Thanks to Makayla and Jordan...

In mid-September, Bethany and I had the opportunity to photograph Makayla and Jordan in celebration of their engagement. That meant two things for Bethany and I. First, we got to spend a Saturday with a couple that was down to earth and incredibly kind. Second, we got to experience the Pikeville Cut-Through, not to mention Pikeville itself.

Bethany and I hopped in our car at around 5:30 AM to head down to Eastern Kentucky so that we could be there for the early morning sunrise. Late dawn and early dusk light gives way to some stunning photographs. So our hope was to be able to get the mountains and a sunrise as a backdrop for Makayla and Jordan. Unfortunately, the mountains did not cooperate. The whole area was covered in a thick blanket of early morning fog which decided not to lift until late morning.

With the weather acting the way it was, our first location for the session was at a friend's farm just down the road from Makayla's house. It was nestled in the cut-away hills outside of Pikeville. It showed of elegance and of brute strength, with the way rock walls were created where there were once massive hills. We had visitors about half way through that first session. A young couple of kids decided to follow us on their four-wheeler. I think they were just as interested in us as we were in them. We didn't speak, but they followed us for about 15 minutes.

Our second session occurred on the top of one of the local mountains. As we drove, Jordan explained the coal industry and how it operated in the PIke County area. He explained how the companies performed the removal of the coal in the mountains. It was all so fascinating that neither Bethany nor I wanted the small trip to end. But alas, we arrived to the top of the mountain and we had a small hike to the top of the summit. When we got to the top, we found a rock face that dropped at least 150 feet. We were above the trees. It was a view that just went on and on. It was truly a view from Heaven.

Afterwards, Bethany and I headed home. It was a great way to spend a Saturday. We hope that Makayla and Jordan enjoyed themselves as much as we enjoyed ourselves. We also hope that they enjoy this photographs for years to come. Congratulations, Makayla and Jordan. And good luck.