An Arabia Mountain blue hour engagement session gets you two things that don’t come together often: wide open sky and that deep, saturated blue light that only shows up for a few minutes right after sunset. I got to shoot exactly that with Teddi & Ivey, who came into their session with a full vision already in mind, a midsummer night dream feel inspired by Practical Magic, built entirely around dusk timing.
Why Arabia Mountain Works So Well for Blue Hour
Arabia Mountain is a 955-foot granite monadnock inside the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, about 25 minutes east of downtown Atlanta near Lithonia. The summit trail is a fairly short, moderate hike to the top, and once you’re up there, the exposed granite gives you an unbroken view of open sky in every direction, exactly what you need for blue hour to actually show up in your photos.
Teddi & Ivey and I went back and forth for a while working through timing and location before landing here, and it turned out to be exactly right. Between the exposed rock, the panoramic views, and the total lack of tree cover to block the sky, Arabia Mountain gives blue hour room to do what it does best.
Chasing the Light on the Mountain
Blue hour is a short window, so once the sun starts dropping, there’s no time to waste. Teddi & Ivey brought lanterns to use once natural light got low, which gave us something warm to play against all that cool blue in the sky. We spent the evening wandering the mountain together, working our way up toward the summit as the light shifted, and the sky cooperated in a big way that evening: dramatic clouds, a full saturated sunset, then that deep blue settling in right on schedule.
I try to stay out of the way during sessions like this and just document what’s actually happening. Teddi & Ivey wandered, explored, and leaned into each other naturally, and my job was mostly just to follow and catch it.
Things Worth Knowing Before You Go
Arabia Mountain’s trails are open dawn to dusk, and there’s no fee for parking or trail access. The mountain has essentially no shade, so if you’re planning a sunset session, temperatures can still feel warm even as the sun drops, especially in summer. Parking fills up fast on weekends, so if you have flexibility, a weekday session gives you a much quieter mountain to work with.
Because blue hour shifts throughout the year, I always check exact sunset and blue hour timing for the specific date before we shoot, then build the whole schedule backward from there. A small light source, like Teddi & Ivey’s lanterns, is worth bringing along too, since it gives your photos something to play against once the ambient light starts fading fast.
Teddi & Ivey, thank you for trusting me with such a specific, beautiful vision. Watching the two of you love on each other while we chased the light across that mountain is exactly the kind of session I live for.
Thinking about your own Arabia Mountain blue hour engagement session? Get in touch, I’d love to help you plan the timing and bring your vision to life.
