A Walk Through the Fields at Golden Hour in Southwest Missouri
Sarah and Sean invited me to their multigenerational properties in Southwest, Missouri. The skies were clear and the sun was beginning to set. I was confident that I would be able to navigate back to their property without too much help...but I failed. I was completely lost. I joked with Sarah that several neighbors in the vicinity watched me pass by multiple times as I struggled to find the right roads. đ Eventually, I made it in the ballpark. Sarah and Sean met me in the middle. Hopping into their car, we headed to out first location. Sarah had scouted several. We pulled up to a gate. Sean went to unlock it. As we pulled though, the cows greeted our car. Sean hurried back to close the gate behind us. All the while, the cows watching in interest. I knew that at some point, someway or another, there would be photographs of cows. I could not resist! With cow pastures there comes a little bit of risk. Sarah had warned me not to ear nice shoes. 𤣠Thank goodness I didn't because within 15 minutes of our shoot, I'm pretty sure I stepped in cow poop. For good photos, there is sometimes a factor of high risk, high reward.
Sean and Sarah are both teachers and caught on so fast to posing techniques. As Sean mentioned later in the session, they learn fast đ. We wrapped up in the field and headed to tackle our next photo. They wanted a photo with their three Aussies. I might be a little biased...but I LOVE Australian Sheppards. They are the best!! Sean had warned me that one of them had rolled in something just that day. And he smelt terrible...Of course that would happen on the day of photos! 𤣠Good news is, you can't tell that anything was wrong in the photo. A little behind the scenes tip for photographing dogs. Running and playing prior to having them sit for the photo works like a charm!
Sarah and Sean are both lovers of teaching, time in the country, and TRAVELING! â¤ď¸ They shared all the places the've been to together and the one I locked onto was Iceland. I'm thinking about a trip there next year and they shared all the things they loved about it. Sean even mentioned that while they often visit places once, Iceland is a place that they are going back to. Potentially in the winter. Two very different experiences as you can have light until 1 a.m. in the summer and in the winter you have mostly darkness with the northern lights at night. Sarah definitely recommended the Blue Lagoon. If you haven't heard of this place, check it out. It is already on my list! #heavenonearth. We also chatted about a potential trip to Greece! It's on their list for next year as well as a trip to the Maldives. Like Iceland, the Maldives is a place unlike any other. Especially during the dry season đ. True paradise.
As the sun went down, I could see in Sarah's eyes that she really wanted pictures in a large field. I knew that once the sun was at a certain point in the sky, the wait would be worth it. We turned the corner in the car and the sun was just dipping behind the horizon. Flaring the sky orange and yellow. I honestly don't think I we could have timed it better. I don't even have words for how beautiful it was â¤ď¸.
Once the sun was behind the horizon, I suggested one more set of photos. Maybe pushing for a few pictures with the cows đ¤. Sean and Sarah had just the idea. Sean's dad has a cow named Penny living in his pasture. Penny is a pretty special friend. Sean explained that when Penny was born, she had every ailment you could think of. It was likely that she wouldn't make it. Sean said he was determined to nurse her back to health. His efforts were not in vain. Today, Penny is thriving. She is the one horse that will come up to you and let you give her snuggles. As we pulled into the pasture, a herd of cows greeted us. The best surprise was the large number of baby cows mixed in with the group. My heart was so happy! Sean spotted Penny. She was the cow farthest from the group in the corner. As she began to make her way across the field, we took a few photos with the a group of cows that I deemed in my head "the cow paparazzi." 𤣠They were so curious. Staring at Sean and Sarah as I photographed them. A little eerie. But it's probably not everyday for the cows that people just stand in their field all dressed up. Leaving the cow paparazzi behind, we met Penny in the middle. Snapped a few pictures, gave our thanks to Penny đ, and headed back to the car.
Sarah and Sean, thank you for inviting me out to your home and sharing a little piece of your lives. It was so special and I had the best time! Crossing my fingers for snow the next time I see you both đđđ.
Sarah + Sean
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