Engagements

A Minimalist Engagement Adventure at Death Valley, CA

This Death Valley engagement session with Andrea and Ray is the perfect spot to explore during your session. Get all the details and what you should know below.

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About This Engagement at Death Valley

Photography by Safeena Noah

Andrea and Ray had two outfits, one casual and one a bit more dressed up but still minimal! Andrea wore a stylish jumpsuit from Lulu’s for her second outfit, which still allowed her to hike around easily.

“Knowing that your couple trusts you lets you experiment and dig into the artistic ideas, rather than just checking off the normal go-to shots. They also laughed so much together and were clearly filled with tons of joy in each other’s presence –– not just putting on a show for the camera.” [Safeena, the photographer]

Explore what to wear for your engagement session.

Death Valley, An Epic Spot for Your Elopement and Engagement

If you want to have your elopement or engagement here, then a special use permit ($300) is required.

All LNT principles should be followed here; since it’s a national park, drones are prohibited. It’s actually easy to get “bird’s eye view” shots in Death Valley since there are so many vantage points you can scramble to the top. This is a great way to get done-like shots while still abiding by LNT and national park regulations.

“Artist’s Palette is unlike any other place I’ve ever photographed. The rocks are saturated with vibrant turquoise, pink, and a beautiful array of naturally forming colors. It’s one of so many diverse and starkly beautiful landscapes that Death Valley has to offer, which makes it the perfect elopement location in my opinion. You can go from expansive sand dunes to minimalist salt flats, to gorgeous badlands, and more. The sunrises and sunset cannot be topped, and the location is so remote that the stars shine extra bright. It’s easy to spot the milky way with your bare eyes.

So much of Death Valley is surprisingly accessible, which also makes it a great elopement location. The most famous spots are short walks from the parking lots, and it’s easy to find secluded areas away from the crowds. This definitely gives it a leg up on more popular elopement spots like Yosemite and Big Sur.” [Safeena, the photographer]

Learn more about eloping at Death Valley.

Top Tips For Your Adventure at Death Valley

“This location is super remote and lacking cell service, so as I always recommend to my clients: bring plenty of food and water (at least a gallon per person) and headlamps. I also always recommend downloading an offline map of the area so that you can use GPS even without cell service. Lastly, comfortable walking shoes are a must! The trails are loose and rocky, so heels aren’t the best idea here.” [Safeena, the photographer]

Memorable Moments During This Engagement

From the photographer:

“I had brought some outdoor lights that I use for night-climbing sessions in my car, which I generally do for long road-trips for safety purposes. I had the idea to use those lights during our shoot and set them behind Andrea and Ray as the sun went down for a beautiful backlight as the snuggled amidst the colorful hills. This was an experimental idea that they were down to try and it went so well! Those are some of my favorite shots.

I also loved how no-questions down Andrea and Ray were to take on any adventure I had in mind. They’re not everyday climbers or hikers but were scrambling and hiking all over and just having the time of their lives taking advantage of the beautiful landscape.”