Nestled behind Ijams nature center is one of the most beautiful quarries I’ve ever seen. In the summer people can go paddle boarding and explore the gorgeous area around. There are docks to jump off of and tons of beautiful moss covering the cliffside. But it’s also a perfect location for an intimate elopement in the Knoxville area.

Just a couple of minutes past the nature center is a little parking lot. In January, on a very cold morning, we met outside and these two followed me and a fellow photographer out to capture this exciting moment!

We started off walking by the water in the quarry. What I loved about Santana was that she brought a gorgeous leather jacket and this dark black hat that added such an edgy vibe to this already fun session. I love the way that she and Jay have such great chemistry together, and even though the quarry was pretty full because it was in January, it was such a beautiful spot to shoot in a Knoxville winter.

Something else that’s pretty cool about Knoxville is that after living near Jackson Hole for so long, it was crazy to me how warm it was given the time of year. Knoxville is already beginning to get warmer, and when I asked Jade and Santana when it would get warmer, they were saying that there’s wildflowers and gorgeous spring by March. I think that’s so incredible because where I’m from, it stays cold and snowy until April at the earliest. Knoxville is seriously so gorgeous, and it’s so green.

We then went on a small hike and it was so fun being able to walk along these gorgeous trails, with trees lining the paths, you would never know that we were only minutes away from a bustling gorgeous small town. We were walking past tons of trees and brush, and then we landed in this gorgeous quarry. Honestly, it felt like such a surreal world. There was rock everywhere. there were deep cuts into the earth and it was such an incredible spot to shoot such a moody session.

The rocks became such a fun vibe to shoot with. And it was such a fun place to explore. There was moss everywhere and I thought that was such a fun and unique space to shoot in. It’s definitely won’t be the last time I will shoot there. I can’t wait to see what it looks like in the summertime when everything’s super† green.

Another fun part about shooting in this quarry was that we could shoot at noon, and the sun was completely blocked by the rocks. It was such a fun way to shoot whenever we wanted to and be able to have such a fun experience. I was so impressed by Knoxville and what it has to offer and I definitely want to shoot at the quarry again!