Mammoth Lakes Engagement | Christen & Mike

Although a lot of weddings I photograph are near Mammoth Lakes, it is actually quite rare for me to do an engagement shoot there. Christen and Mike attended a Twin Lakes Wedding that I photographed in 2018 and when they contacted me to photograph their engagement in the area I jumped on the opportunity!

From the first phone call, I knew it was going to be a pleasure working with them. Mike had mentioned his love for the jerky at Mohagony Smoked Meats in Bishop, a place that I worked in high school, and I knew right then that we were going to be friends.

Christen had mentioned to me that she wanted to do some cozy interior photos inside of their friend’s cabin as well as some environmental portraits. After shooting inside, I took them outside of Mammoth to the Hot Creek Geological Site for more portraits. They had trusted me to show them somewhere spectacular and I hope I did not disappoint!

We started the set with a champagne spray. It was anti-climactic at first, but with some tips Mike was spraying it like a champ! He and Christen were kind enough to share a glass with my girlfriend and I. Thanks for that!

I couldn’t have asked for better weather conditions and I am so thankful for the lack of crowds. Being President’s Day weekend, I was not entirely sure if we would have the place to ourselves. These conditions made for epic photographs! I want to give a huge “thank you” to my girlfriend, Taylor, for assisting all day and for holding my lights on the above images.

This last set of images was entirely spontaneous. I thought the contrasting color palette from Christen’s and Mike’s outfits would look great with the environment. I think these became my favorite images for that reason. The images are so simple, yet those colors pop so much. I told Christen I was secretly hoping she would wear red and I was not disappointed!

Thank you, Christen and Mike, for believing in me and letting me be a part of your story. I cannot wait to be there to capture your wedding day. You both are so genuine and kind, and I look forward to continuing this journey with you.

-Nic

ABOUT ME: Hi! My name is Nic Hilton. I am a destination wedding photographer based in Los Angeles. I shoot many weddings in the Mammoth Lakes area as well as Southern California but I am available to travel worldwide! Contact Me today because I would love to tell your story.