Late Summer Shoot with Sedona in Bellevue

Shooting with Sedona at sunrise near one of Bellevue’s best-kept secret lakes.

Have you ever found someone to work with through Instagram? I hadn’t but this shoot changed things.


First, let me back up - in a resolution to get in shape, I started running four miles every day last summer. I would run the same loop and it could get monotonous. But I hate running on a treadmill and needed to be outside. I live in a suburban area and this was the only spot within walking distance that had some real greenery to look at, so I kept to the same routine.
I’d run a mile down a busy road until I got to a tiny lake, just hidden by some blackberry bushes. And from there, the world would expand to one of my area’s best kept secrets. I’d never see any photographers out. Why not? If this were in LA, where I used to live, photographers would be swarming it.


The inspiration - 


My best ideas come to me when I’m not focusing on them–when I’m in the shower, falling asleep, or running. And this one kept nagging me. I knew I had to shoot at there. I had a thought about a girl who was tied to nature and this lake. But I wasn’t doing much to pursue the idea.


The model - 


Sedona found me on Instagram and suggested shooting together. She didn’t have a huge portfolio at the time, but I could tell there was something special about this girl. She is a natural beauty and I was immediately inspired by her photos. We agreed to meet at sunrise in the late summer of 2015 and this is what we came up with.

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