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An Oregon Winter Elopement…

Josh and Allie had been engaged for a while, then they had an idea. Within a couple weeks of that idea they were eloping under the falling snow at Elk Lake, one of Central Oregon’s many high altitude bodies of water that freezes in the Winter months. An elopement photographers dream.

The highway to Elk Lake closes in the late Fall, leaving only a few ways to reach the destination which sits at nearly 5,000′ in elevation. Some people choose to cross country ski, while some make the trek by snowmobile–there’s beer waiting no matter how you arrive. The elopement crew elected to take the Elk Lake vehicles which have been converted to snow cats. This mode of transportation takes roughly 40 minutes and is best attempted on an empty bladder.

Josh and Allie hired us to take candid images of their few hours at Elk Lake but also wanted some portraits of themselves. Drawn to our use of stylized light, they also wanted some dramatic, eye catching art.

On a technical note, I chose to photograph this elopement with a newly acquired Nikon Z 6. The Z 6 is a mirrorless camera that I had been waiting on for some time. The smaller form factor makes it easier to travel with, the image quality and high ISO performance bests my latest DSLR and I was ready to put it to the test in a real world environment. It didn’t take me long to realize that Nikon’s mirrorless offering was likely the first camera I’d reach for in nearly any situation. I used ISO’s up to 5,000 and subjected the camera to hours of direct snowfall, drenching it-Nikon is known for their weather sealed gear. One of the more exciting elements of this camera system is knowing, as good as it is, this is just the beginning. Knowing it’s going to get better and better nearly draws me to geeky tears.

Please enjoy a few of our favorite moments with Josh and Allie.

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