Adventure Sessions: Featured Couple Session
Raini + Shar at Cummins Falls in Cookeville, TN
An adventure photoshoot is a unique and exhilarating experience designed to capture the essence of your adventurous spirit and the beauty of the great outdoors. It's not just a photoshoot; it's an opportunity to create lasting memories and artistry that reflects your love for adventure, exploration, and the natural world.
90 minutes of hiking, one bruised butt cheek, 20 slimy slips, 1 sunburn, 4 hours of driving, 2 hours of laughter, 500 beautiful images and one new friendship
Raini and Shar contacted me wanting to do something, “different.” After pitching a few ideas back and forth, we decided to go to a waterfall!
STORY TIME! We originally picked an easy hike at a smaller waterfall near Nashville, TN and that morning I got a call from the coordinator that we were no longer able to attend due to an event needing the space later that day after booking a month in advance; no hard feelings and I think it worked out for the best. We all quickly scrambled and found Cummins Falls. For a heavy tourist space, we couldn’t find much information on the park but decided to go for it. We met at the location and there is a tourist center check-in with staff and we were instructed to go watch a safety video before continuing. At this point, we are still feeling good and excited… then we saw the video. We all shrugged and said, “how bad could it be?”
So, we head down the trails and are listening to music, swapping stories and having a blast! The forest hike was about a mile and still no waterfall in sight. We get down to the steep trek and look down at the valley below us and see a downstream trail. Mind you, I go hiking a lot and have been to a few waterfalls that were smaller, so I knew there would be some rocks and water involved, but when I tell you we stopped in our tracks and realized we were about to hike 1.5 miles in a downstream gorge and slimy rocks… OOO WEE.
We began our trek, the mood was lively the whole time and we jammed to music. I securely used a water proof padded bag and good thing because I busted my butt a quarter way into the hike. Roaring with laughter we continued. We got to see lots of cute fish, crawfish and other wildlife. Fast forward, we made it!
The session lasted about an hour and it was PACKED. I highly recommend going earlier in the day during the summer months to avoid larger crowds, but that is what photoshop is for! There are safety professionals and lifeguards around the swimming hole, but we got to take a very relaxing and much needed swim after the session before heading back. I still laugh because the steps back up the tourist entrance of the park went above my knees and I had to climb back up them.
If you have debated doing an adventure session that required moderate to advance physical activity, I say go for it! This session will be forever so close to my heart and I hope to do many more; as long as I have 3 business days for my body to recover (lol).
