restrooms we made our way to the lookout stopping every so often to take advantage of beautiful backgrounds as the sun started to drop.
Sunset and champagne
Sunset from the lookout is absolutely beautiful and so we timed our session so that we would arrive at the lookout just as the sun dipped down giving us gorgeous light and a completely different look to the golden hour shots on the trail. We also popped a bottle of champagne and celebrated, because why not!
the descent
We spent a bit of time at the lookout, watching the sunset as Ben and Laura told me more about how they met, fell in love and what they loved most about their relationship as well as their dreams for the future. Then we began our journey down the trail, making a few quick stops on the way, including a quick practice session for the couples first dance. What a great evening!
