I like to think of myself as an adventurous spirit. Except I hate heights and deep waters and falling and stinging bugs, so that limits my ability to actually BE adventurous sometimes. But as I grow and learn more about myself I’m realizing that I LOVE nature and retreating from the hustle and bustle of the city. So when Anne approached me earlier this year about a possible engagement shoot in Great Falls Park, I JUMPED at the opportunity!

Anne and I were both in the economics master’s program at George Mason University at around the same time and now work for the same organization. She’s currently completing her PhD in economics like the rockstar she is, but unlike me, is quite the daredevil. Turns out, she used to teach rock-climbing and repelling from some of Great Falls’ steepest cliffs! After hearing Jeffrey stories, this was the first time I’ve sighted the wild Jeffrey (as Anne says)! After meeting him, it was like their relationship immediately made sense. Jeffrey is an engineer at JHU Applied Physics lab, and is just so sweet! Together they spend their time fostering kitties, hiking/camping and rock climbing, and probably making good progress toward running the world. They have that genuine kind of love, the kind you can immediately see on their faces even when whatever they’re doing isn’t that romantic or spectacular. Honestly I was so spoiled getting to explore this park with them because they just made my job so easy!

So, a couple of weeks ago we ventured to the Virginia side of the falls, which is definitely more picturesque than the Maryland side (in my opinion), and I showed up a bit early to try and scope out some good portrait spots but had the intention of asking Anne and Jeffrey if they had any spots in mind since this was a meaningful location for them. Let’s just say, I was blown away by some of the places they took me to. The first one was an overlook where Anne used to teach repelling, and where I learned that Jeffrey and I had a fear of heights in common. We both handled it like champs though and they immediately were naturals in front of the camera! We then walked along some of the hiking trails, ventured to some ruins, found the most gorgeous lighting ever, took some iconic Great Falls portraits, and ended their session with this stunning little pathway that seemed to just frame them up perfectly. So, without further ado, here are some highlights from our adventurous engagement session in Great Falls, VA!