Family Photos at Orchid Greenhouse
Family photo session at a gorgeous Orchid Greenhouse called Appalachian Tropicals in Western North Carolina.
Ten minutes from Asheville, North Carolina is a greenhouse like no other. Filled with exotic species of Orchids varying from the well known Phalaenopsis to the most unique orchid I have ever seen, the Dendrobium Spectabile.
I arrived early for this shoot to get a glimpse of all the possibilities for magical backdrops. One sister from this family, Demelza, is the owner of this incredible place and was there to greet me. She let me look around and say hello to her flowers. After gawking at the beauty, I asked her which orchids she resonated with the most. She then motioned to me to see her own personal collection within the greenhouse.
Appalachian Tropicals, Orchid Greenhouse owner, Demelza.
This is why I do what I do.
The creativity, the passion, the love for things within this world. It resonates in all of us and to see some of you glow within your tiny corner of this earth just amazes me. You better believe me when I say I will hands down return to this wonderland of tropical plants to grow my own plant collection and to gain more knowledge of plant care. Who knew you could experience this in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
Demelza and her husband, Damon started this journey in 2003. It was so beautiful to see them interact so naturally with each other and their plants in their haven. I don’t think these orchids and air plants could have better human parents.
I had almost forgotten how I got there and why I was experiencing this. Until I received a few texts that the other members had to take a detour because of Hurricane Helene damage that created an impassable bridge. The rest of the family arrived just in the knick of time. One minute later and I would have made myself an orchid and air plant filled teepee to live in for the rest of my days.
Poor me. There just weren’t any parts of this luscious and alluring greenhouse to photograph. Too bad that’s a lie and I couldn’t even find an ugly zone to humor myself. Picture me laughing under my breath and then looking up to thank the photographer gods for their gift.
an ethereal cascade
A culmination of flowing water, an ultramarine atmosphere, and boundless love.
Stunning couple pose for moody anniversary photos at Crabtree Falls in Western North Carolina
On our way down to the falls, little glimpses of sunlight peeked through the leaves that gave the neon colored moss their own spot light. As we continued, life flourished around us from the quietness, moist air and saturated dirt. Once we were close to the waterfall, all you could hear was the immense energy cascading down, bouncing off the rocks. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I was indulged by the smell of fresh soil and damp minerals. It was intense and beautiful simultaneously.
Cloudy day sets the mood for these dark and ethereal anniversary photos
Amber and Alex fit into the scenery like that missing puzzle piece you wish to find. I was so focused on them and our surroundings, that I didn’t notice the people watching us from the trail. I was told one person took out their phone to record us. I still hope to see that surface on the internet someday. I think I excitedly shouted, “WHAT ABOUT OVER HERE!?!”, about 20 times. It was very hard to stop, but once we took the final photo, we made our journey back up to our cars. The high of that experience was glowing all over our faces. I’d do it all over again.
Consistently throughout my life I have felt the deep and intreging presence wilderness releases. It is humbling to be reminded of how small we are and to be grateful for our environment that gives us all life.
Capturing peoples deep love surrounded by mother nature’s effortless gifts.
This is what I live for.
