Horseshoe bend | las vegas lifestyle photographer

Its exciting to see what new ventures life will lead us to… around the bend. I am so glad that life lead me to this beautiful and majestic place. Horseshoe Bend.

bigger than big | las vegas lifestyle photographer

hues, sky and earth. It was hazy across the canyon that day but the wind still filtered through the peaks and valleys and carried the clouds a little further past the horizon. 

While hiking along the ridge, with the crisp air whipping around us, Caleb and I found a ridge. For a while we sat there, just taking it all in. It's moments like that where there are no Vegas lights, no hustle, and no timelines that make me realize I have all that I need. 

long dirt roads, chilly lakes, sunsets and stars | las vegas lifestyle photographer

Sprinklers are out and the trampoline springs are sprung with animation of small children cheerfully bouncing with worried mothers hanging close by in lawn chairs. Aunts and Uncles, kids and cousins, Grandma and Grandpa gather, well equipped with beer and mosquitoes. Oh mosquitoes. I don’t love you and will never miss you but I do remember the candles, smoke machines, zappers and net tents that we used to stay away from you… but you still found us. Catching fireflies and climbing up old trees with no fear of ever falling. Dragging quilts from linen closets outside onto the long grass and looking up at the stars around a campfire. Marshmallows and s’mores… or in my case only burnt marshmallows, by the bag full, delish. Playing Marco Polo in my cousins yard until the “street lamps” came out, or if our dads were watching us far, far later. Building living room tents made of pillows and sheets and telling flashlight stories under the pink glow of a flower print duvet. Running through the warm rain out to the swing sets to fly through the air and have the droplets splash and burst into our faces. My favorite memories are locked in the summers of Michigan. I miss those grassy fields and long dirt roads, chilly lakes, sunsets and stars. Every. Single. Day.

That’s what summer meant to me when I was 10 years old.

So today is the summer solstice and I tribute those memories to the first day of summer and the longest. Shine on sun and bring on the memories. 

 My memories belong to you Michigan... see you soon.

leah and rodrigo | las vegas engagement photographer

Leah and Rodrigo were ready to have some fun and prepared with props, dogs and smiles. We rounded up their little pups and put the boxing gloves on. Okay, well we did not do those two things at the same time... but you get the idea, lol. Leah and Rodrigo are a fun loving couple who never had an issue cracking up, as well as having me rolling in stitches. We even had a near death encounter (okay, well I nearly had a heart attack when I Rodrigo spotted the HUGE rattlesnake that I almost backed up to and stepped on!) Between rattlesnakes and action packed boxing knock-outs this was by far the most action packed e-shoot that I have ever done. I can't wait to be apart of this awesome couples wedding this fall... and see what else they have up their sleeves! 

she said... Yes! | las vegas lifestyle photographer

Life has been so crazy busy with a lot of new happenings and memories being made that there’s barely been any time to reflect! I love blogging because it gives me time to reflect on the work that has been tweaked, refined and finished and a second or two to cherish the really great memories that make life so valuable and worth living! Two weekends ago life gave me one of those monumental, fantastic, glitter covered, head-over-heels kind of memories. The man of my dreams (and I really do mean the man of my dreams) asked me to marry him… and I hate to ruin the thrill of the story, but I definitely said, “Yes!!!!”

How did he ask? Well you see he very carefully crafted the engagement around my dream weekend, a weekend full of scenic photography and hikes up to breath-taking views. On Saturday morning we headed out to the Grand Canyon and packed our bags for an afternoon of hiking to the furthest edges of the South Rim for optimal photo-taking at sunset. We arrived with the masses of people for Memorial Day weekend and set out for a good hike to the various overlook points. See there was a shuttle bus that you could ride from outlook point to outlook point but Caleb suggested that we hike instead. Although I knew that Caleb likes hiking just about as much as he likes getting filings at the dentist, I jumped at the idea… because I love, LOVE hiking. So we hiked along the rim and stopped at our own small, private cliff just as the sun was going over the canyon. Caleb suggested that I set up my tripod and try to get some good photos. Then he also suggested that we take some photos together. (He likes taking photos as much as he likes getting his teeth pulled, just to put this in perspective.) So I happily jumped at this as well. We were taking photos off the edge, sitting, in all different positions. Then he suggested that we take a photo standing up. So I fidgeted with the camera and set the self timer once more. I ran over to him and next thing I know he is grabbing my hands and down on one knee, with a big, sparkly ring (that out of my excitement I missed entirely at first).

“Will you take a jump with me, Sarah Bouchard?”, he says calmly.

I am in awe, “Ugh, ut, ah… what?! What’s happening? Is this for real?” I say, as the excitement wells up inside of me.

“Will you marry me, Sarah?” he says.

I get the biggest smile on my face and… SNAP! The camera goes off and really captures my excitement… it captured the happiest moment in my life. (Yeah, that’s right the photo below is my real reaction, not posed!)

He said, “Well, will you?” and of course I answered, “Yes!” immediately! I jumped into his arms, (thank goodness he is stable and strong or we would have tumbled clear off that tiny 4’x6’ ledge we were standing on) and the rest is history. 

See Caleb knew that I would want that moment forever, and he knew that I love photos. Really I couldn’t have wished for a happier engagement… or a better man to spend my life with. 

Thank you Caleb Williams.