Wow. That’s all I have to say about this session. Just Wow.

No but seriously, take an absolutely stunning location and add in the love and natural beauty of a stellar couple like Kelsey and Peter and you have magic right before your eyes!

I met Kelsey and Peter when they were searching for a photographer for their August 2022 wedding and we instantly hit it off. Kelsey is an absolute joy to be around, and Peter is a super laid-back very down to earth guy who I couldn’t help but like.

Kelsey’s parents also have this STUNNING home in Hood River with the most perfect view of Mount Hood, so naturally Kelsey and Peter were pretty excited to use it as the backdrop for their engagement photos!

Getting these photos, as perfect as they ended up being was a little bit of a labor of persistence.

When we first scheduled our engagement session the day before our shoot the wind shifted and brought in bucketloads of smoke from the fires of the summer, hiding the mountain from view. We decided to postpone our shoot, and even though Kelsey and Peter had made the trek down to Hood River from their home in Richland, WA they felt it was worth it to reschedule for a chance to see that beautiful mountain.

On try #2 all was looking well until the weekend of our rescheduled shoot rolled around and brought rain and low-lying storm clouds with it. Strike 3 and again, we decided to postpone.

Last minute I had another shoot reschedule, and texting Kelsey with the opening she jumped on it and it just so happened that she and Peter were already going to be down in Oregon that day and even had family photos booked for that evening.

Choosing to take advantage of the calmer mornings in the gorge, we set out sites on a sunrise session on September 26th and out third try paid off big!

Pulling up the driveway to Kelsey’s family’s home my jaw literally hit the floor when I saw the view and fully understood Kelsey and Peter’s willingness to reschedule until we had the view.

Mount Hood is truly an epic volcano, but surprisingly the spots from which to get really good photos of it without a long hike are more rare than Rainier, Bachelor or the Sisters so having the opportunity to have Hood so spectacularly present on this engagement session was just a dream come true.

As I arrived, Kelsey’s lovely mother had coffee waiting and we chatted while Kelsey finished putting on the last touches of her engagement look and Peter rubbed some of the lingering sleep from his eyes. He teased Kelsey about waking him up so early, but after taking off across the lawn he warmed up to the shoot quickly and both he and Kelsey were naturals with the basics of posing that we went over.

As we walked around the property we chatted a bit about their relationship and how Weddings planning was going.

Kelsey and Peter met in college at Eastern Oregon University. At the time Peter was playing football there as a Defensive Back. After their very first date, they became serious right away, knowing that they were meant for each other and staying close and connected as a couple even through the difficulties of Peter starting a job where he works night shift.

Just last summer, Kelsey and Peter moved to the Sri Cities, and they are huge lovers of snowboarding. When they were in Bend they of course loved the slopes of Bachelor, but their favorite local hill is now Mission Ridge.

They took their true Oregonian love for IPAs with them to Richland, and Kelsey is also a wine aficionado and is teaching Peter a bit about it too!

For their wedding, they will host a large celebration at Kelsey’s parent’s estate in Hood River, the same location that we did their engagement shoot and it’s easy to see why once you scroll down to take a mini-look into the stunning vistas of this spot.

We not only enjoyed taking lots of portraits with the view of Mount Hood, but Kelsey’s dad has in recent years planted a very respectable orchard that was just turning gold in the approaching autumn, providing the perfect little spot for a few photos with Kelsey and Peter’s two fur-babies.

The backside of the property also juts up against a golf course, so exiting out the back gate and passing by an old tree-house-like structure Kelsey used to play on, we also found a more rustic-nature spot for a few images before heading back to the little pond at the center of the property for the final shots of the day.

Kelsey and Peter were troopers in the early morning chill and as we wrapped up our shoot and escaped back into the warmth of the house, Kelsey’s dad had breakfast on the stove and I was sad that I had to rush out to my next appointment, missing out on some mean looking eggs and sausages he’d whipped up.

I absolutely can’t wait for Kelsey and Peter’s wedding next summer, but will have to tide myself over by enjoying the gorgeous images we created together on their engagement shoot.

Enjoy this small selection of highlights from our session, and be sure to drop some love for Kelsey and Peter in the comments section at the bottom!