Pedernales Falls has been on my list of places to visit for awhile now and I finally had the chance to check it out this Labor Day.

My friend Katie and I started out on the Wolf Mountain Trail hoping to reach some water, but needless to say, we only had some false alarms and some snakes nearby. We found out it was the most challenging trail and also the longest, which we figured as we hiked about two and a half miles before turning back.

After the hike, we used our handy maps we kept in our Junior Ranger backpack (awesome packs that state parks let you check out for free with tons of info on wildlife and animals in the area). We really wanted to see the Pedernales Falls overlook and after a short drive and short hike, we reached the breathtaking panoramic view in the picture above. No editing necessary--it was beautiful.

No one is allowed to swim in this area due to flash flooding (even when there's no rain), but we definitely explored all across the rocks. We took a small trail of steps on the right down to the largest body of water, dipped our feet in as we took the sights in.

We explored all over this area--from one body of water to the next. This is absolutely worth the hour trip outside Austin.

Here are a few more pictures from our adventure.

After a slight sunburn and some blisters, we headed back to the city for an early dinner at a food truck before heading back home.

In the past month I've also had the chance to see McKinney Falls twice, which is just a fifteen minute or so drive from UT. Great place for swimming, hiking, and a bit of a history lesson with the homestead they have there. Check out those adventures below!

With both of these graduates officially out changing the world, take a look at their senior pictures we took a couple months ago.

Mary is now in Dallas preparing for her first year of teaching, while Ricardo recently embarked on his Peace Corps journey to the Philippines. Best of luck to you both, I know you'll do big things!

With graduation around the corner, senior sessions are coming in. Recently, I photographed Carter for a Mother's Day gift. How sweet!

Big on UT traditions, Carter and I went all around UT capturing pictures at iconic places at UT, and iconic things as well (Smokey the Cannon and others).

Check out his session below, especially the last picture for a little twist on the typical Tower picture:

Senior sessions are back! In April, I had the great opportunity to photograph an amazing woman whose made a big impact on an organization we are a part of. Combined with great weather and a beautiful smile, Chelsea and I went around Austin for her senior pictures. 

We did the "must-haves" of campus with the Tower, Littlefield Fountain, and others. Outside of campus, we visited the Austin postcard sign and reveled in its newly painted glory and later adventured to South Congress. Check out the pictures below!

About a week ago, my friend and I were driving in Austin and noticed a castle-like tower in the distance of the neighborhood we were driving through. Always down for exploring, we decided to drive toward the tower to discover what it was. Turns out it was a museum for Elisabet Ney, a German sculptor. We missed the time the museum was open, but we decided to explore it outside anyways. There is a beautiful bridge and stone structure, with a creek as well.

There wasn't enough time for a shoot so I resolved to come another day. That day came this past Sunday and I, along with two friends, Annie and Olivia, explored Ney's backyard. They were down for any pictures I imagined, which including getting into the freezing creek. We came during museum hours and got to check out Elisabet's sculptures and her studio. It is on 44th Street if you are ever in the area and want to check it out!

 

This weekend my friends and I road tripped to Enchanted Rock, near Fredericksburg. Enchanted Rock has always been on my list of places to visit so finally having the opportunity to check it out was breathtaking (literally). 

Lines weren't too long to enter the park and as soon as we entered, we started to hike to the summit. We couldn't have asked for better weather--it was sunny, 75°, and a little windy. 

I haven't been able to photograph a lot this semester (which is why there hasn't been any posts), so it was nice to let my camera breathe and take some pictures.

It took about twenty minutes to reach the top and it was beautiful! From the vernal pools to the view of the hill country, we sat down to take it all in. It was the perfect time to go, season-wise, with seeing bluebonnets and greenery amidst the rock. 

 

After a short break, we ventured off to the cave at the top of Enchanted Rock and soon found ourselves in a dark, chilly hole. The rock formation that led to the cave had the phrase "This way to Trippyland" written on it with an arrow pointing into the cave. Lovely, right? 

After more exploring (and picture taking), we walked to the other side of the rock and saw some more beautiful scenery. Afterwards we took what we thought was the easier way down (it wasn't), and eventually got to the trail and were on our way!