In the unpredictable world of photography, sometimes the best moments are the unplanned ones. This was exactly the case when my friend, Gabby, flew into Oregon from Michigan, bringing a special blend of modeling and photography skills with her. Originally the trip was planned for two of my friends to fly in, both who model and are professional photographers, which meant we would be taking turns behind and in front of the camera, but with one friend getting sick and having to cancel (we missed you, Katie!!), this left us one model short. On the second-to-last day of the trip, and after my friend spending the first day in front of my camera and witnessing the beautiful scenery of the Oregon coast, the desire for a spontaneous photoshoot arose so she could take a step back and photograph a new face in a new environment.
With a last-minute decision to post on a TFP group on Facebook around 9AM, our urgency was met with an unexpected and refreshingly swift response. Within less than an hour, the first person to comment had enthusiastically agreed to model, stating she would be ready in just 20 minutes. Needless to say, this set the tone and excitement for the rest of the day
On a day when sleep deprivation hung heavy in the air (I had not gotten to bed until well past 1AM the previous night and woke up at 5AM, haha), the journey began around noon, with our newly found model in tow. We picked her up, not knowing anything about her other than her shared excitement for the plan to make art. The road trip unfolded through the captivating landscapes of the Oregon/Washington gorge, accompanied by some soulful tunes. As we ventured further, the cloudy sky and rain cleared, revealing a couple vibrant rainbows, and what we deemed to be a good omen to welcome us.
It had been awhile since our model, Heather, had gotten back out to the gorge despite having a rich history here. She reminisced on how she had live in the gorge with her mom in 2014/2015 and then again once more in 2019. She shared memories on hiking, morrell hunting, fishing, cherry picking, camping and rock/crystal hunting. She shared that, "We used to climb the hills and get lost! Road trips every week to other towns where friends lived in; it was the best time of my teen years. Pears, cherries, plums! My friend lived on the orchards." It was clear to us that she needed this roadtrip as much as we did.
This shared history, the backdrop of the gorge, and the unexpected connection between the three of us felt like fate itself orchestrating our meeting. As the camera clicked capturing moments against the stunning gorge scenery, it became clear that this unplanned photoshoot was a testament to the beauty of spontaneity and the magic that can unfold when creative minds converge in the right place at the right time.
