Tag Archive for: Bozeman

Toddler Fall Family Portraits of Jessica and Matt in Bozeman, Montana

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    Back in November, I met up with Jessica and Matt to make some family photos of them and their 1-year-old daughter Cora. I made maternity photos of Jessica a while back and now that Cora had been born, she and Matt wanted to get their first family photos for their Christmas cards.

Back in November, I met up with Jessica and Matt to make some Fall family portraits of them and their 1-year-old daughter Cora during their Toddler Fall Family Portraits.

I made maternity photos of Jessica a while back and now that Cora had been born, she and Matt wanted to get their first family photos for their Christmas cards. We headed over to Beall Park near their house in Bozeman where we took advantage of the fallen fall leaves.

When photographing little kids, you tend to have brief windows of attention. Most of the time their surroundings hold their attention rather than looking into a camera. It becomes a fun game getting them to smile and look natural before their patience runs thin and they start to fuss. Cora made my job easy. She was nothing but smiles, a trait she no doubt got from her parents.

Here are some favorite photos I made during our toddler fall family portraits together. Thanks for looking, -M

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Holiday Party photo booth for 2015 Big Brothers Big Sisters

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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Gallatin County 2015 Holiday Party Photos
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Gallatin County 2015 Holiday Party Photos

I recently set up my Holiday Party photo booth for the 2015 Big Brothers Big Sisters of Big Sky Country holiday party at Fork and Spoon in Bozeman, Montana.

As a business owner, I believe it’s important to give back to enrich and benefit my community. It was one of the many things I took pride in over the last decade while photographing at community newspapers across the country. Telling the stories of others in my community is one of my passions.

Now as a self-employed wedding, editorial, and commercial photographer, opportunities to interact with the public, like my time working as a journalist, don’t come around as much as I would like. Supporting and donating my photography skill set to benefit local not-for-profits is a service I am grateful to provide.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters of Gallatin County‘s 2015 holiday party was planned for the kids, their families, and the mentors of the program to come together and celebrate. About a week before the event, I was contacted by Valerie Erwin, Marketing and Outreach Coordinator of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Gallatin County. Valerie was in a bind and was short on time. She needed an event photographer to document the fun at their annual holiday party. I was happy to help.

I headed over to the Gallatin County Fairgrounds and set up my portable photo studio. It set the stage for the party attendees to have some fun. This crowd was a hoot. I love documenting humans at play. We all had a great time and I came away with some fun photos from the event. Here are some favorites. Happy to support such a great local organization. Merry Christmas everyone! -M

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Hyalite Winter Engagement Photos Session of Heather & Andrew

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Hyalite Canyon Winter Engagement Photo Session of Heather & Andrew

A few weeks back I got to photograph Heather & Andrew for their Hyalite Winter Engagement Photos Session outside Bozeman, Montana.

I’ll be photographing their 2016 wedding day at Chico Hot Springs next April. While they were in town for Thanksgiving with family, we found a window of time to drive to the nearby majestic rocky mountain canyon. The snow had just recently fallen a couple of days before and now cast a white blanket across the surrounding Hyalite Reservoir and Gallatin National Forest. It was a cool ice-covered scene to explore. With the mixed overcast clouds, I was able to play with the cooler winter color palette of the Montana landscape.

These two were a lot of fun during their Hyalite Winter Engagement Photos Session. I appreciate a wedding couple that is up for an adventure. I’m looking forward to documenting their wedding celebration this Spring. Congrats on your engagement you guys! -Mike

  • Hyalite Canyon Winter Engagement Photo Session of Heather & Andrew
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Hart Ranch Photo Booth during Madeline & Chase wedding day

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    Wanting to have a fun outlet to entertain their guests, wedding couple Madeline and Chase opted for a Greener Visuals Photo Booth at their Broken Hart Ranch Fall wedding reception. Check out the fun photos!

I had the pleasure of photographing the Broken Hart Ranch Photo Booth at Madeline and Chase’s wedding celebration!

When considering their Fall wedding reception in Bozeman, Montana, in addition to dancing, Madeline and Chase wanted to have a fun, creative outlet to entertain their guests. In addition to hiring me to photograph their wedding day, they added my Greener Visuals Photo Booth to their wedding photography collection. I’m so glad they did.

My Greener Visuals photo booth is exclusively available only to my wedding clients! Photo booths are so much fun because you never know what hilarious results you will get. The photo booth is operated entirely by your guests. By simply pressing a remote control button, guests can trigger the professional DSLR camera and studio lights for an instant beautifully lit photo. Combined with boxes of funny costumes, there is no limit to your guest’s creativity and entertainment.

As the night progressed, their friends and family laughed, played, and dressed in wonderfully weird costumes were able to then take their own beautifully lit photo booth photos via wireless remote control. It was a huge hit. Their Broken Hart Ranch Wedding Photo Booth was a really fun addition to their great wedding day celebration.  -M

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Broken Hart Ranch Wedding Day of Madeline & Chase in Bozeman Montana

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Broken Hart Ranch Fall Montana Wedding of Madeline and Chase
  • Broken Hart Ranch Fall Montana Wedding of Madeline and Chase

A few weeks ago, I photographed the Broken Hart Ranch wedding day of Madeline and Chase outside of Bozeman, Montana at the peak of the Fall season change. Fall in Montana this year kicked into overdrive and the autumn colors were popping all over southwest Montana. To my delight, Madeline and Chase’s wedding festivities nailed the timing of the colorful season.

This couple has been dating for the last four years. Over that time, they have fostered a loving relationship filled with gratitude and many great funny stories. Many of those stories were shared throughout the evening by their guests during the wedding toasts.

The Broken Hart Ranch venue that day was surrounded by fire-colored flora from the nearby Gallatin Mountain range backdrop. Madeline and Chase created a fall inspired theme for their wedding using the same color palate with great success.

The newlyweds, along with their out-of-town guests, spent the evening dancing, singing, and raising their glasses in celebration long into the night. This crowd knew how to celebrate with vigor. At one point, the wedding guests suddenly busted into a flash mob dance routine to the delight and surprise of the wedding couple. It was one of the great highlights of the reception.

In addition, Madeline, Chase, and their guests also dressed up in costume to play in the Broken Hart Ranch wedding photo booth I provided for the reception. The photo booth was a huge hit with the guests, young and old!

The positive energy of the wedding day was infectious. Looking around the reception hall, it was filled with smiles of the couple and their loved ones. Here are some photo favorites from their wedding day. Wishing the newlyweds all the best! -M

  • Broken Hart Ranch Fall Montana Wedding of Madeline and Chase
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Bozeman Young Family Portraits of Aaron & Beth

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  • Southwest Montana had an exceptionally long stretch of Fall colors this past season. I was fortunate enough to be able to get out to photograph all of it's grandeur with a few late season weddings and a couple family portrait sessions like these of my friend Beth and her family.

I had a great time photographing the Bozeman Young Family Portraits of Aaron & Beth with their children in Bozeman, Montana.

Southwest Montana had an exceptionally long stretch of Fall colors this past season. I was fortunate enough to be able to get out to photograph all of its grandeur with a few late-season weddings and a couple of family portrait sessions.

Beth is an old friend from my days at The University of Montana. She and Aaron now work here in Bozeman and they wanted to make some fun family portraits before the rains came.

We found some time to go out for a walk in a nearby park on the outskirts of Bozeman.

The setting sun mixed with the range of green, yellow and orange colors made for some sweet light to photograph in. Fall days don’t get much better in my book. Here are some of my favorite photographs I made from their family photo shoot. Thanks for looking, -M

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The Woodlands Bozeman Wedding of Courtney & Jordi

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A few weeks back, I had the pleasure of photographing The Woodlands Bozeman Wedding day of Courtney and Jordi. It was a beautiful calm early Fall day amongst the pine trees at The Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon in Bozeman, Montana.

I got to know them earlier in the year when we made some fun engagement photos around the outskirts of Bozeman.

Finally, their Woodlands Bozeman Wedding had arrived. I had such a fun time documenting their friends and family. It was great to hear all the stories. Here are some of my favorite images I made throughout the day. I’m just thrilled for these two. Wishing many years of happiness to the newlyweds! Congrats you guys! -M

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Photographing the Bozeman Harvest Hoedown to Benefit Gallatin Valley Farm to School program

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I photographed the 1st Annual Bozeman Harvest Hoedown to Benefit Gallatin Valley Farm to School program.

I’m a big believer in giving back to one’s community and I try to do so as much as I can throughout the year in between my weddings and portraiture work.

Yesterday, I headed over to Red Tractor Pizza, a local, organic farm-to-table pizza-to-plate restaurant, in Bozeman, Montana. It was there I photographed the 1st Annual Bozeman Harvest Hoedown fundraiser for the Gallatin Valley Farm to School program. It’s a pretty cool youth program here in town that I believe is important for my community to embrace.

The local Gallatin Valley Farm to School not-for-profit strives to cultivate healthy kids through education in the classroom and in school gardens while supporting vibrant local farms that bring healthy food to the cafeteria. Thinking local. I dig it.

The Bozeman Harvest Hoedown was a community gathering and fundraiser for Gallatin Valley Farm to School, featuring live music, family activities, delicious local food, beverages, and generous raffle items donated by local businesses this past Saturday.

It was a great time and a great first-showing turnout. To learn more about supporting the Gallatin Valley Farm to School please visit their website here. Glad I could be a part of it. -M

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Rockin TJ Ranch Wedding Day of Jenny and Ethan Bozeman Montana

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I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding weekend of Jenny and Ethan at the Rockin TJ Ranch on the outskirts of Bozeman, Montana a few weeks back.

September in southwest Montana might just be my favorite time of year to be outside. The weather on their big outdoor wedding day was perfect. The full spectrum of Fall colors in the local flora accentuated the wedding party’s red color theme.

I had a lot of fun throughout the day celebrating with these two newlyweds and their out of town wedding guests. I was so thankful to be a part of it. A great day. Congrats again to Jenny and Ethan! -M

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Bozeman Montana Wedding rehearsal dinner of Jenny & Ethan

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The evening before Jenny & Ethan’s wedding day, their close friends and family gathered at the bride’s parent’s house in Bozeman for their rehearsal dinner. The calm Montana evening in early Fall did not disappoint. The sun settled into a fantastic sunset over the Bridger Mountains where their out of town guest snapped photos and soaked up the Montana lifestyle. Rehearsal dinners are great to photograph. Often it’s the first time many of the guests get to see the wedding couple and the atmosphere tends to be more laid back prior to the main event. These two had me come out and document it all. Here are some of my favorite images from their rehearsal dinner. Also, be sure to check out their wedding photos here. I had a great time. Congrats to the newlyweds! -Mike

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Madeline & Chase Broken Hart Ranch Wedding Day Preview

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Broken Hart Ranch Fall Montana Wedding of Madeline and Chase

Fall in Montana this year has kicked into overdrive and the autumn colors have been popping all over southwest Montana. To my delight, last Saturday I was fortunate enough to photograph the wedding day of my clients Madeline and Chase at the Broken Hart Ranch outside of Bozeman, Montana. Four years of dating has led them to a relationship filled with much gratitude and many great stories. These two and their wedding guests told many funny stories about them and went all out to celebrate their union amongst the fire colored Montana backdrop. What a day! Here is a preview of some favorites I come across so far. Many more photos are en route. Stay tuned… -M

 

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Springhill Pavilion Wedding Day of Sara & Cory in Bozeman, Montana

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A few weeks back, I photographed the Springhill Pavilion Wedding Day of Sara & Cory in Bozeman, Montana. It has been so much fun getting to know these two over the past year. I especially enjoyed my time with them earlier this Spring when we gathered to photograph their engagement session throughout downtown Bozeman, Montana.

I wish all Septembers in Montana could be as nice as this year has been. As luck would have it, this couple planned their wedding day perfectly in regard to the seasonal weather.

In a rare window of opportunity, the smoke from the summer wildland fires eased off giving way to a clear blue sky and calm warm conditions during their wedding day. Under the backdrop of the Bridger Mountains, Springhill Pavilion served as a perfect backdrop for Sara and Cory’s Montana wedding day.

Friends and family were able to mingle outside and play on the provided trampoline.

Here are some of my favorite images I made during their wedding celebration. Wishing them a lifetime of happiness. Congrats to Sara & Cory! -M

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Preview of Jenny & Ethan Rockin TJ Ranch Montana Wedding Day

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What a weekend! I had the pleasure of photographing Jenny and Ethan’s wedding rehearsal and wedding day this past weekend at the Rockin TJ Ranch on the outskirts of Bozeman, Montana. September in southwest Montana might just be my favorite time of year to be outside. The weather on their big outdoor wedding day was perfect and the Fall colors were showing up in the local flora. I had a lot of fun throughout the day celebrating with these two newlyweds and their out of town wedding guests. I’m looking forward to showing the rest of the photos from the day. More to come. For now, check out this sneak peek preview of some favorites so far. Congrats again to Jenny and Ethan!

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Springhill Pavilion Wedding Preview of Sara and Cory

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I’m happy to share the Springhill Pavilion Wedding Day Preview of Sara and Cory’s celebration!

I wish all Septembers in Montana could be as nice as this year has been. Over this past weekend, I photographed the wedding of Sara and Cory at the Springhill Pavilion near the base of the Bridger Mountains. In a rare window of opportunity, the smoke from the summer wildland fires eased off giving way to a clear blue sky day and calm warm conditions. A perfect backdrop to a wonderful wedding day. I’m busy editing through all the awesome. Here is a preview of some photos that have stood out to me so far. Many more wedding photos to come. Stay tuned… -M

Update: Check out their finished wedding day photos on my blog here.

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Peets Hill Engagement Photos of Courtney & Jordi

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I recently photographed the springtime Peets Hill Engagement Photos of Courtney & Jordi in Bozeman, Montana.

The other day I was able to meet up with my wedding clients Courtney and Jordi from Big Sky to make some engagement photos of them before their wedding happens later this summer.

Rainy, springtime Montana weather had unfortunately postponed our two prior meetups. Alas, we finally found our weather window and spent some time utilizing the green Montana landscape and abundant wildflowers around Peet’s Hill and the surrounding bike trail system. We rode our bikes around to different spots. These two were all about having an adventure during their Peets Hill Engagement Photos session.

I’m looking forward to documenting their big day later this summer. Congrats on your engagement you guys! -M

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Greener Visuals wins award in 2014 Wedding Photojournalist Association Q4 Photography contest

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I got the news the other day that a creative portrait I made of Brynne and Dustin’s on their wedding day won 11th place in the 2014 Wedding Photojournalist Association Q4 Photography contest. It was one of my favorite images I made from their beautiful Whitefish Montana wedding last spring. You can check out more of the award winning photographs on their website here. I’m honored to be included amongst so much photographic talent. Check it out.

 

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The Inspired Rustic Charm of Weddings in Montana

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There is something so therapeutic in the aesthetic beauty of the Bridger Mountain Range near Bozeman Montana.  At any time of year one can look to the mountains, sometimes capped with snow, and see them showing off their beautiful depth of dimension and color giving the beholder a feeling of resounding peace and calmness.  The Bridger Mountains like many other mountain ranges all over Montana balance the juxtaposition of topographical majesty and serenity of nature giving one’s wedding day an inspired rustic charm while bringing out a natural beauty so stunning, it can take your breath away.

Weddings in Montana should never be about competing with the rustic beauty of the landscape, but about harmonizing with its natural inspiration. The very nature of the Montana landscape elicits a beautiful rustic charm and a sense of timelessness.  It can also be unpredictable. Often the changing weather patterns in and around the mountains hold no tolerance for the perfectly primped and planned-out outdoor wedding. Sometimes things don’t always stick to the plan.

With that in mind, I encourage my wedding clients to embrace the unexpected on their wedding day.

You never know when a flash rainstorm might occur. It’s not unheard of for a sudden flurry of snow to happen in June.  It is the imperfections and those impromptu moments that can create an authentic, untouchable beauty to one’s own wedding day. Those are the moments that could never be planned for or prevented, but only accepted and enjoyed. Such was the case for Courtney and Chris’ wedding at the Springhill Pavillion last summer.

The wedding venue sits at the base of the Bridger Mountains just 20 minutes north of Bozeman. It’s a beautiful place and was a spectacular setting for their Montana wedding. Alas, there was a little precipitation on Courtney and Chris wedding day. Despite the rain, the newlyweds kept a positive attitude throughout the day. No amount of unexpected weather could stop their celebration. Their constant smiles and laughter made the hiccup of rainy weather insignificant and it shows in their wedding photography.

Partnering with a Montana wedding photographer who knows how to utilize the unique mixture of scenes and rustic environment (while juggling the unexpected and unforeseen circumstances) helps to create stand out imagery all the while keeping things refreshingly candid and natural. It is the best way to make the most of your Montana Wedding. As a photographer, it’s what I strive for during every wedding I photograph.

The ability to capture candid photos that tell the story of a couple’s wedding celebration is paramount. It’s the beginning of their adventure through life together surrounded by their friends and loved ones. For those who seek to utilize the rustic charm of the rocky mountain landscape, having your wedding in Montana can provide the most vivid of backgrounds and creates a truly unforgettable wedding experience. Rain and all. -M

To view more photos from Courtney and Chris’ wedding day, you can view my blog post about it here.

Special thanks to my amigos at The Social Den for assisting on this post.

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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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Three Forks Spring Engagement Photo Session of Kerry & Jarod

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  • Engagement photos of Kerry and Jarod around Manhattan and Three Forks

Last Friday afternoon, I had the pleasure of photographing the Three Forks Spring Engagement of Kerry and Jarod around Manhattan and Three Forks, Montana.

I met Kerry at the 2015 A Montana Wedding: The Bridal Event back in early March. These two are getting married later this summer. Kerry and Jarod were the recipients of my engagement session giveaway during the bridal event.

When discussing the possibilities of their Three Forks Spring Engagement Photo Session, they made clear that they were up for a fun adventure.

We decided to head out of town and travel west towards Three Forks. I always enjoy my visits to those two Montana towns and always discover something new in the breathtaking Montana countryside.

On this couples portrait experience, we walked down the Jefferson River and came across a public art installation with hundreds of blue horse sculptures along the road. They made for some really unique photos of these two.

Congrats on your engagement you guys! -M

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2015 Thrive Lilly Ball Fundraiser in Bozeman, Montana

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Last weekend I had the pleasure of photographing the 2015 Thrive Lilly Ball Auction Fundraiser at the Hilton Garden Inn in Bozeman, Montana Saturday evening. Thrive is a wonderful local organization that strives to give every child an opportunity to succeed and grow to become a valuable member of the community and the world. They have been providing families with the resources, tools, and support to raise healthy, successful children in the Bozeman area since 1986. Every year they host their Lilly Ball event as their mainstay for funding their organization. I was happy to volunteer my services to support their great cause. Here are a few of my favorites from the evening event and auction. I was happy to be apart of the event. -M

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