Tag Archive for: spring

Ousel Falls Engagement Portraits of Taylor and Josh

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The other day I drove from Bozeman to photograph the Ousel Falls Engagement Portraits of Taylor and Josh in Big Sky, Montana.  I love a couple that is game to get outside even in early Spring weather.

In fact, it was their love of games and hiking in the outdoors that brought them together. This engaged couple met playing an intense game of parchesi at a friend’s place where Josh won on the last roll. As the Denver Bronco football season went on, they cheered and bonded over their shared passions and growing connection. He made her laugh and always knew how to cheer her up. She was loving and helped him open up and out of his introverted tendencies.

In Taylor’s words, “Our weirdness meshed well.”

These two have been dating for five and a half years and they were engaged in early March.

For their Ousel Falls Engagement Portraits session, we decided to check out Ousel Falls which is one of their favorite places to hike in Southwest Montana. The contrast of the light snowfall and ice intermingled with the lush green of the coming Spring made for the perfect backdrop to their couples portrait session. Here are some of their favorites from our adventure in Big Sky. Congrats on your engagement you two! -M

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Hyalite stargazing engagement portraits of Aysha and Brad

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I photographed the Hyalite stargazing engagement portraits of Aysha and Brad on the eve before the springtime road closure to Hyalite Canyon.

For Aysha, her love of Brad’s spontaneity and ability to make her laugh won her affection over quickly. Their relationship grew closer through their LDS faith, love of soccer and live music, and being together stargazing with each other in their Montana backyard. This couple is dedicated to their craft. Aysha helps run the family plumbing business and Brad is also working there as an electrician apprentice.

Brad summed up Aysha as nothing short of amazing and kept commenting on how much he cherished how every day, she gives everything her all.

After dating for seven months, they were engaged a few weeks back while next to a campfire.

For their Hyalite stargazing engagement portraits, we decided to highlight some of their favorite activities they love to experience together. We made a plan to meet up at the Hyalite Reservoir just outside of Bozeman for their nighttime, stargazing engagement portrait experience.

Upon our arrival at the snow-covered Hyalite parking lot, we were greeted with clear skies and a setting sun. We started by exploring the quiet, cold winter landscape with antique oil lanterns that lighted our path. As the stars came out over the frozen mountain scene, I made some long exposure photographs to make the sky really shine. Afterward, Brad made us a warm campfire to sit around. This couple came prepared with plenty of s’mores, cups of hot chocolate, and the arms of each other. We had found a perfect mountain atmosphere to showcase Aysha and Brad’s relationship.

It made for a really fun night.

Here are some of my favorite photographs I made during our evening together.

I’m so excited for these two and the good fortune that lies ahead for them. Congrats to Aysha and Brad! -M

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Springhill Pavilion Mountain Wedding Day of Camille and Matt in Bozeman, Montana

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Spring in Montana lately has been a sight to behold. Yesterday could not have been a better setting to photograph the Springhill Pavilion Mountain Wedding day of Camille and Matt just outside Bozeman, Montana.

The warm spring rains promised in the weather reports failed to dampen the day. Not that it would matter.

This was a group that shrugged off inclement weather.

The wonderful combined family energy of Wisconsinites and Montanans raised the level of a wedding celebration to a new high bar.

They raised their Coors Light libations with smiles and focused on the task at hand, celebrating two special people through hugs, laughter, songs, and dance during their Springhill Pavilion Mountain Wedding.

I met Camille at a fishing friend’s house over ten years ago. I was working at a newspaper in Northern California and spending my weekends chasing steelhead in the multitude of incredible nearby rivers. We ran in the same flyfishing circles. Camille was about to graduate high school, and the buzz in the fishing circles was that she was already quickly becoming one of the most successful women anglers in the United States.

Camille was raised between Montana and Alaska. Every summer growing up she was at her family’s fishing lodge on the Nushagak River in Bristol Bay. She began guiding at a young age. She has since enveloped herself in the national fly fishing community and has become an advocate for the great outdoors.

Presently, Camille is dominating the internet. She divides her time advocating against the Alaskan Pebble Mine efforts and works as Alaska & Christmas Island Program Director for Yellow Dog Flyfishing. She is living her dream of traveling the world guiding with a fly rod in hand.

It was only natural that she would find a partner with the same passion for the outdoors. Through Camille, I got to know Matt. He’s a kind, caring, and incredibly talented hunting and outdoor lifestyle photographer based here in Bozeman.

Their shared love of the outdoors helped influence their Springhill Pavilion Mountain Wedding day style.

Yellow flowers intermixed with whitetail deer antlers accentuated the venue. As their wedding guest dined on wild game appetizers and sipped local Montana wine and microbrew. The wedding couple’s mutual love of fishing was highlighted by artwork details of fly fishing files for the table settings and incorporated into the bridal party boutonnieres and corsages.

Their wedding day was a wonderful and complete representation of all that was important to them in their lives. I loved meeting all of their loved ones and photographing the festivities during their wedding day.

I could not be more thrilled for these two newlyweds! Congrats Camille and Matt! It has been a pleasure getting to know these two over the past year. I am convinced that anyone would be hard-pressed to find a better pair of people so perfectly suited for one another. Wish you guys a lifetime of happiness! -M

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Springhill Pavilion Wedding Photography Preview of Camille and Matt in Bozeman Montana

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Spring in Montana is a sight to behold and yesterday could not have been a better setting for my couple Camille and Matt’s wedding day celebration at the Springhill Pavilion just outside Bozeman, Montana.

The warm spring rains promised in the weather reports failed to dampen the day and the energy of Wisconsinites and Montanans was raised to a new high bar.

It was such a fun day.

So much so, that I have my work cut out for me editing through all the 10,000+ awesome moments taken throughout the day. For now, here are a few of the many favorites photographs that stood out. I could not be more thrilled for these two! Congrats Camille and Matt! Thank you so much for letting me and my photo team be apart of your special day! So much more goodness to come. Stay tuned! -M

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Horseback Riding Engagement Portraits of Sam & Melissa

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I had the pleasure of photographing the horseback riding engagement portraits of Sam & Melissa outside of Norris, Montana.

These two horse-loving locals packed up their truck and trailer with their animals and followed me out to a beautiful spot near Norris Montana on the edge of the Madison Mountain range for an evening of horseback riding engagement portraits, sipping cowboy coffee, and enjoying a sunset campfire.

During my couples portrait photography sessions, I love discovering what my clients love about each other and their relationship. By understanding all the things that they cherish in one another allows me to create photographs that celebrate those loves.

For Melissa and Sam, working with horses is a passion between them and a lifestyle that these two fully embrace. What better way to capture that love than by creating our own trail ride to photograph them in their happy place. Our mountain spot was the perfect setting for their photographic experience.

These two were quickly at ease in front of my camera lens. We ended up making some great horseback riding engagement portraits that encapsulate their lifestyle with their animals.

Below are some of their favorites from our time together.

These two are set to marry this summer. I couldn’t be more thrilled for them. Congrats to the newlyweds! -M

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Bozeman Maternity Family Portraits of Lacey and Rory

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    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

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El Western Resort Wedding of Becky and Kyle

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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

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Salvage One Wedding Day of Matt & Liz in downtown Chicago, Illinois.

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    At the tail end of April this year I had the honor of flying back to my old stomping grounds of Chicago, Illinois to photograph the wedding day celebration of my old family friend Matt and his lovely bride Liz.

I recently photographed the Salvage One Wedding of Matt & Liz in downtown Chicago, Illinois.

One of the best perks of documenting the love at weddings is that every once and a while, I get an opportunity to travel to photograph the wedding of friends. This past April, I had the honor of flying back to the old stomping grounds of my youth.

Growing up together in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Matt and his family grew close to mine over the years through our local church and the family social circle. A few years ago I photographed the wedding of his brother Nick in California. When I learned that Matt and Liz were to be married, I was completely honored when they asked me to photograph it. It is such a treat for me to be able to document the weddings of old friends, especially the same family twice.

These two lovebirds decided to marry in style in the heart of the windy city. We started the day getting ready at The Godfrey Hotel. From there, the bridal party and I took a trolley around the city taking in the sights, dodging the spring rain showers, and making creative portraits along the way.

Their wedding ceremony took place at Church of the Holy Family, one of the oldest Catholic churches in the city. It is a beautiful gothic-looking building.

As the wedding ceremony transitioned into the celebratory reception, we finally landed at Salvage One.

Salvage One a 60,000-square-foot vintage Chicago warehouse covered in fantastic antiques. Matt is a professional chef so creating a celebration that emphasized great food experience was essential. Laughter and some epic dancing made the night truly one to remember.

I was so grateful to be a part of it. Here are some of the highlights from their wedding day. What a fun weekend! Wishing Matt and Liz a lifetime of happiness. -M

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Chico Hot Springs Wedding Day Preview of Heather & Andrew

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A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of photographing the destination wedding celebration of Heather and Andrew at Chico Hot Springs in the small town Pony, Montana.

Such is the case with early spring weddings in Montana, I was expecting to photograph this wedding in the snow or rain. Alas, when the big day came, we were blessed (by some miracle) with the first sunny 70-degree day of the year. You could not have asked for better weather…well perhaps a little less wind. That’s always a fun challenge. Spirits were held high by all in attendance at their Chico Hot Springs Wedding Day.

Heather and Andrew are amazing people and their family and friends welcomed me with open arms. Such a fun day. Here is a preview of some photo favorites that have stood out in my editing thus far. Many more photos to come. Wishing these newlyweds all the best! Stay tuned for more photos. -M

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Triple Tree Trail Engagement Session of Bobbi Jean and Chris

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    I recently photographed Bobbijean and Chris' engagement photo session at the Triple Tree trailhead in Bozeman Montana.

I recently photographed the Triple Tree Trail Engagement Session of Bobbi Jean and Chris in Bozeman, Montana.

Wedding season is upon us here in the Big Sky state and I’ve been having a lot of engagement photo sessions lately. Last week I met up with Bobbi Jean and Chris at the Triple Tree trailhead in Bozeman Montana to photograph their engagement photo session.

Engagement photo sessions come complimentary with all of my wedding photography collections. I like it because it gives me and my clients a chance to get to know one another before their wedding day and make some fun photos in the process.

Bobbi Jean and Chris brought along their dogs as we hiked and explored the popular Bozeman trail system during their Triple Tree Trail Engagement session. Knowing Chris worked as a logger and Bobbi Jean as an employee of Yellowstone National Park, I wanted to photograph them in their outdoor element. Afterward, we ventured over to the wood shop of Montana Wildwoods artist and friend Tom Benedict where we played amongst his large juniper tree sculptures.

These two were great and I’m looking forward to photographing their wedding at the Old Faithful Inn later this summer. A fun day. -M

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Jack London State Historic Park Engagement Photo Shoot in Sonoma California of Molly and Brian

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I’ve been excited to share these photos for a while now. Three weeks ago, I had the pleasure of hanging out with my engaged clients Molly and Brian during our engagement photo session in Sonoma, California at Jack London State Historic Park. Having recently moved back to Montana, the trip was a fun adventure back to sunny California for my first engagement session of the 2012 wedding season. The spring California weather was predictably gorgeous as we ventured out for an afternoon of exploration and portrait making. Molly and Brian, by way of my sweet home Chicago, were looking to have a California wine country wedding and engagement photo session and found me and Greener Visuals Wedding Photography through a recommendation from a local wedding coordinator friend of mine Fearon, of Fearon May Events and Engaged Now What , (an up and coming wedding resource website) when they were looking for a photojournalistic styled wedding photographer in the Sonoma Wine Country. We got in touch and hit it off from the get go. When we met for the first time, I recommended we check out the ruins of the famed American writer Jack London’s mansion and state park just north of Sonoma. It was a pretty surreal place to photograph and it would make a perfect starting place both to avoid the harsh mid day sun and it presented beautiful shade with interesting directions of light shafts. Back in 1913, a fire destroyed the famous writer’s dream house deemed “Wolf House”. The stone walls still stand with an ancient, architectural beauty surrounded by old growth redwood trees. It’s a truly beautiful place. From there we drove south towards Sonoma and explored the sights and sounds of the wine capital’s downtown streets and photographed the gorgeous afternoon golden sunlight illuminated the buildings. These two lovebirds were just awesome. Together we made some creative images that I think turned out great and I am really looking forward to returning to California in June for their wedding day shoot. Congratulations on your engagement you guys! See you at your wedding in June! -Mike Greener

To see more photos from the engagement shoot go here.

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Cornerstone Gardens Wedding Day in beautiful Sonoma California of Michelle and Brian

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The first wedding of the season is always an exciting opportunity for me. After I’ve having had the time to ferment on my previous 2011 wedding season, I always look forward to how I can push my wedding photography to a new level for the next year. In the weeks leading up to my first wedding of the 2012 wedding season, I’ve felt like a thoroughbred race horse at the starting gates. It’s an anticipation and excitement that I’ve come to relish over the years. So after a long year waiting and planning with Michelle and Brian, I finally had the pleasure to document their wedding celebration at the beautiful Cornerstone Gardens in Sonoma, California a couple weekends ago.

Michelle and Brian met each other two years ago while attending a friend’s birthday party near their home in Los Angeles, California and cultivated a relationship with each other through the social media power of Facebook. Michelle is an elementary school teacher by trade and Brian works at SpaceX as a software developer for a company that is venturing into space exploration roles NASA has handed over to the private sector. After two years of dating, they got engaged, got their ball-o-energy Labrador mix puppy “Ali” and decided to venture north to the wine country to celebrate their wedding day. I made the journey from my newfound Graceland of Bozeman, Montana to my old stomping grounds of Sacramento, California and drove over to Sonoma to find friends and family of Michelle and Brian getting things ready for their afternoon wedding ceremony. The Cornerstone Gardens was really fun place to photograph. It was pure, visual eye candy for this photographer. Everywhere you looked, there were colorful artistic installations, sculptures and decorative gardens created by the world’s leading landscape architects surrounded by the famous grapevines of Sonoma County. The place was quite impressive and I had a blast exploring and photographing in it. I loved the energy this couple and their friends and family brought to the wedding day. Their enthusiasm and high spirits created a fun atmosphere to document in photos. Like all successful wedding days, Michelle and Brian had the help of many fine wedding vendors that helped make their union a seamless, gorgeous wedding event. My job was made all the easier with the help of wedding planner Kelly Cloney, of Kelly & Company Events who worked as the conductor/coordinator of the day making sure that everything ran smoothly. Michelle and her bridesmaids looked fantastic throughout the day. They had their hair done by hair stylist Justina Downs and their make up by Julianne Chai, of Pretty by Julianne. During the reception, the wedding party and guests dined on the delicious food from their caterer Amy Meadows, of Alex’s Catering and nibbled the delicious cupcakes made by Stephanie Scheff, of Kara’s Cupcakes. I’d like to thank my photo assistant Kris Holland for all of his help throughout the day. All the hard work and talent given by these vendors helped make Michelle and Brian’s wedding a memorable, fun day. It was the perfect way to start out the 2012 wedding season for Greener Visuals Wedding Photography. Here are some of my favorite photos from my time there. I wish Michelle and Brian all the best! -M

To see all of their wedding images, you can find them in my photo archive here

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Cornerstone Gardens Wedding Day Photo Preview in Sonoma, California of Michelle and Brian

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The 2012 wedding season is here! This past weekend I returned to California to document the wedding celebration of Michelle and Brian at the beautiful Cornerstone Gardens in Sonoma, California. They were such a fun couple to work with. For the next couple of weeks I’ll be toning up all of the great images I made of their big day but I couldn’t help share a couple on here. So many more photographs to come. Stay tuned….

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