Last year we had the honor of photographing Vanessa and Emanuel’s elopement at the Glamis Sand Dunes. They were one of our 2020 couples, but we all know how that year went. They didn’t want to continue to push their date over and over again so they decided to elope and get some beautiful photos while they were at it. When Vanessa told me she wanted to do their photos at Glamis / Imperial San Dunes, I was so excited! I had always wanted to do a session here but with an almost 4 hour drive from Los Angeles, there are not too many takers. Let me tell you, it is totally worth the drive. I will out some tips at the end of the post for those considering having a session because there are lots of things you have to take into consideration, one of them being what time of year you do your session, because it can get excruciatingly hot out there.

Once you are there though, it feels like you have traveled to another country. It is absolutely breathtaking and beautiful. So if anyone is considering a session here, contact us! I can’t wait to do another session here!

Now, enjoy some of my faves from their session. My favorite part was when they read their vows to each other. So emotional and personal.

Also, notice how when we started the session the sun was beaming, then we got that magical golden light us photographers love so much, and not to mention the cotton candy sky we got at the end. Absolutely beautiful!

Tips for those considering having a session at the Glamis Sand Dunes (also known as Imperial Sand Dunes and Algodones Sand Dunes):

• Definitely plan your session around the cooler months. Avoid trying to do your session during the summer because the heat can be unbearable, especially around July and August, which is to be expected since it’s the desert. If you absolutely want to do your session during the summer, my best advice is to have a morning session instead before the sun starts beating down on you.

• You will need a permit to park. Be sure to purchase that for each car ahead of time for the specific date you are planning to do your session on.

Lastly, choose a parking closest to undisturbed dunes. Sometimes this is hard to find because a lot of off roaders go enjoy some fun on the dunes, too. However, if you are at least parked at a parking lot that gives you easy access to the dunes, it will be less walking up and down the hills of sand to find some undisturbed hills. Trust me, it gets exhausting really fast. We parked at Osborne Park Rd which is just feet from the dunes. It only took us about 10 minutes to reach a spot where we wanted to start taking photos.

If you have any questions or would like to set up a photo session, don’t hesitate to email us at info@natalylemus.com