Fighting Through Nature’s Destruction For A Photoshoot

For the 4th time this year I had an opportunity to work with Utah-based traveling freelance model Auroraa (formerly known as Dasha U). She had arranged to stay with a friend in a beautiful house in the Santa Cruz Mountains. In all my years in the area I have never been in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The night before the photoshoot very strong storms started in the area. I had lightning and thunder where I live. The GPS on my phone guided me along a windy mountain road which was covered in debris from fallen tree limbs and large rocks which had fallen from the hillsides. Eventually as I was almost to the house the road was marked as closed. I had to turn around and find my way there by an alternative route. SO instead of getting there 10-15 minutes early, I was 40 minutes late. The skies were gray and it rained pretty much the entire time I was there, but we still managed to get a good variety of shots. Coming home the GPS wasn’t fully cooperating considering the road closures. Cleanup of fallen branches and damaged trees also slowed my return trip which took much longer than under normal conditions. All and all a good day of photography, but a little too much wild nature to make life easy.