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I’m Dakota, a Wilmington, NC-based photographer helping engaged couples feel comfortable in front of the camera and creative businesses grow with purposeful brand imagery.

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Arizona 2020: Family Trip Recap

January 24, 2020

The Hersey’s do Arizona 2020!!!! I’ve been going to Arizona about every two years or so for my entire life. Both sides of my family are military veterans who settled in Sierra Vista / Tucsan, AZ so it makes for a really convenient trip to see all of my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Weston and I haven’t been “home” with my dad in YEARS so we knew we wanted to plan a trip specifically for standing around my Grammy and Gramps’ house listening to his brothers and sisters tell embarrassing stories about him, ha!

We spent most of our days doing exactly that, but we also got to explore some of the areas my dad and mom grew up in –– including BEAUTIFUL, huge mountains! Of course I had to get photos in front of them too 😉

One of my goals for this year is to be better about documenting my own life, beyond quick photos that will never leave my iPhone. This was the start of that and they are some of my favorite photos ever!! We even vlogged it, so it was a well documented trip –– yay!!




This view is from a little trail in front of my nana and papa’s house…WILD!!!

Of course I had to have Weston take some pretty shots of me. You can’t be a photographer and NOT do that in the desert!!

My dad used to camp in these mountains when he was a teenager. We couldn’t go all the way up because we were in a Chrysler 300…but I liked this view anyways!! Watch the vlog to see me awkwardly running up and down a hill in boots trying to get these photos hahah.

Weston honestly looks really good in my hat. We need matching ones!!

My dad is the SELFIE KING! Hahah, my friends are always telling me about how they love his selfies on Facebook. I’m proud that he owns it and doesn’t let an experience go by without capturing it!

The mountains overlooking Fort Huachuca. You can see for MILES!!!

It was VERY windy this day!! My hair was not cooperating at all and my hat kept blowing off…it was a mess lol.

This is one of my favorite photos from the entire trip. I love my dad!!!

This trip was all about spending time with the Hersey side of the family. It’s been years since Weston and I have been home with my dad! We loved hanging around the kitchen island at Grammy and Gramps’ house. I don’t have a ton of photos of this part because I was enjoying the moment and everyone’s company!

I don’t know why but this just looks like an album cover to me! Maybe it’s because Weston and Uncle Lee disappeared for a few hours one day to go play with Uncle Lee’s band one day.

My favorite photo from the whole trip!!!

We headed back to Tuscan to stay with my mom’s side of the family before flying out in the morning –– which meant more freshly picked oranges and mountain views for us!!

Overall, a fantastic trip!!! I love all of the photos but the moments that weren’t glamorous or documented were some of my favorites –– two hour long breakfasts in the hotel lobby talking about everything under the sun, hearing stories about my dad when he was little, spending time with both sets of grandparents, etc. It’s so important to make time for this kind of stuff. I can’t wait to go back!

hello!

I’m Dakota, a Wilmington, NC-based photographer Helping engaged couples feel comfortable in front of the camera and creative businesses grow with purposeful brand imagery.

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