Death Valley + Las Vegas

We recently visited Death Valley National Park and Las Vegas on a western sojourn to see U2 at Sphere. We absolutely LOVED this trip and cannot recommend Death Valley enough and would definitely go back. I thoroughly enjoy my desert National Parks – there’s never anyone there, the weather is always great, and the views are unmatched (if you’re a desert person). Las Vegas was wild, as expected, but I’d go back there too if there was a show or something in town that we’d want to see. Always grateful that our jobs and lives allow us the opportunity to travel and see different parts of the world. In order of appearance, roughly:

1. Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada (red rock formations and narrow canyons)
2. Death Valley National Park, California (palm trees and pool are at The Oasis at Death Valley hotel inside the park, which I cannot recommend enough!) – so many amazing parts of Death Valley. Our favorites were the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Zabriskie Point, Artists Palette and Badwater Basin. So glad that we got to see Lake Manly after the rains DVNP received last year!
3. Las Vegas (Hello Kitty cafe is adorable, Sphere is incredible, Meow Wolf is delightfully weird and wonderful, Neon Museum is delightful)

All photos taken/edited on my iPhone (a few from Geoff’s Android as well).

It’s always a thrill to meet new people that you instantly click with and I just loved these guys. They’re fellow northerners who love their cats and their adorable daughter. Their adorable daughter loves whisking eggs (an all-time favorite hobby of hers) and painting (sometimes a canvas, sometimes her face). Her parents sent me a video of her wandering around the kitchen crying “Carolynnnn” after I left because she couldn’t find me and I apparently made quite a good impression. It was the best. Also the best: being busy photographing a toddler cooking breakfast but then turning around to find that the mom just came around the corner holding two enormous fluffy cats for me to also photograph. The cats are named Chunk and Rhu Rhu and we were best friends and I love them and they love me. It was a great day, ya’ll.

My first shoot of the new year couldn’t have taken place with a nicer family. This was my first time working with Danielle and Alex, their 14-year-old dachshund Honeybee, and definitely my first time working with their 7-day-old son. They were all so kind and invited me into their beautiful home to capture their baby in first few days at home (a lot of firsts here). These two met as professional classical musicians, which I think is so cool, and I’m sure that their son will inherit their talent and love of music. They were so fun to talk to as we hung around the house and talked babies and music and careers. I’m so happy for their new family and am delighted with their pictures (their son is beyond adorable but also Honeybee the dachshund has some serious modeling abilities).