Cottonwood Pass Couples Session in Buena Vista, Colorado
Cottonwood Pass Couples Session with Dan & Emma
If you’ve ever wondered, can you take photos on top of Cottonwood Pass? The answer is yes, and it’s every bit as breathtaking as you’d imagine. Sitting high in the Sawatch Range on the Continental Divide, Cottonwood Pass offers sweeping views in every direction. Drive to the summit in summer or fall, step out of your car, and you’re surrounded by ridgelines that stretch into forever. And the best part? You don’t need a permit to photograph here.
This is where I met Dan and Emma, and it became one of my favorite sessions of the entire year.
Soaking Up Colorado
Dan was the one who booked the session, something I’ve seen more this year than ever before, men reaching out to create something meaningful with their partners. He and Emma are runners, hikers, and proud parents of quirky cats. They’d just moved to Colorado, knowing their time here might be temporary, but determined to soak up every bit of beauty it had to offer.
For them, photos weren’t about standing still and smiling. They wanted to feel the genuine connection between them, and to have the mountains wrap them in.
From Loveland Pass to Cottonwood Pass
Originally, we planned for Loveland Pass. But Colorado had other ideas. Seasonal closures and a rockslide meant we needed a new plan. Cottonwood Pass quickly rose to the top of the list, and once we arrived, it felt like fate.
I drove up early to scout, tracing the curves of the road from Buena Vista to the summit. I stopped at overlooks, noticing how the light fell, imagining where Dan and Emma might stand, where the wind might catch Emma’s hair, where the sun might skim the peaks. By the time I reached the top, I had a map in my mind of how we’d chase the light together.
On the way down, I crossed paths with two thru-hikers, fresh off the The Collegiate Loop. They needed a ride into town, so I gave them one. A small reminder of what I love about these mountains: everyone is on a journey, and sometimes those paths intersect for just a moment.
Chasing Light Up the Pass
When Dan and Emma arrived, they followed me back up the mountain. We stopped along the way, unhurried, letting the evening guide us. Meadows opened wide, tree lines gave way to ridgelines, and the light kept shifting, softer, deeper, golden.
By the time we reached the summit, we were standing on the Continental Divide, with views spilling to the east and the west. The air was thin, the sky stretched wide, and it felt as if time had slowed just for them.
Becoming Part of the Landscape
What I loved most was how naturally Dan and Emma fit into the space. They didn’t just pose against the mountains, they moved with them. Runners at heart, hikers in their souls, they carried the rhythm of the trail into the session. Their laughter echoed across the pass, their quiet moments settled into the stillness, and the vastness of the landscape only made their closeness more striking.
It’s sessions like this that remind me: these humans aren’t just in the frame, they are the art.
Why Cottonwood Pass is Worth It
If you’re dreaming of a location that feels both epic and accessible, Cottonwood Pass is one to keep close.
Drive-up access, no long hike required.
360° views, panoramas of the Sawatch Range in every direction.
Seasonal beauty, open mid-July through mid-October.
No photography permit required (see official info).
Diverse scenery, alpine lakes, meadows, rocky overlooks, and the open sky of the Divide.
It’s one of those rare places where awe and intimacy exist side by side.
Dan and Emma’s session was more than just an evening with my camera. It was a reminder of how much beauty there is to hold when we’re willing to pivot, to chase the light, to let the land guide us.
Cottonwood Pass gave them, and me, a chance to breathe deeply, to stand still in the vastness, and to see connection in its truest form.
If you’re dreaming of a Cottonwood Pass couples session, know that it’s waiting. The mountains will welcome you, the light will shift just for you, and your story will find its place here.
