L & K’s Mount Washington Adventure Engagement Session
“WHAT A DAY!”
This was basically all I could think the entire time Lily (she/her), Kath (she/her), and I were adventuring up, down, and around Mount Washington in July.
We met at the base of the mountain around 10 am to drive up the auto road. Somewhere around 5,000 feet, it went from sunny and blue skies to in a whole ass cloud.
We had planned to hike down to Lake in the Clouds, but after seeing the forecast, feeling just how damp it was IN that cloud, and checking in with each other, we realized a lil out and back hike would probably be all we could manage. (Thank goodness, because I was REALLY feeling the 6000 ft altitude!)
So instead of taking a few hours to hike, we went down a little, to a flat(ter) area of rocks, and Lily and Kath got ready to be photographed! It was so fun to witness and guide these two through their photos. From the moment we got out of the car to the end of the sesh, it just felt like I was getting to know two old friends even better.
It’s so clear how much they love each other and honestly that makes my job so unbelievably easy.
After we were done at the flat rocky area, we hiked back up to the summit and started the trek down. We drove down slowly and carefully and stopped at a few overlooks along the way. Each time we stopped, it felt like we brought the party because a few minutes later, so many other cars would show up despite being empty moments ago!
Once we reached the bottom, we went to a spot on the river I’d seen on my way in. (Here’s a thing you should know about me: I am ALWAYS location scouting. Even in areas I’ll never return to, you can always find me scoping out potential spots)
After a while there, we left to have lunch at Big Day Brewing in Gorham and then headed over to the best worst kept secret… Super Secret Ice Cream!!! (another thing to know about me is that I am an ABSOLUTE SUCKER for good ice cream.)
Before we even got started, Lily and Kath told me they had been searching Pinterest for photos of lesbian couples having the kind of engagement session they were dreaming up. Sadly, I know all too well how little queer, fat, BIPOC, disabled, and otherwise marginalized representation exists on Pinterest (and across the wedding industry in general).
That is part of why sharing sessions like this matters so much. Lily and Kath and all the WLW couples out there deserve to see themselves reflected in engagement photography, and so do the people currently searching for proof that their love, their bodies, and their ideas belong in these spaces too.
So, if you’ve read this far, please engage with this post or any of my other work featuring non cis-het-white couples. Save it to Pinterest, share it with someone planning their own engagement photos, or spend a little time clicking through the gallery. Those small actions help more people find joyful, adventurous, queer engagement photos when they go looking for them.
And for anyone dreaming about a Mount Washington engagement session, a White Mountains adventure, lesbian engagement photos, or some other adventure where you want photos that feel like an actual day spent together rather than a performance for the camera: you belong here. Let’s make magic!!!
Julia Ellie Photo is a queer-owned New England photography business offering inclusive engagement, wedding, and couples photography throughout Vermont, New Hampshire, the White Mountains, the Adirondacks, and beyond. This Mount Washington engagement session features lesbian couple Lily and Kath exploring the summit, overlooks, and surrounding Gorham, New Hampshire area.
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