Cannon Beach, Oregon <em>A Personal Magical Sunset Beach Shoot</em>

Life has a funny way of throwing curveballs, doesn't it? My daughter, Ava, had been looking forward to her 8th grade promotion for months. We had planned a special beach shoot to commemorate the milestone, but life had other plans. A few days before her promotion, she came down with a nasty stomach flu and unfortunately, missed the ceremony and the planned photoshoot. As the days flew by, things got busy and our beach shoot was put on hold.

Fast forward a bit and this past weekend, I found myself heading to Portland for a wedding shoot (Helder was unable to make this trip due to prior obligations). Ava, ever the adventurer like her mama, asked to tag along. We had a spur-of-the-moment idea to finally do her beach shoot. We ran to a local Target, threw together an outfit, hopped back in the car, and headed 1.5 hours west toward the Pacific coast, racing against the setting sun.

We made it with just 30 minutes to spare before sunset - and oh man - the images captured were everything I had dreamed of and more. We’re so grateful we were able to briefly catch those cotton candy skies, and seeing Ava through my lens was a truly magical experience. It was one thing to capture beautiful moments for our clients, but seeing my own daughter in those breathtaking settings was something special. Instead of the little girl with her famous bangs, now in front of me stood a graceful, beautiful young lady about to start her first year of high school.

As adventure elopement photographers, Helder and I get to explore stunning locations with our clients. Having Ava experience this part of my life was incredible. She saw one of the beautiful places we take our clients to and got a little taste of the fun and excitement that comes with it.

Ava had such an amazing time, and I cherished every moment of it with her. This impromptu shoot turned into an unforgettable adventure for both of us. It reminded me of why we love what we do and how special it is to share these experiences with the people we love.

So, while life may have thrown us a curveball with the missed beach session back home in California, it gave us something even better - a spontaneous, magical evening on an iconic beach that neither of us will ever forget.

Till our next adventure,
Jenny ᨒ↟