Ben & Olivia | Red Rock Open Space Engagement Photos
colorado springs, co
Do you have any of those friends who are unexpected friends? Like you'd been in each other's lives in some capacity, but then circumstances bring you into closer proximity and you realize "oh my gosh these people are amazing and they've been right here the whole time and why haven't we been hanging out all this time??!"
That's Ben & Olivia for us.
My husband knew Ben back in high school- Ben was a couple years behind him, and they both were interested in film and played tennis together. They were friends, but lost touch when everyone went their separate ways for college (Isaac to Santa Fe and then Denver, Ben to Nashville).
Flash forward a couple of years, and Isaac and I were married and moved back to Colorado Springs from Denver. At the new church we started going to, the group of young adults we began hanging out with introduced us to Olivia. I remember thinking "her hair is everything I've ever wanted and she's so pretty," but our paths never crossed more than once or twice.
One day Isaac and I went to a favorite coffee shop of ours, Wayfinder, and ran into Ben, who had moved back to Colorado Springs and was working as a barista! Turns out, Olivia worked at Wayfinder too, and they had become maybe-more-than-friends-but-not-sure-yet kind of friends. Ben was looking for video work, and Isaac just happened to need a contractor at Summit, so Ben and Isaac became coworkers and have been for several years now. Olivia and Ben started dating shortly after, and now they are getting MARRIED!
Why I Love Red Rock Canyon Open Space Engagement Photos
When Ben & Olivia asked me to take their engagement photos, I was honored and overjoyed! We threw out a few different locations, but given the beautiful weather and the variety of backgrounds available, we ultimately landed on Red Rock Canyon Open Space.
I love Red Rock Canyon Open Space for photos for a number of reasons:
- It's easily accessible from the parking lot, making it great for those wearing cute heels ;)
- You get mountains, red rocks, tall grasses, and cityscapes all in one place
- There's TONS of greenery in the summertime. I especially love layering my photos, and the greenery here makes that easy
- It's not nearly as touristy as Garden of the Gods but gives lots of similar vibes
- You can get great views both east and west. We started facing west (for mountain backgrounds) and then finished facing east (initially for the sake of the overlook, but then because the clouds were doing something wild at sunset).
We admittedly took our time on this session and wandered about a thirty-forty minute walk from the parking lot, but hey, when you're having so much fun during a photoshoot, why not? The time flew by, and what started at golden hour finished at blue hour with a stunning sunset to bridge it. The best of ALL the worlds.
Cheers to a New Season!
Ben and Olivia, I can't believe we've only just started becoming friends... but I have a feeling we're going to be tight ;) I CANNOT wait for you to become husband and wife, and I absolutely adore your commitment to move through your relationship with intentionality, patience, discernment, and joy. You're a blessing to us, and I loved getting to be your engagement photographer!!
