Big Bend National Park Elopement Photographer / Couple's Session

West Texas is one of my favorite places on Earth. Since visiting this enchanting land for the first time a few years ago- passing through Marathon, Alpine, Marfa, Terlingua and Big Bend- I fell in love with its vastness, isolation and prehistoric beauty. The Chihuahuan desert was the first true desert I had ever been in and it left a profound impression on me.

The 7ish hour drive from Austin is stunning, taking you through multiple ecoregions within TX. Early in the drive, lush Hill Country vistas give way to vast, arid desert and you witness a gradually shifting landscape wherein trees and grass are replaced with desert soil, vegetation and mountains.

When I heard that Alice and Chris wanted to take photos out in this area, I was excited to say the least. After initially planning the trip a few months prior, we finally met up at their Airbnb in Terlingua to start our day of exploration. I drove from The Terlingua Ranch Lodge- where I was staying for a few nights- to meet them.

On the day of our shoot, I woke up extra early to catch the sunrise on the drive out from the lodge. I met Alice and Chris in Terlingua at their Airbnb- a ridiculous encampment in the middle on nowhere that literally looked like a haphazard shelter straight out of Mad Max. We took photos in the surrounding landscape before driving into Big Bend. From here, we explored multiple areas of the park, stopping at different points along the way. Below are some of my favorite shots from the day.