When Eslin first called me to talk about their engagement session, she had clearly already done her research on the area. Her and her fiancé Bobby were traveling to Boulder from Texas for a long weekend of hiking and exploring, and wanted to get some epic photos in the mountains while here.
As soon as she told me they wanted their engagement photos at Lost Gulch, I suggested that we should head up there for sunrise on a Monday morning. Now I know many couples don’t wanna get up before 5am for photos, but Eslin was down right away. Especially when I explained how darn good the light is at sunrise—and how it’s the only time of day where we’d have a chance of having the overlook to ourselves!
We met up in a dark parking lot—totally normal behavior, when you’re a wedding photographer? It was a cloudy morning, but as we hiked our way out onto the overlook, we got the most beautiful soft lighting I’ve ever seen up there. And for the hour we spent climbing around on the rocks together, the light only kept getting better. No seriously, check out the golden glow of the last photos in this post!
Lost Gulch is one of the most popular places to elope in Boulder. I try to only go here for sunrise, because it’s just so darn crowded in the evenings for sunset. On weekends, the small parking lot is often packed, and you’ll have a whole bunch of college students smoking weed in the background of your photos.
Okay you wouldn’t really, because good angles and photoshop can make this overlook seem empty even on the busiest days … but you’ll still have to work around other groups of people. I once brought my parents up here to show off the views of Indian Peaks Wilderness, and there were three different photographers there at the same time, each with a different couple!
If you’re a wedding photographer reading this because you want to shoot at Lost Gulch? Make sure to apply for the Boulder OSMP commercial use permit at least a week in advance! Boulder rangers can and will ticket you for shooting here without a permit.
About Nina Larsen Reed
Nina is an elopement photographer based in Boulder, Colorado. She plans and captures adventure elopements and micro-weddings across the Rocky Mountains, and loves getting to share the mountains she calls home with couples who want a different wedding experience.
