Mountain Lake Engagement Session in ColoradoEngagement Details:

For all those who want a lake and mountains in engagement photos this is a less commonly used location.  For Hugo and Dianne it was not the first choice but down the road from it.  We were planning to use Lost Gulch Overlook but ran into some unknown permitting issues.  We made the most of it and went somewhere else to catch the evening sunset lighting.  This was down the road to Gross Reservoir.  Maybe it is that the name is not appealing to people but it is essential a water reservoir serving the City of Denver with water.  Really it seems more like a locals hang out for some cooling off in the mountain lake.  It is about 25 degrees cooler there than in the city.  So while we had a little less time than planned they showed up early so we really lost a minimal amount of time.  They clearly had read the engagement photo planning guide we sent over and had a good grasp on things making it flow better giving them more photos at the end of the day.

For those curious or fearful about the permitting issue we ran into at Lost Gulch.  Our looking deeper into things showed that it looks like Chautauqua Park started to have some permitting enforced.  The park went through a slight makeover with some parking funding requirements and shuttling in due to the demand.  This went into effect this year which had this noticeable push of people to other locations particularly Lost Gulch Overlook.  When you can find a place online and see photos you like of it inevitably that will also draw more people to use the location for tourism but also photography.  We think the permitting enforcement is great to weed out non professionals but a pain when you did not know about it.  We have spent many hours weeks  of our life trying to comply with permitting requirements.  It sounds really easy but it is super crazy complicated – everywhere.  One group manages the land, another the trails, another the county, another the city, one manages city parks and open space, then the other mountain parks.  There are commercial use permits, film permits and conflicting information about which you need, if you need them, and where you need them.  Imagine being in the wilderness and hearing you need to contact one county for a permit then if you walk 10 feet it is another county.  Now do this for every city, county, and forest management service who even though they manage the same land from different perspectives have not collaborated on requirements.  What are you to do when you read “Individuals engaging in still camera photography are exempt and do not need to apply for a permit if the activity occurs during open hours and has less than 25 people.”  For a full time photographer that is a secondary full time job to chase all those down, understand the requirements and comply with them.  We normally go through 3-4 people before we get to the right source.  Add to that the modifications to the 1mil-2mil general liability policy and most places saying 2-4 weeks to name an exact time and place for a shoot.  If you ever run into a permitting issue as a couple on a shoot just know it is really hard for the group managing public land.  They are really looking out for the best interest of all.

If you like this location here are some other Gross Reservoir photoshoots on the blog.