caitlin & austin // morrison, colorado

Austin & Caitlin = the couple you wish you could be. I'm serious. They hike/rock climb/have awesome outdoor adventures every weekend. They work for environmental/humanitarian non-profits. They live downtown Denver in a cool loft. They're vegetarians. They have great friends, one who will be officiating their wedding. They're pretty much the stars of the Mumford & Sons live video shot at Red Rocks. They have awesome nicknames. They cook dinner together almost every day. Caitlin's foot dons a rad tattoo of a compass, and her favorite animal is the cow. They stop at a dinosour mural and pose for T-Rex photos. Love it.Bottom line - these two are way cooler than me, and I'm ok with it. Mostly because I walked away from this shoot really wanting to be more like them. And not just because of everything I already mentioned. But also because I can already tell that these have a rare capacity for their ability to care. About people.  About the planet. About their friends and family. And most importantly, about each other. I mean, it's obvious, isn't it? You can see it in Caitlin's (adorable) smile when she looks at Austin. You can see it in the way Austin puts his arm around her. You can see it in their laughter.One part of this shoot I'll never forget happened while I was photographing Caitlin near that cool purple house. As I was shooting, I felt compelled to stop and tell her how pretty I think she is (those piercing eyes, that adorable dimple, the wisps of hair blowing in the wind, I could go on and on). Behind me, I heard Austin say, "Isn't she? Isn't she pretty?" I stopped and turned around. I'll never forget the way Austin was staring at her, smiling, acknowledging the beauty of his soon-to-be wife. I'm kicking myself for not taking a photo of his face right then because it was love in the form of a face.Caitlin & Austin, I have no doubt that you'll be looking at each other like that for the rest of your lives. Congratulations on your engagement and your upcoming wedding. I can't wait to get to know more about you both, and in the meantime, I'm seriously considering bouldering at Red Rocks so I can be just like you.