Bek & Jimmy’s Adventurous Sunrise Hiking Session at Crouching Lion in Oahu
Bek and Jimmy were taking an extended vacation on the West Coast when they saw that I was traveling to Hawaii at the same time they’d be there island hopping. They’re actually from Australia, and Hawaii was their last stop before heading back home across the globe. It was so wild that an Australian couple randomly reached out to me about setting up a session in Hawaii, that I almost thought their inquiry was a scam when it came through! Buuuut I creeped them a little on instagram and realized they were a real couple and I was SO PUMPED!
Bek and Jimmy were actually already married when they reached out, so their session was more of an anniversary adventure. It was super cool to see the dynamic of a couple who had been married for about a year get back in front of the camera. You can tell their relationship and feelings for each other had grown past the “just married” stage in the best way possible. After a year together, it’s just a whole other type of love!
The morning of their session, we met on the island of Oahu at a perfect spot I’d scouted for a sunrise hike overlooking the Kahana Bay. It was dark and muddy on our hike up to the tippy top of the mountain, but once we got to the top, the sun broke through the clouds, and everything you could see was bathed in golden light. The hills, the mountain, the ocean, it was all just SHINING, and it was seriously one of the most beautiful sunrises I’ve ever seen.
I normally prepare my couples for adventure sessions by telling them to wear comfy clothes for the hike. It’s usually easier to change into a dress and heels at the top of the hike, but Bek wore her dress and heels the whole way up. Maybe not the best idea, but she was an absolute trooper climbing a mountain in that dress, even when she got a little muddy. These two were seriously NOT afraid to get wild and we had SO MUCH FUN because of it!
After taking some epic photos at the top of the mountain, we made our way back down to the bay to swim in the ocean. Bek and Jimmy ended up sprinting through the waves, getting into the water, rolling around in the sand and just getting soaked! That’s one of my favorite things about adventure sessions: couples who aren’t afraid to get dirty, who aren’t afraid to mess up their hair and makeup. Bek and Jimmy are proof that you can get messy, dirty, and even soaking wet in all of your clothes during your session, and still have a ton of fun doing it (and still look AMAZING in your photos).
We are still friends to this day and I love following them and seeing what they’re up to at home. Jimmy is a photographer back in Australia, so it’s especially great to follow his photography and see him branching out into more weddings and couples too!
Photographers and hikers, unfortunately this beautiful trail has been indefinitely closed and not maintained by Hawaii Parks since April of 2021. Visit https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/oahu/ahupuaa-o-kahana-state-park to learn more.