Away We Go
So many photographers decide to dive into destination photography and I knew when we got to the point of traveling again I wanted to approach things a bit differently. (As we do with lots of big business decisions.)
I mapped out a trip to Las Vegas and destinations between there and Page, Arizona. I went to Valley of Fire, Vermillion Cliffs, Zion National Park and others. I started to dive into location permits and about halfway through my travels I realized the spots I most wanted to showcase are those less explored patches of land. Wild places managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Places not yet protected like National Parks and not completely over-run with tourists, places still left a little wild.
One major consideration for anything beyond tourist photography is permits. Just about any type of photography requires a permit. State Parks, National Parks, and The Bureau of Land Management all have different rules and each park has different permit systems. For example Lake Mead has a fee system for wedding photos while the Bureau of Land Management considers family and wedding photography non-commercial.
Bottom line is that working with a reputable photographer and wedding planner will help when mapping out legal and welcoming places for photo sessions.