portraits

Yellowstone Proposal in fall colors

This adventure all started with an inquisitive email about 4 weeks ago. Dustin was exploring the possibilities of proposing to his girl friend in Yellowstone Park in October. This time of year housing and other businesses in the park begin to shut down their services. Dustin and Sarah are in residency in the process of becoming Physician Assistants and spending a period of time in Montana studying and practicing in a nearby clinic. Dustin thought it to be the perfect time to surprise Sarah in our country’s first and most magnificent national park. And… that’s exactly what he did.

Dustin had many insightful questions about how this works and what his options were. Then there came the issue of fitting their schedule into mine and also with respect to the quickly changing weather!

Finally last Thursday we nailed down all the details and the plan was put into action. On Saturday I positioned myself unbeknownst to the bride to be, at one of my favorite and spectacular locations and awaited their arrival at the planned time. The viewing platform had a dozen or so people who had made the trek down the steep trail to see the falls up close and personal! When Dustin and Sarah arrived there were 15 or so people milling around and taking pictures of each other in front of the falls. When Dustin saw his chance he coaxed Sarah toward the rail. When he start talking to her closely, everyone on the platform went quiet and watched intently, and when he proposed folks cheered and clapped shouted encouragements with joy! It was crazy good!!!

So the rest of the story and a witness to their love for each other is right here, captured in these photos.

Dustin, thanks for finding me! It was a pleasure to shoot for you two!

Thanks to Dustin for making this image of me…
IN MY HAPPY PLACE!

Couples portraits, Valentine’s day

Valentine’s day portraits are great fun, especially when it’s totally spontaneous! I was hired to shoot for a corporate annual report and I needed a good assistant that was good with people and lighting. So, I called my friend Camden Miller a few days in advance and he was happy to jump in. Camden is a fine young videographer and image maker that I had met a wedding over a year ago. I knew his skills would be a perfect fit and he could add some video content if my client so desired. His only condition was that he could be free at 4 pm to meet his sweetheart for a Valentine’s day date and evening dinner. I said, ‘fine, no problem’, knowing that we would most likely be done by then. If not, I would just be left with the lighting take down and toting the gear to the car. As it turned out that was not the case.

The shoot came off without a hitch and when we were all loaded up, Camden asked if I would stick around a bit and make some images for he and Jessie. So… sure thing! Hence the impromptu mini session in Bozeman, the results of which I absolutely adore. It was 20 minutes exactly and Jesse and Camden were amazing to shoot with. Then when we were done, Jesse asked to take a picture of Camden and I. Nice shot Jessie!

‘bada bing bada boom’ Enjoy the view!

Camden and I hanging out in his brother’s vintage VW Vanagon

Portraits in Paradise

I live in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Just down the road from my home is the breathtaking Paradise Valley. I call it my studio… where miles and miles of the mighty Yellowstone River careens through the valley, surrounded by mountains and capped with the ever changing big Montana Sky. Add a sundown like none other and you get perhaps as close to heaven as you can without actually leaving this temporal place on earth.

Last summer I spent a couple of hours with a returning client that wanted to take advantage of a summer day making photos in a couple of locations including an sundown dip in the Yellowstone, a baptism of sorts.

It was breathtaking!

So, whether you are planning a wedding, a surprise proposal, an elopement or simply portraits in a place you will never forget, give me a call or contact me via this site. I’ve lived here over 30 years and I have access to many amazing vistas and ‘secret spots’ both public and private in which to photograph. Enjoy the view!

Senior portraits

What a great photo session with Toby! We hopscotched around around the calendar to find a date to make our schedules match with some decent weather. Winter has shown it’s frosty face earlier than usual, but at last… a window of opportunity. As it turned out, we landed on an afternoon that was pretty amazing. Toby has some serious modeling potential in front of the camera! This looks more like a magazine shoot than a senior portrait session.

Thanks to Toby’s mother Anne for carrying camera gear up the hill, holding a light stand against some serious wind and being such a great assistant. She was implemental in the success of this photo shoot.

And then right at sunset, their dogs got into the action and I grabbed the fleeting moment that you just can’t plan or pose. That is what I love to do!!!

Enjoy the view!

wedding anniversary photos

Daniel and Serena married a year ago May 12th at the Deep Creek Range in Paradise valley. I got a call from Daniel on Friday last week and he was looking for a photographer to meet him at the venue on the anniversary of their wedding and surprise his 7 month pregnant wife with a photo session!

Of course, I was all in for such a surprise. Daniel and I chose a time in the morning on this Mother’s Day. As I had hoped the sun was warming and bright yet a bit softened by very light clouds in the area. It made for the perfect environment for this beautiful celebration.

Portraits, women, yoga and horses

Portrait: A Glimpse of the Soul

Making portraits is very personal to me. There is no crowd of people, nor grand wedding event in the process. In this case, it’s just me and the yogini, a gorgeous horse and our amazing Wranglers, Molly and Henry Glenn. I love the experience, it’s subtle and moving to me on a soul level. Perhaps it’s a lot like yoga for this photographer’s brain and soul.

Today I sat down and reviewed portraits of the ladies of Big Sky Yoga Reteats and Cowgirl Yoga from the last two years. These images made me grateful for my profession, the path that I have both chose and was led to in this life! Spring is right around the corner and I am looking forward to meeting and photographing many new friends!

Enjoy the slideshow!