Destination Portraits: Lake Tahoe, California

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I love it when the stars align. I often have magical circumstances that I’ve come to call the Triple-Crown. A beautiful location, stunning weather and a wonderful family.

When planning my client’s portrait we were talking about locations that were special to their family and held personal meaning. They jokingly referred to Lake Tahoe as one of their favorite places to be as a family. It turns out our vacation plans for the summer coincided by a one day overlap and so we booked the portrait. The rain from the previous days cleared to a gorgeous day, our drive up was perfectly timed and we met at a little pass-through park by the lake with sparkling trees and glowing grasses.

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The lake is always so magnetic and as we wandered towards the water the sun was setting perfectly. It was so relaxing and easy to hang out and follow the light as we did the portrait session.Laura_Cottril_Photography_Lake_Tahoe_0484

Of course my favorite time is the afterglow. When the sun has gone behind the mountain and the sky and water still hold the light casting a beautiful glow over everyone and everything. I especially love this image because how many times do we get photographed with our spouse and love it? Sometimes it’s just hard to be IN the photograph. Laura_Cottril_Photography_Lake_Tahoe_0548One of my favorite things about having a portrait business is that I get to know families I might never know otherwise. Portraits are personal and it’s like making new friends while we create memories for them through the experience of the session and choosing the images that will hang on their walls.

I’m grateful for those Triple Crowns and the families who make them possible.