Tag Archive for: Montana

Virginia City Montana wedding day bride and groom train station
  • Virginia City Montana wedding day rustic bride and groom

A few weeks back, I had the pleasure of photographing the Virginia City Montana Wedding Day of Marissa and Tyler.

It’s not every day that I get to go photograph a wedding in the historic small town of Virginia CityMontana. This place is special and one of the most authentic, historical sites in Montana.

The old west city and its neighbor Nevada City, lie along Alder Gulch about one mile apart. It is a true piece of history. In fact, it is considered a National Historic Landmark. Of the nearly three hundred structures in town (standing in their original condition), almost half were built prior to 1900.

When Marissa and Tyler told me they wanted to have their wedding celebration at the Virginia City Depot standing in the old territorial Capitol of Montana, I could not have been more thrilled.

It was like stepping back in time to the Old West.

Between Nevada City and Virginia City, we took advantage of the fantastic Old West architecture and explored the area making fun photos of the bride, groom, and their bridal party along the way.

To reach the ceremony, we all took a ride on the Virginia City Shortline Railroad. From Nevada City, we traveled one mile over to the wedding ceremony site at the Virginia City Depot. It was a huge hit with all in attendance.

Marissa and Tyler are Helena residents and work in state government. They are also huge history buffs. The couple styled their wedding day with their own nod to history. A combination of their love of politics, and love for each other. Their boss just happens to be State of Montana Gov. Steve Bullock who with humor and charm, officiated the ceremony.

It was a rare cool August day and the perfect venue to celebrate the start of their new journey together.

After these newlyweds tied the knot, we walked the streets of historic downtown Virginia City making couples portraits along the way. Eventually, we steered our procession over to the Virginia City Community Center where we spent the night dancing, playing in a photo booth, and celebrating these two amazing people. It was such a fun day and I felt so grateful to be a part of it. Here are my favorite images from the day. I wish these two all the best! -M

Bozeman Portrait Photography Engagement Couple Sunflowers Madison River

The other day I drove out to the Madison River to meet my friends Sky and Tara for their evening Madison River Couple Portraits Experience.

I’ve known this great couple for years. When the news of their engagement was announced, everyone knew it had been a long time coming. It’s so exciting to see them together as their wedding date approaches and their love and excitement grow.

I would be hard-pressed to find a better match of personalities. These two friends graciously modeled for me a while back for a styled wedding photo session at Rocky Creek Farm. I was honored when they approached me to photograph their engagement portrait session.

As avid flyfishing and river people, we decided to photograph their engagement photos in a spot near and dear to them, the Madison River.

Both Sky and Tara love to fly fish and spend their free time being close to the rivers around Montana. As friends, we’ve we have all spent many a day together trying to entice the Montana trout to eat.

When we arrived at the put in, we loaded up Sky’s drift boat and cast off into the current.

As we floated downstream, we stopped to take photos along the way. It was an absolutely fine way to spend an afternoon – floating a blue ribbon trout stream and documenting the love. This couple tie the knot in two weeks! I am so excited for them. Congrats you guys! -Mike

This past weekend I had the pleasure of photographing the Virginia City Montana Wedding Day Photography of Marissa and Tyler.

These two wanted to celebrate their wedding celebration standing in the old territorial Capitol of Montana. The town is a true piece of history. In fact, it is considered a National Historic Landmark. Of the nearly three hundred structures in town (standing in their original condition), almost half were built prior to 1900.

It was like stepping back in time to the Old West period and we took advantage of the amazing architecture and made some cool photos.

These two Helena residents work in the state government and styled their special day with their own nod to history, to their love of politics and each other. Their boss just happens to be State of Montana Gov. Steve Bullock who officiated the ceremony. It was a rare cool August day and the perfect venue to celebrate the start of their new journey together.

Here is a preview of some of their wedding photos I made throughout the day. I still have many more to go through and I’m excited to show you all. These two are incredible people and I wish them all the best. Stay tuned for more. -M

expecting-couple-cuddle-in-yellow-flowers-during-their-Bozeman-Maternity-Family-Portraits-session

  • expecting-couple-cuddle-in-yellow-flowers-during-their-Bozeman-Maternity-Family-Portraits-session
    I had the pleasure of photographing some friends Lacey and Rory for their maternity portrait session here in Bozeman, Montana. These two were so excited to have their photos created. We will be doing part two later this year when their little one gets a little bigger. For this part, we decided to hike around the "M" Trail at the edge of the Bridger Mountains just outside of town. The evening light made for not only a lovely walk but also prime light for making some cool photographs. We had a great time. Here are some of my favorite images from the day.

Back in late May, I had the pleasure of photographing Bozeman Maternity Family Portraits of Lacey and Rory on the “M” Trail in Bozeman, Montana.

These two were so excited about their new family and wanted to create some environmental portraits of them in the town they love. For ease of outdoor access, we decided to hike around the “M” Trail at the edge of the Bridger Mountains just outside of downtown Bozeman.

I love the summertime!

The evening light during our photo session made for not only a lovely walk but also prime light for making some sunset photographs amongst the endless hillsides covered in yellow Arrowleaf Balsamroot wildflowers.

A great setting combined with enthusiastic expecting parents made for a great time.

Here are some of my favorite images from their Bozeman Maternity Family Portraits session. I’m excited for you and your new family Lacey and Rory. Congrats again! -M

Greener Family Reunion Portraits in Missoula Montana

It’s amazing to me how busy we all can get wrapped up in our own lives. We are all guilty of it. While my parents are living close by in Missoula, my brother Eric and his wife Brandy are starting their new family in Anchorage, Alaska with their new daughter Molly. My sister has been busy working to finish her veterinarian school in Colorado. The Greener clan has been spread out over the last couple of years and we only manage to see each other once a year.

So when the opportunity to meet up last week in Missoula with my siblings, their families, my parents and grandma, naturally I wanted to bring my camera to document the rare family gathering. We were more concerned about hanging out and playing with my niece who is turning into a fun little kid.

We kept things casual and I made pictures when the creativity struck. Time flies when you are having fun and living life. Blink and eye and nieces, puppies and the rest of us all grow up. We had a lot of fun spending time together and I will cherish these moments. These are the good times. Here are a few of my favorites. -M

engaged-couple-on-Mount-Helena-Montana-Engagement-Portraits

  • engaged-couple-on-Mount-Helena-Montana-Engagement-Portraits
    A few weeks back I drove out to create a Helena Montana Couples Portrait Photographic Experience of Marissa and Tyler, my wedding clients. With the building excitement of their fast approaching wedding day in Virginia City, Montana, we wanted to create fun photographs of them and their life in Helena that meant a lot to them.

A few weeks back I photographed the Helena Montana engagement portraits of my wedding clients, Marissa and Tyler.

With their fast-approaching wedding in Virginia City, Montana, this couple’s excitement was growing. We decided to create a fun engagement portraits session for them, highlighting their outdoor lifestyle in their Helena home together.

This couple works hard and plays hard.

In between their busy jobs working at our state capital directly for the governor of Montana, this couple loves to frequently takes walks around the various trail systems around Helena together with their dog during their downtime. For them, the south hills trail system offers a place to decompress and reconnect with each other. Marissa and Tyler wanted to have their Helena Montana Engagement Portraits experience in one of their favorite outdoor settings. We decided to check out the Old Shooting Range Trailhead just outside of town.

We spent a couple of hours exploring the hillside trails, playing fetch with their dog, and making some fun photos of them in the beautiful wooded mountainous scenery in the south hills of Helena.

Here are a few of my favorite photographs from our time together. I can not wait to celebrate these two in August. -M

El Western Resort Wedding Photos Becky and Kyle

  • El Western Resort Wedding Photos Becky and Kyle

This past Saturday, I stepped in last minute to photograph the El Western Resort Wedding day of Becky and Kyle in Ennis Montana.

Sometimes in life, you can’t always plan for the unexpected.

I woke up to an early morning message from a photographer friend of mine. Overnight she had become quite ill and woke up the morning of her client’s wedding day unable to work it. That is a nightmare situation for any working creative. Thankfully, here in southwest Montana, there is a strong community of supportive, talented wedding photographers. When called upon, we strive to help out one another.

Luckily, I was available and took over the reins for her agreeing to photograph her client’s El Western Resort wedding.

It makes me proud that I live amongst a community of wedding professionals that go the distance for their clients. By helping each other out, we are able to provide the best service possible for wedding couples having their celebrations in southwest Montana.

While it wasn’t ideal news for bride Becky and groom Kyle to find out the morning of their wedding day, they understood and were grateful for the help.

Not having any time to get to know them before their wedding day, I stepped up to make the best wedding photography experience I could for them. The result was a fun, country wedding celebration filled with good people in the heart of horse and fly fishing country.

A great time was had by all. I have a lot of great photos to edit through but I wanted to share a few favorites so far that have stood out to me. I’m excited to show them all the goods from their special day. Stay tuned for more wedding photos! -M

Rocky Creek Farm Styled Wedding Photo Session of Tara and Sky

  • Rocky Creek Farm Styled Wedding Photo Session of Tara and Sky

With the help of fellow wedding vendors, I photographed a Rocky Creek Farm Styled Wedding Shoot in under 24 hours’ time.

The idea for a Rocky Creek Farm Styled Wedding Shoot sprouted last Tuesday as I was talking on the phone with my friends Jacy and Matt, owners of Gallatin Valley Botanical. For the last couple of years,  I’ve been photographing and supporting their local Bozeman organic farm here in Gallatin Valley.

They mentioned that they would soon be taking over management of the popular Rocky Creek Farm just down the road from theirs. In addition to farming the increased acreage of land, they would also be pushing to make Rocky Creek Farm a successful new farm wedding venue. While gathering material together for their wedding advertisement for this past weekend’s Bozeman Bridal Walk, they realized they would need some wedding photography to showcase their new venue to prospective wedding clients. They didn’t have much time.

I told them I could help. The answer…

We decided to have a Rocky Creek Farm Styled Wedding Session. The next day.

Our time was short. We set our photo shoot time for 2 pm the following afternoon and let them know I would take care of everything. After hanging up the phone, I sprung into action. First and foremost, we would need models. I decided to get in touch with my engaged friends Sky and Tara and invited them to be my models for the afternoon. Thankfully, they agreed.

If we were going to have a properly styled wedding photo shoot, we would need to make our volunteer wedding models look amazing.

We were in need of a fine suit and beautiful wedding dress for my models to flaunt. I called upon the talents of Persnickety Formal Wear owner Anne Porter. In between all of her fittings for the busy prom season, she happily agreed to help. Sky and Tara were outfitted with some classy wedding attire that looked incredible.

For Tara’s hair and makeup, I stopped into Indulgence. My friend, the lovely owner Deirdre Quinn, saw to it that Tara looked radiant as a bride for our Rocky Creek Farm Styled shoot

It all came together so well. In all, we organized our impromptu wedding photo shoot in under 24 hours.

Our styled wedding photography shoot turned out awesome.

The Wednesday morning rain clouds had subsided by the time our two-hour afternoon photo shoot commenced. We were given a nice, calm weather window to utilize and we made the most of it.

It turns out Rocky Creek Farms has a lot to offer both in capacity and scenery.

I photographed Sky and Tara against various canvases found on the farm. We made good use of Rocky Creek Farm’s old barn wood backdrops, apple orchards, and open farmland under the views of the nearby Bridger Mountains. We even took photo opportunities along the on-property spring creek.

I could have photographed there for hours.

We even utilized a few baby lambs and my new labrador puppy, Tippet, to be featured in our photo shoot.

It was a perfect way to spend a Montana afternoon. The styled wedding shoot could not have happened without the hustle and team effort of my fellow vendors. At a moment’s notice, everyone worked together to make something special happen on such short notice. I’m so grateful for their willingness, enthusiasm, and professionalism.

Congrats to Sky and Tara on their engagement! Well wishes to Matt and Jacy as they grow their new wedding venue out at Rocky Creek Farms! -M

GreenerVisuals_TippetPuppy01

GreenerVisuals_TippetPuppy02

Introducing my New Photography Studio Labrador Puppy “Tippet”.

My new best friend has arrived!

My family grew up raising labrador retriever puppies and every Spring, during my junior and high school years, we would have a litter of labrador puppies in our house.

It was so much fun to come home from school and yell “Hey kids!” from the front door and suddenly a wave of wagging labrador would welcome me at the door. Having labs growing up was such a wonderful part of my childhood.

My folks have since moved from my childhood Chicago suburb home and have settled into their new life in Missoula, Montana. As I grow older, those familiar childhood memories and nostalgia grow more distant and seem harder to hold onto. I don’t get to go home to my old room or old stomping grounds which makes tapping into those old childhood memories a little harder.

Besides having the new companionship, I felt getting my own labrador companion would be one way to have some of those positive childhood experiences enter back into my life. And it would also just be a ton of fun.

Since leaving home to pursue a degree in Photojournalism at the University of Montana seventeen years ago, not having a dog has been a hole in my life that I’ve been waiting patiently to fill. So, two years ago when I made the decision that I would get my first pet and put a deposit down with Lori’s Labradors in Whitehall, Montana, my excitement could barely be contained. It turned out to be almost a two-year wait to get a black female labrador. Turns out it was worth it. Last Monday, I finally got to go pick her up.

It seems I’ve suddenly leveled up in adulthood. Now, my days are filled with puppy training, praising and dodging those puppy needle teeth.

I think Tippet is going to be a fun addition to my life. Keeping me company in my photo studio, accompanying me on my adventures and bringing lots of laughter daily. I’m excited to share our future adventures with you all on here. -M

Greener Visuals Photography participated in the 2017 A Montana Wedding Event at The Commons in Bozeman, Montana this past Saturday.

I’ve been a part of this annual bridal show put on by the Bozeman Daily Chronicle for the past five years. The event was held at The Commons at Baxter & Love just outside of town. The event is a wonderful place for wedding planning brides to gain inspiration, meet a plethora of talented wedding vendors and a chance for me to meet some excited brides-to-be.

After setting up my rustic, reclaimed lumber and metal wedding show display booth, I spent the rest of the day talking, hearing wedding plans and sharing in the excitement of all the participating wedding couples.

If you are a bride that gets overwhelmed with options, this event is a great way simplify your search, to put faces to the names of local wedding businesses, and a chance to check off all the tasks on your booking list.

Here are a few favorite photos I made during the day’s wedding-themed festivities. I’m so glad I could be apart of this great annual wedding event. -M

I still have a few dates available for booking wedding photography in the 2017 and 2018 wedding season. I travel worldwide. Inquire for details.

I just picked up some copies of the new A Montana Wedding magazine and was excited to see that the new issue features numerous wedding photos from Greener Visuals Photography inside! The annual publication put out by the Bozeman Daily Chronicle is a helpful guide chocked full of inspiration, tips, and content from local wedding vendors for couples planning their wedding day in and around Southwest Montana. It never gets old seeing one’s labor of love in print. I’m proud to see my photos grace its pages. Check out the goods! Thanks, Bozeman Daily Chronicle! -M

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting dozens of new brides-to-be during the annual Montana Bridal Tour event at the 1915 Barn in Bozeman, Montana. Greener Visuals Photography has participated in the Fall bridal event (run by the talent event planner Abby Turner, of Reed & Lee Event Planning) for the past couple of years and really enjoy the face time connection with all of the excited brides as they begin their wedding planning process. As a whole, the Montana Bridal Tour is a chance for the newly engaged couples in the Gallatin Valley to tour multiple wedding venues around the Bozeman area and meet talented wedding vendors at each location. For a fun-filled day, four buses rotate driving participants from place to place where they get to sample the wares, get inspiration for their own wedding day and ask questions to participating wedding vendors. It’s so much fun to see the excitement on their faces.

In between chatting with brides all day long, I made some photos from the event at the 1915 Barn in Bozeman, Montana. For information on attending next year’s tour, you can visit their website here. What a fun day. -M

wedding-couple-in-field-1915-Barn-Bozeman-Wedding

  • wedding-couple-in-field-with-tractor-during-1915-Barn-Bozeman-Wedding
    I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding of two incredibly giving and generous Bozeman people this past weekend. Bride and Groom Dee and Chris decided to have their friends and family gather at the beautiful 1915 Barn in Bozeman, Montana for their DIY Montana wedding day.

I had the pleasure of photographing the 1915 Barn Bozeman Wedding of two incredibly giving and generous Bozeman people this past weekend.

I’ve known Dee and Chris for years through volunteering with the adult special needs non-for-profit Reach, Inc. I would be hard-pressed to find such selfless individuals as these two. They both have done so much for the Bozeman community. These two decided to have their friends and family gather at the beautiful 1915 Barn in Bozeman, Montana for their DIY wedding day.

The large remodeled barn was the perfect setting to shelter their indoor wedding festivities. The evening was spent conversing with good people, eating great food, and dancing to the live tunes of Montana Rose. It was a true pleasure to photograph their wedding celebration. Wishing these two newlyweds all the best! -M

wedding-couple-on-Whitefish-Mountain-Resort-Wedding-summit

  • wedding-couple-on-Whitefish-Mountain-Resort-Wedding-summit
    Over the 4th of July weekend, I was up at the Whitefish Mountain Resort in Whitefish, Montana photographing the summer wedding day of Tim and Jill. These two Bozeman locals wanted a destination feel for their wedding celebration without leaving the Big Sky state. Northwest Montana was the perfect answer.

Over the 4th of July weekend, I photographed the summer Whitefish Mountain Resort wedding day of Tim and Jill in Whitefish, Montana.

Whitefish Mountain Resort is a ski resort located at Big Mountain in northwestern Montana. It is west of Glacier National Park in the Flathead National Forest, four miles from the town of Whitefish.

These two Bozeman locals wanted a destination wedding celebration feeling to their special day without leaving the Big Sky state. This couple loves to explore the outdoors together and also enjoy skiing in the wintertime together. Northwest Montana was the perfect answer for their wedding plans.

When their wedding day arrived, this Bozeman wedding photographer traveled north to Whitefish, Montana where I was able to join up with Tim and Jill’s Whitefish Mountain Resort wedding entourage as they were getting ready.

Tim and Jill planned to say their vows on the summit of the ski mountain at sunset. To get there, everyone hopped onto a chairlift to get a ride up the mountain. The view up on the mountaintop was gorgeous and was a 360-degree view of the surrounding valley. On a clear summer evening, it was a lovely sight to behold.

After a sunset wedding ceremony at the summit, we took the chairlifts down to the reception where we all dined and danced while celebrating the union of the newlyweds. You could not have asked for a nicer summer day. It was a true pleasure for me to be present and to document their wedding day festivities.

Wishing Tim and Jill all the best and many years of happiness! -M

Over the 4th of July weekend, I was up at the Whitefish Mountain Resort in Whitefish, Montana photographing the summer wedding day of Tim and Jill. These two Bozeman locals wanted a destination feeling for their wedding celebration without leaving the Big Sky state. Northwest Montana was the perfect answer. There are so many more great photos to show you all. For now, here is a preview of a few favorites so far from the wedding day. I’m hard at work editing the rest. My congrats to the newlyweds! Stay tuned for more awesome. -Mike

  • Had a blast photographing the fun at the destination wedding celebration of Kim and Preston a few weeks back at the Big Yellow Barn in Belgrade, Montana.

I recently photographed the Big Yellow Barn destination wedding day of Kim and Preston in Bozeman, Montana.

These two lovebirds hail from Washington D.C. and wanted to make their Big Yellow Barn Destination Wedding day special for their out-of-town guests with an authentic Montana rustic barn wedding in Bozeman.

I’ve photographed a few weddings at the Big Yellow Barn over the years and it’s a great Bozeman barn wedding venue option for hosting your celebration.

Situated 10 miles north of Bozeman, the big yellow barn looks out to a prominent unobstructed view of Ross Peak and the surrounding Bridger Mountains. Take some time with your wedding photographer during the “golden hour” to walk the grassy property. It’s a perfect, clean mountain backdrop for wedding portraits.

The barn itself has plenty of space for them and their guests. Kim and Preston set up the catering downstairs which created a good flow to feed their guests via buffet. It worked really well to get everyone through and fed.

The upstairs barn loft is massive. There’s lots of room for seating your guests for dinner and it can double as a spacious epicenter for your wedding dance floor. In between songs, you and your guests can mingle out on the elevated deck and down on the lawn. Overall, it serves as a really great layout for a wedding.

Kim and Preston wanted their special day captured in a documentary photography style so they reached out to me. The Big Yellow Barn offered the perfect setting for them. Warm weather, a couple in love, great people, excellent Montana barbeque, cupcakes, and an assortment of epic dance moves made the day not only memorable but one heck of a party.

I love the energy they and their guests brought to the celebration. I was so glad I could be a part of it. Here are some of my favorite photos from the day. Wishing these two all the best and many years of happiness. Congrats to the newlyweds Kim and Preston! -M

Had a blast photographing the fun at the destination wedding celebration of Kim and Preston this past Saturday at the Big Yellow Barn in Belgrade, Montana. Warm weather, a couple in love, great people, excellent Montana barbeque, and cupcakes and an assortment of epic dance moves made the day not only memorable but one heck of a good time. I’m hard at work editing through all the wedding photos of the day but wanted to share a few that have stood out so far. Congrats to the newlyweds Kim and Preston! So many more fun photos to show you all. Stay tuned…M

  • Had a blast photographing the fun at the destination wedding celebration of Kim and Preston this past Saturday at the Big Yellow Barn in Belgrade, Montana.

newlyweds-walk-mountain-landscape-at-chico-hot-springs-wedding

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I photographed the Chico Hot Springs wedding day of Heather and Andrew in Pray, Montana a few weeks back.

When Heather and Andrew booked me to photograph their outdoor Montana destination Chico Hot Springs wedding day last September, I was half expecting their early Spring event to be in the snow or rain. I’ve lived in Montana for a combined twelve years now. Some assumptions regarding annual Montana weather patterns tend to hold true. Planning a wedding in April can be a bit of a gamble.

When their wedding day arrived, Heather and Andrew along with their guests were blessed with the first sunny 70-degree day of the year in Montana. Chico Hot Springs wedding day was the perfect setting to welcome all of their out-of-town guests.

Photographing their wedding day was an absolute pleasure. Over the past year, I got to know the newlyweds during our phone conversations that culminated in their winter engagement photo session. These two are great humans. I knew their wedding day would be a wonderful joyful celebration and it did not disappoint. Despite a bit of wind, the warm weather added to the already lifted spirits of the wedding attendants. They had their wedding ceremony on the steps to the lodge and then guests moved into the convention center for the reception to dine and dance. Laughter smiles, and stories were present everywhere you looked. It made for a really fun time making photographs.

Heather and Andrew are an amazing couple and their family and friends welcomed me with open arms. It was such a fun day. Wishing these newlyweds all the best! -M

  • Wild-Blume-Floral-Design-owner

I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon photographing business portraits of my friend Sue, of Wild Blume Floral Design, in her home studio.

I love watching other artists work to create something beautiful. Sue is a talented lady and worked quickly to construct some lovely bouquets on the spot.

Here are some favorites from my time with her. The next time you are in need of some beautiful floral arrangements to give to a loved one in Bozeman, Montana, Sue is happy to oblige. -M

engaged-couple-during-Ennis-Montana-Engagement-Photos

  • engaged-couple-during-Ennis-Montana-Engagement-Photos
    Last week I met up with Kim and Preston at the Lark Hotel in downtown Bozeman where we loaded up into my subaru and headed for the mountains to photograph their engagement photos. These two both work and live in Washington D.C. but were in town to finish up their destination wedding planning details and to do their engagement photo session with me. These two were up for an adventure.

Last week I photographed the Ennis Montana Engagement Photos session of Kim and Preston.

I met up with Kim and Preston at the Lark Hotel in downtown Bozeman where we loaded up into my Subaru and headed west for the mountains to photograph their engagement photos along the river in the Madison Valley.

These two both work and live in Washington D.C. but were in town to finish up their destination wedding planning details and to do their Ennis Montana engagement photos session with me. These two were up for a road trip adventure.

We drove through the small fly fishing town of Ennis, Montana and we took advantage of the open space south of town where the sunset and the scenic views of the Madison River valley collide in a fantastic Montana river landscape.

We explored old bridges at fishing access sites and hiked around the rolling grassy hills with gorgeous snow-capped mountains in the distance. These two had great attitudes and laughed often despite the consistently strong winds blowing through the valley.

Here are some of my favorites from our time together. I’ll be photographing their wedding at the Big Yellow Barn this May. I am looking forward to it. -M