Campground Fields With Rachel Murphy (Patreon)

A lot of our time in Wyoming was spent at our camp ground, mostly in the morning and the evening. Starting the day with a fresh cup of coffee and a quick breakfast before hitting the back roads for a new adventure and winding down with a beautiful meal accompanied by a warm fire. We made a lot of friends at our campground, mainly because of Rachel and her extremely outgoing and welcoming personality. For Rachel, being from Texas, it come naturally. When a new neighbor would arrive she would almost immediately start up a conversation with them and the leading line was something close to "Hey y'all, welcome! Where y'all from? I'm Rachel, I'm from Texas." All complete with her southern twang that came in thick from time to time. Most certainly, when she was greeting.

What I would have taken as a quick head nod and a distant wave, Rachel took our neighbors as true to the word. Inviting them to join us for conversation, late night views and pure candid connection. Now, I think I have to blame the amount of time that I have spent in Downtown Los Angeles and the type of culture that is perpetuated here that you become accustomed to. I would like to note, I did invite our closest neighbors over to our fire for a whiskey and some warmth. Dan and his wife were sitting by a mere propane fire to keep warm, when we had a sizable camp fire for all of us. I can tell you that Rachel taught me a lot on this trip we took with one another and one of those things was to be more open to connecting with strangers; they only stay strangers if you choose to leave them that way.

This set means more to me than just the stunning mountain range, warm fields, Rachel and Bucket. It makes me remember the time that we spent at our camp and the amazing times we had there. The hours spent cooking, eating, laughing and connecting with not just one another, but the people around us as well. It felt good for the soul, healing almost. What I would give to be back here in this very memory once more. I can tell you, this most certainly will not be my last trip with Rachel so there are only more memories to come.

One morning before Rachel and I hit the road for another day out in the middle of nowhere down miles of primitive roads, we took a short walk into the field directly in front of our camp. What a better location than a stone's throw away? Surely, there was no shortage of great views and beautiful backdrops. It was a couple days in that we got used to the area, the neighbors and what we could and could not do. We both felt extremely comfortable making this set of images happen. Most of the surround people would leave earlier in the morning to hit the trails and see the sights. Rachel and I started this day a little later than others which allowed us to be able to capture these images without others being around. Now, there was one point where Rachel had to do the quick duck and hide behind the grasses; but I would say one occurrence of this was a win.

Bucket was a surprise guest in the images. We did not plan to have her in the shoot, but I am so glad that she is attached to Rachel's hip. One, it really shows Rachel in her true element with Bucket. Two, it allows me to smile at the connection I made with Bucket as well. Enjoy.

- AW Media

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dhsetyn07n1aydg/AAACoPGCQF57rDmsD2-WQ5n3a?dl=0