Hey There
I'm Janel! I have a deep love of all things nature and the outdoors. I am a adventure elopement and small intimate wedding photographer. Along my travels and in my free time I love to photograph nature. It brings me so much joy and is one of my favorite things to do. My main goal is to share my love of nature with everyone else and inspire people to get out there and nurture their relationship with the outdoors on their own.
Welcome to Mountain Momma
Here you will find all things landscape
I grew up at the beach and lived in a pretty busy city. That being said a part of me always felt trapped there, like I didn't truly belong. When I finally moved to the mountains I understood why I felt like that. The part that was missing was the great unknown and nature. There is no better feeling than being on the side of a mountain looking out at the world in awe. Yeah you can kid of get that feeling staring out at the ocean but every mountain and view looks different, and it feels different too.
I started to hike and explore the area around me and really fell in love with all the places I got to see. I wanted to photograph every beautiful thing I saw in nature so I didn't forget the feeling I felt while standing there. Eventually I learned more about photographing nature and really just put my all into it. While I do love photographing my couples and weddings, nature photography is my first and true love.
I take all these photos in the hopes that someone will fall in love with a place and be inspired to go get out in nature and explore the world on their own.
Leave No Trace
I do want to talk for a minute about ways to respect nature. I like to practice the Leave No Trace method. It is so important that we take care of nature so that it can take care of us. This is so much more than just not leaving any trash behind (which I hope we all know better than). There are 7 principles for the Leave No Trace and I will go over all of them here.
1. Plan ahead and prepare
Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you'll visit.
Prepare for extreme weather, hazards, and emergencies.
Schedule your trip to avoid times of high use.
Visit in small groups when possible. Consider splitting larger groups into smaller groups.
Repackage food to minimize waste.
Use a map and compass to eliminate the use of marking paint, rock cairns or flagging.
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Durable surfaces include established trails and campsites, rock, gravel, dry grasses or snow.
Protect riparian areas by camping at least 200 feet from lakes and streams.
Good campsites are found, not made. Altering a site is not necessary.
In popular areas:
Concentrate use on existing trails and campsites.
Walk single file in the middle of the trail, even when wet or muddy.
Keep campsites small. Focus activity in areas where vegetation is absent.
In pristine areas:
Disperse use to prevent the creation of campsites and trails.
Avoid places where impacts are just beginning.
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
Pack it in, pack it out. Inspect your campsite and rest areas for trash or spilled foods. Pack out all trash, leftover food and litter.
Deposit solid human waste in catholes dug 6 to 8 inches deep, at least 200 feet from water, camp and trails. Cover and disguise the cathole when finished.
Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products.
To wash yourself or your dishes, carry water 200 feet away from streams or lakes and use small amounts of biodegradable soap. Scatter strained dishwater.
4. Leave What You Find
Preserve the past: examine, but do not touch cultural or historic structures and artifacts.
Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.
Avoid introducing or transporting non-native species.
Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches.
5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
Campfires can cause lasting impacts to the backcountry. Use a lightweight stove for cooking and enjoy a candle lantern for light.
Where fires are permitted, use established fire rings, fire pans, or mound fires.
Keep fires small. Only use sticks from the ground that can be broken by hand.
Burn all wood and coals to ash, put out campfires completely, then scatter cool ashes.
6. Respect Wildlife
Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach them.
Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviors, and exposes them to predators and other dangers.
Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations and trash securely.
Control pets at all times, or leave them at home.
Avoid wildlife during sensitive times: mating, nesting, raising young, or winter.
7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors
Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience.
Be courteous. Yield to other users on the trail.
Step to the downhill side of the trail when encountering pack stock.
Take breaks and camp away from trails and other visitors.
Let nature's sounds prevail. Avoid loud voices and noises.
Fine Art Print Shop
I dedicate my spare time to trying to inspire people to get outdoors and in nature. One of the best ways I have found to do that is by looking at places you want to go to remember the feeling of being out there. I take photos on all my journeys and have selected the best ones from a variety of groups that are available for a small price in my shop. I hope that you find one that you love, print it out and frame it and get inspired daily. There really is no better feeling than exploring a brand new place for the first time and really getting to take it all in.
Portfolio
You can see examples of all the work I have done here. I love showing off my landscape edits in the hopes that people will love them as well. I explore often and try to take in very different terrains so that I am always seeing something new and exciting. That being said I have some favorites as well and love to visit them time and time again. I take pictures of everything that I find beautiful so I am sure you will find some inspiration between these pages.
Hiking Guides
Somewhere along the way I ran out of places close to me to explore and started venturing further out for new experiences. I had to do a lot of research when visiting a new place to come up with a plan to utilize my time well and see everything I could. I always wished there was an easier way to get all the facts I needed to make those decisions. That is when I started making hiking guides so that people wouldn't have to work as hard as I did.
I do charge for these guides just because it takes me so long to make them.
Super Grand Opening Sale
