A double-exposed portrait of a woman and a man at the edge of Redfish Lake, one frame flipped upside down over the other so the couple appears to merge into the Sawtooth Mountains behind them. — Photo by Katy Kahla Photography

The fire had burned low, down to a soft orange glow, and Nat was laughing with a marshmallow halfway to her mouth. Nate leaned in to catch it before it dropped. Nobody was posing. That was the whole night.

What Makes Redfish Lake So Good for Engagement Photos

Redfish Lake sits below the Sawtooths, and the mountains come up out of the water so fast they almost don't look real in a photo. The water is clear and cold. Even in June the shoreline stays quiet in the early morning and in the last hour before dark, and that last hour is the reason I plan sessions here.

Most people chase golden hour, the warm light right before the sun goes down. At Redfish, the better window comes after. The sun drops behind the peaks, the sky goes deep blue, and the ridgeline holds a soft glow for a while longer. The lake goes still enough to mirror the mountains back at you. That's when I do my best work here, and it's the half hour most people spend packing up their car.

Here's the honest part. This is a public lake, and in summer it's busy. The marina, the beach, and the dock at Redfish Lake Lodge fill up with families and boats all afternoon. I work around it. We start when the day crowd heads home, and we use the quiet coves and tree lines the boats skip.

In black and white, a woman in a light dress and a man in a striped shirt embrace among sunlit trees, laughing as they look at each other. — Photo by Katy Kahla Photography

Nat and Nate's Story

I met Nat at an afternoon tea. My friend Camille was having a birthday, and Nat had just seen the photos I'd taken of Camille and her husband Jeff. She came over between cups and told me she and Nate were getting married in the Carolinas. Then she said the part I didn't see coming. She wanted their engagement photos in Idaho, because Idaho is the place they'd fallen for.

Nat moved here a few years ago to work at Chobani, where she's a food scientist. She has a small magnifying glass tattooed on her arm, which made me smile once I knew what she did all day. Redfish is their spot. They come up to camp, and when I asked where they wanted to shoot, there really wasn't a second choice.

We planned the session around a new moon. The idea was stars, a dark sky over the water, the kind of night you only get this far from a city. The clouds had other plans. They sat low over the peaks and never opened up. So we let the stars go and stayed for blue hour instead.

That's when the night got good. They'd driven up in their camping van and parked it by the trees. We poured sparkling wine into two glasses with ribbon tied on the stems, and Nate did the honors. Then they waded into the shallows and splashed each other like nobody was watching, because as far as they were concerned, nobody was.

The water was freezing and they did it anyway. That's Nat and Nate. Later they built a fire and made s'mores, and Nat closed her eyes on the first bite like it was the best thing she'd eaten all summer.

Nat and Nate are beautifully themselves, and I mean that as the highest compliment I can give a couple. They didn't try to look like anything other than what they are. My whole job was to make room for them to keep being that way, and then get out of it. The best frame of the night isn't a pose at all. It's the two of them, lanterns in hand, walking the shoreline in the last of the light.

At dusk, a couple carries lanterns along the sandy shore of a calm lake, the mountains and trees behind them mirrored in the still water. — Photo by Katy Kahla Photography

4 Tips for Your Own Redfish Lake Engagement Session

Stay for blue hour, not just sunset. The Sawtooths hold light after the sun's behind them, and the lake goes still and quiet at the same time. We got Nat and Nate's best photos in the window most couples spend walking back to the parking lot.
Make a night of it. Redfish is a place to stay, not a place to rush. Bring a van or book a campsite, and let the session roll into dinner, a fire, and whatever else the evening turns into. The photos get better the longer you stop performing for them.
Plan around the moon if you want stars, but keep a backup. A new moon gives you the darkest sky and the best odds at the Milky Way over the water. The weather won't check your calendar, so pick a place that's beautiful with clouds or without them. Redfish is.
Wear something you can move and play in. Nat wore a dress and boots she could walk the shoreline and wade into the lake in. You'll loosen up faster in clothes you're not busy protecting, and the photos will show it.

A tattooed hand raises a champagne flute with a ribbon tied around the stem, set against a dark, softly blurred background. — Photo by Katy Kahla Photography

Redfish Lake Engagement FAQ

Can you take engagement photos at Redfish Lake? Yes. Redfish sits in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, and I sort out the access and timing ahead of time so you don't have to think about the logistics. You show up and enjoy the evening.
What's the best time of day for photos at Redfish Lake? The last hour before dark. The boats come off the water, the shoreline empties out, and the mountains hold that blue glow after the sun drops behind them. Early morning works too if you'd rather have the lake to yourselves and don't mind a cold start.
When's the best time of year for a Redfish Lake engagement session? Late June through September, once the road's clear and the shoreline's open. Summer is the busiest and the warmest. Early fall brings cooler light and thinner crowds. The lake stays cold no matter the month, so plan for that if you want to get in the water like Nat and Nate did.
What should we wear for mountain engagement photos in Idaho? Layers and shoes you can actually walk in. The temperature drops fast once the sun's behind the peaks, so bring something warm for after. A dress or shirt with a little movement reads beautifully against the water and the mountains.
Can we do an Idaho engagement session if we're getting married in another state? Absolutely, and I photograph couples like this often. Nat and Nate are marrying in the Carolinas, but Idaho is the place that means something to them. Your photos should come from wherever you feel most like yourselves, wedding location aside.
How far is Redfish Lake from Boise? About three hours by car, up through Stanley on the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway. It's one of the prettiest drives in the state, and I'd build it into the day rather than treat it as a chore to get through.

A couple sits close on a fallen log stretched over a calm, tree-lined lake, holding each other as the setting sun glows on the water behind them. — Photo by Katy Kahla Photography

Planning Your Idaho Mountain Engagement Session

These are the sessions I look forward to. Not the ones that go to plan, but the ones where a couple stops performing and just spends an evening together. Nat and Nate came to Idaho for photos in a place they love, three states from where they'll say their vows, and they spent the whole night being exactly themselves.

“Katy made our engagement shoot comfortable, easy, and so magical! We loved her enthusiasm and visions for each shot. Her approach is thoughtful and we felt it captured our story so well. She communicated with us from initial planning, to brainstorming the idea, and all the way through the shoot. We highly recommend her to anyone else and are so fortunate to have these photos forever!”

— Nat + Nate

If you want mountain photos that feel like your actual relationship, whether that's an engagement or your wedding, I'd love to hear what you're picturing. Reach out here whenever you're ready.

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