How to find model couples when traveling overseas.

It’s no secret that Switzerland has been at the top of my bucket list of places to visit since I was little. Everything in Europe has always felt so unattainable to me. The kind of place you only ever see through perfectly curated photos or in movies… until suddenly, I was standing in it, camera in hand, realizing these dreamlike landscapes and love stories were real, and somehow, I was a part of them.

Back in January of this year, I got a serious case of the winter blues (midwest winter’s are not for the weak). I woke up one morning and saw a ridiculously cheap flight to Switzerland and immediately felt that pull. You know when something just feels right? I threw it on my story half-joking, like “okay but should I actually go?” and within minutes an internet friend (Avery Clevenger Photo) slid up and said, “I’m in.” And just like that, it all clicked. By that evening, we had flights booked.

As two photographers, you can imagine that we weren’t going on this trip without having at least a few sessions booked. I started by reaching out to local photographers in Switzerland for referrals, people who already knew the area and the kind of couples who would be down for an adventure shoot. And this is your reminder to never underestimate the power of a targeted Instagram ad. I ran one specifically in the exact city I wanted to shoot in (Wengen!!), speaking directly to the kind of couple I had in mind and that’s how I found my dream couple. It felt so aligned, like the right people always find you when you get intentional about who you’re trying to reach.

Our first shoot took place right on Lake Brienz – castle in the background, crystal blue water, the Swiss Alps towering above. This couple we were referred to and boy did that photographer steer us RIGHT! Melanie and Gabriel were beyond gorgeous, the type of couple where their love radiates and is felt by everyone they encounter. We even convinced the two to start their own model account as they were naturals (@mel_and_gabe). If you are ever traveling to Switzerland, I highly recommend you reaching out to these two to help plan and model for your dream session. They were down for anything and everything.

Our second session consisted of a 30 minute hike up a steep mountain, and it was one of those climbs where you don’t even mind how hard it is because the views keep getting better the higher you go. Wengen felt unreal (like something out of a dream) with layers of mountains stretching endlessly and the valley dropping so far below us it almost didn’t feel real. At certain points, you could literally see miles down to the tiny towns and train lines tucked into the landscape.

Merel and Aleix showed up with the most contagious energy. They were so peppy and silly with each other, constantly joking, teasing, and making each other laugh in that effortless way that makes photographing people feel easy. We ended up laughing almost the entire time ourselves, stopping every few minutes not just for photos, but because we were genuinely having fun. They even brought their dog along, who immediately became the unofficial star of the shoot and somehow made everything feel even more relaxed and real.

Standing there in Wengen with the wind cutting through the mountains and laughter echoing between us it all felt kind of unreal in the best way. What started as a spontaneous winter idea turned into something way bigger than I ever expected real people real places and moments I used to only see on my Pinterest board.

I’ve realized I really thrive in spontaneous moments like this. The unplanned ones the “why not” decisions the situations that don’t really make sense on paper but feel right in your gut. I feel the most like myself when I am a little outside my comfort zone and I am figuring things out as I go, meeting new people in new places and just trusting that it will all work out. There is something about that kind of energy that makes me feel really alive.

And I am honestly so thankful for a career that lets me live that out. Photography has taken me from sitting in the Midwest dreaming about places like Switzerland to actually being there working and exploring at the same time. It still doesn’t fully feel real sometimes that I get to travel for work and build a life that is constantly moving and expanding. I don’t take that for granted at all because I know how rare it is to be able to say yes to that kind of life.

One thing I have learned through all of this is that talking to strangers is not as scary or random as people make it seem. Obviously you have to be smart and take caution but there is something really cool about opening yourself up to people you would have never met otherwise. Some of the best opportunities I have had have come from a message a referral or someone just saying hey I know someone you should connect with. You really never know what friendships or work or even just little moments of inspiration can come from it.

Switzerland ended up being way more than just a place I traveled to. It was a reminder that when I say yes to the random ideas the last minute flights the uncomfortable unknowns I always end up somewhere better than I planned. And I think that is kind of the whole point for me right now choosing the life that feels a little bold a little unpredictable and a lot more real than anything I could have carefully mapped out.