Yellowstone National Park

Proposing in Paradise

I got an email from Michael a couple of months ago and began the process of setting up the photography of his surprise proposal to Sarah in Yellowstone National Park. Little did we know that all the precise planning was going to be ‘awash’, so to speak in the challenges of a disastrous flooding of the Yellowstone River starting in Yellowstone park and continuing south though many towns down river.

Well, it’s quite a story which I’ll make time for later in the week. The bottom line is that Michael and I for the last week, carried on daily secret conversations to bring us all together without blowing the secret. Amazingly, we did it… and yesterday Michael proposed marriage to Sarah on the banks of the mighty and still swollen Yellowstone River.

I posed as a hobbyist photographing birds near a pre-planned location and the rest is history!!! Here’s a beautiful image I grabbed right as the couple was walking by me to the planned spot. Then the real event began!

Congratulations to Sarah and Michael, newly engaged and my new friends! smiles…

Yellowstone Park Wedding

Fairy Falls YNP

Yellowstone Park weddings are always an adventure.

Sommer and Ryan brought their families and friends together in Yellowstone National park for an intimate wedding. It was quite the experience! First of all I was held up in traffic by a motorist that went off the road in Yellowstone and traffic was stopped cold for 30 minutes. I always try to account for traffic when I’m meeting clients in the park, but this nearly exceeded my buffer time. I arrived at the trail head parking area, grabbed my gear and headed to the meeting place. There they were all waiting… hmmmm! Fortunately I was only 4 minutes late, so off we went at a good clip up the trail that was 2.4 miles to the falls.

Well it seems that in all the excitement, the junction in the trail that headed to the falls was overlooked and we walked a mile in the wrong direction. Yikes. Fortunately Ryan caught the error and we all turned around and back tracked awhile to redirect up the correct trail toward the falls.

Alas, we reached the this amazing place to find the perfect early evening light. It was absolutely gorgeous. This place took my breath away, as if i wasn’t already breathless from the brisk hike at that altitude! It was a lovely wedding with hearts afire in the joining of these two and their sons and daughters.

Enjoy the view!

And then there was the bubbly!!! cheers!

surprise Yellowstone Park proposal

I got a call from a gentleman named Shawn a few weeks back and he told me that he wanted to give his lady “the most beautiful proposal in the world” during their visit to Yellowstone! So we began the process. Maps, photos, conversations, location decisions, logistics and timing… It takes quite a bit of planning to pull off a secret proposal when the couple and I are coming from different locations near Yellowstone. When you’re in Yellowstone there is very little if any cell service, so everything has to be nailed down in advance, and the you hope and pray we don’t have a “bison traffic jam”, or an auto accident that stops traffic in it’s tracks!

The weather was great and the light was beautiful as I was headed toward the trailhead when I saw Shawn and Felicia just getting out of their vehicle, so I knew everything was a ‘GO’! I took to the mile long trail down to the location and found the viewing platform nearly empty with only a few onlookers. Then the fireworks began!!!

Seeing this huge strong man melt in his shoes as he poured his heart out to his companion was very moving! He INDEED gave her the most beautiful proposal of marriage! Her reaction was so amazing. She just melted closely into him with comfort, joy and acceptance.

After all the celebration we took to the trail and off we went to several other locations for photos with smiles, laughs and tears of joy! YEP, that was my day at the studio. Oh God, I love my job!

Enjoy the view!

Congratulation to Shawn and Felicia!!!

Yellowstone proposal in Spring!

Last Friday Ryan surprised the love of his life with a proposal in Yellowstone National Park. The lookout over Yellowstone Falls was quite busy early for 9:30 in the morning, but that didn’t stop Ryan from negotiating his space in front of the railing with the amazing rainbow display that was occurring below! Leslie was visually surprised and moved to tears of joy! Those that were present cheered heartily and congratulated the couple, many taking time to chat and share their own stories!

We hiked out of the canyon and proceeded to another scenic, wide open location beside the Yellowstone River and then upward onto a bench above in the Hayden valley. We finished with a quiet moment by the river with some ice cold celebratory bubbly served in Montana style champagne glasses, aka (Ball canning jars) !!! I love spending my mornings like this!!!

Enjoy the view!

Yellowstone National Park

Every year I have the opportunity to photograph with clients that travel from all around the country to Yellowstone National Park. Weddings, elopements, Yellowstone surprise proposals and even photographic mini tours with the Yogatography workshop in the fall that I collaborate and teach with my dear friend Margaret Burns Vap of Big Sky Yoga Retreats.

Yesterday my wife Heather and I took sometime for ourselves to investigate, hike a little and take in the immensity of this super natural place. Most of the park is still closed for the winter, but soon the snow plows will be at work clearing the way for the spring opening and summer visitors!

Enjoy this brief glimpse into the northern tip of Yellowstone National Park. From the plains below Mt Everts, to The Forces of the Northern Range area and finally the other worldly, supernatural Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces … it is a magical place!

Enjoy the view!

Heather’s elation pretty much sums it up!

Yellowstone Park proposal

Harsh Vedant Kumar contacted me on short notice to see if I could meet he and his ‘wife to be’ unbeknownst to her, in the Lamar Valley. They were traveling here from Atlanta to see Yellowstone Park in the winter and Harsh was planning a GRAND SURPRISE! So I made a plan and pinpointed some scenic places we could potentially meet, then spoke with Harsh upon his arrival in Bozeman to coordinate our location and timing.

At this time of year many of the visitors to the park are photographers that are hoping to capture images of the wolfs and other wildlife. That made me a fairly normal person to see hanging around with cameras around my neck, and etc.

When I arrived they had gotten to the designated location a bit earlier than planned. So I grabbed my cameras and wondered out onto the snow covered boardwalk taking in the view and made some friendly ‘stranger’ small talk. Then Harsh pull the ring box out of his heavy coat and knelt before his lovely companion. Niru was overcome with tears of joy and then quick and repetitive “Yes, yes, yes, yes!!!” filled the air. ANOTHER GREAT SURPRISE IN YELLOWSONE PARK!

As the sun appeared and disappeared from behind the low lying clouds we drove to a few scenic places and captured some magical memories.

And one more detail, Harsh was so thoughtful that he secreted a few dresses from Niru’s bag at the hotel knowing that she might want some images in other than winter coats and snow pants. Good work Harsh!!!

Enjoy the view!