Peter Holcombe Photography Blog

So how do a guy who owns Golden River Sports, a kayak and fly fishing store in Golden, Colorado and a girl who is a professional kayak guide and instructor with Reniassance Adventure Guides throw an engagement party? They spend two days on the Colorado River running Westwater Canyon with all their best friends!

It was the perfect way to celebrate Bart and Patty’s engagement. This trip consisted of seven rafts, nine kayaks and twenty five people. We spent two days on the river and a night at the Little Dolores Creek confluence camping out next to the river. When I say “camp” you might think freeze dried dinners and water from canteens, but not this crowd. The pork tenderloin was hot, the beer was cold from the keg and the campfire was raging. This was living. An amazing dinner that would make many 4 star restaurants proud to have on the menu.  As the sun went down the camp fire stoked up and the party carried on into the night.

This was really fun for Kathy and I to photograph as it was more than an engagement shoot but a journey with a fun adventurous story. It was full of visual content. I loved the colors of the kayaks and rafts on the river and the people with a zeal for life. We took Bart and Patty aside once at camp and used the best natural light of the evening to create portraits that really showed their love for each other and being on the river together.  Passions really show through when you get someone into their true place of tranquility. This was really amazing to see them relax from the chaos of loading the boats at the put in to the first little riffles on the river to the larger rapids.  The further down the river we went the more they relaxed and got into just being in this beautiful remote environment.

Please watch this video to get a feel for Bart and Patty’s super fun engagement party!

Bart and Patty’s Westwater Engagement weekend from peter Holcombe on Vimeo.