Tag Archive for: Greener Visuals Photography
A few weeks back, I had the pleasure of photographing KELLY & SCOTT wedding. their celebration took place at Roy’s Barn Belgrade, Montana.
I met Kelly and Scott back when the pandemic first began through my Bozeman Front Porch Project. Kelly and Scott dated for the past 12 years. These two research scientists found a lovely balance working and living in Montana with their two German Shorthaired Pointers. Both are passionate about their careers and adamant about surrounding themselves with the community of friends they’ve fostered in Bozeman. They describe themselves as “chatty introverts at heart” and treasure spending time hiking and hunting Montana’s wide open spaces with their pups.
Kelly accepted a faculty position at UC Merced this past spring. Suddenly, wedding planning coincided with packing up their home for the anticipated move. Happily, their wedding celebration was the perfect opportunity to bring friends and family together, and be the grand finale to their Montana experience.
It has been a joy getting to know Scott and Kelly over the last few years. Kelly pushes Scott to be better, really understands him, and supports his outdoor passions. Scott feels so lucky and grateful that he can often share those experiences with her. When thinking about how Scott elevates her life, Kelly really appreciates his patience, which can be challenging for her. “He always can calm me down,” said Kelly.
She continued, “I love that I have this peaceful feeling that I’m enough and don’t have to change who I am.”
Their intimate, DIY wedding was hosted among the friendly confines of Roy’s Barn in Belgrade, Montana. Set against the Bridger Mountain range, the charming, big, red barn and its mature trees provided cool shade. Guests played yard games and were protected by the strong storm, wind, and rain that quickly blew through. Kelly and Scott created a relaxed atmosphere that emphasized a candid, good time with their loved ones. Everyone savored a delicious BBQ spread and homemade desserts from the bride. The property offered us a wide variety of photo locations. We explored and played in and around the teal color of an old Ford 100 truck on loan from a family friend. Afterwards, as the sun set, the DJ cranked the music as the wedding party transitioned from dinner to celebration. Everyone enthusiastically danced and sang into the night.
You could not have asked for a nicer day and a sweeter couple. I’m excited for Kelly and Scott and wish them nothing but happiness on the road ahead. Congrats to the newlyweds! -M
To view all of the fun photos from Kelly and Scott’s wedding day, click here.
Back In late August, I traveled up to the Flathead Valley in northwest Montana to photograph The Nest on Swan River Wedding Day of Lisa and Thomas.
While Lisa is originally from Montana, this couple resides in Hawaii with their children. They wanted to have their wedding celebration in the culture of her home state.
For these two newlyweds, their shared love of country music quickly fostered a strong bond between them when they met in January of 2019. They’ve been singing and dancing together ever since.
During the build up to their wedding day, I got to know these two and what they cherished about their relationship. Both commented on how perfect they felt for one another and their mutual down to earth approach to life. As Thomas puts it, “God put her in my life for the better.”
Thomas loves how her sparklely personality and great sense of humor is enhanced by her thoughtfulness towards others. Lisa has a charming humility that teases out the best in the people around her. He loves seeing her engage and love his three children from a previous relationship as her own. Lisa smiled as she told me about Thomas’s big, marshmallow heart. “He’s so intelligent and spiritual. I love how we can both express our values and ideals to eachother,” she recounted, “He cares so much about my feelings and is so loyal to me and the kids.”
While the surfable waves of Hawaii were absent, The Nest on Swan River Wedding was the perfect setting for their waterside wedding day.
When it came to their wedding plans, Lisa and Thomas wanted to have a relaxing, peaceful time with their friends and family along the water. The versatility of their The Nest at Swan River provided the perfect backdrop. As the bridal parties got ready, their guests enjoyed walking the lush riverside property. Everyone was enjoying the lovely late summer Montana weather. Some guests even assisted the curious local whitetail deer to forage apples on the property. Their lovely, intimate wedding ceremony was held under the tree canopy shade surrounded by their loved ones.
As the sun set over the Swan River, their focus transitioned into a classic Montana celebration. Wild game appetizers paired with great local microbrew beer enticed their wedding guests. The conversation and laughter flowed. Despite a leg injury that limited the groom’s mobility, he traded his usual dance moves for singing on stage. Backed up great live music tunes from the Band of Drifters, Thomas performed a variety of his songs for his new bride. Soon after dinner the band got people twirling back out on the dance floor.
It was a lovely Montana evening enjoyed by all.
Here are some favorite photographs I made through out Lisa and Thomas’ wedding day. It was such a fun event and I was so excited to be apart of their wedding celebration. -M
To view all of the photos from Lisa and Thomas’ wedding day, click here.
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of setting up my Photo Booth at Headwaters Ranch for their annual MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH.
For the annual Mother’s Day brunch celebration at Headwaters Ranch, over 250 families gathered dressed in their Sunday best clothing, to honor and celebrate the wonderful women in their lives. during . Over the years, I’ve photographed numerous weddings at this lovely Three Forks, Montana wedding venue. The venue asked me to participate in this year’s event, I was happy to set up my photo booth for families to play in.
I love creating opportunities to bring out the best versions of people.
That’s one reason I love the spontaneous creativity that Photo Booth at Headwaters Ranch provided. They are a wonderful invitation to get goofy for extroverts and introverts alike. Guests started their experience with a delicious breakfast buffet provided by Cinnamon and Sage Catering. From there, the kids and their parents curiously wandered over to the photo booth and completely leaned into playful, self-expression. I loved seeing how the kids would play and then drag their family members into the fun. Nothing pleases me more than watching all the smiles on the faces of photo booth participants after they leave it.
After a year like 2020, these families had a lot to celebrate this Mother’s Day and they made the most of the creative occasion. We all had a lot of fun.
These are some of my favorites photo booth photos from the day.
To see all of the fun photos, follow this link to view the online gallery.
I’m so glad I could be apart it. -M
The other day I had the pleasure of photographing the Peet’s Hill Couples Portrait Experience of Jenny and Cooper in downtown Bozeman, Montana.
During their busy lives working in Bozeman, these two often find relaxation and solace with their dogs, Dalia and Mr. Krill, during their frequent hikes along their favorite Bozeman in-town trailhead. For their Peet’s Hill couples portrait photographic experience, we wanted to highlight a place that was important in their relationship. Peet’s Hill was a perfect choice. On a lovely early May evening, we set out on the trail. An opportunity to celebrate this time in their lives together and make some fun photos.
These two have been dating for the past four years. From the moment you meet them, it’s clear that these two compliment each other so well. They have such a playful way about them and in conversation each commented on the absolute kindness of the other. For Cooper, he reveled at just how much fun they have together. He said he loves Jenny’s strength, her go-all-in passion for her art, and her ability to care deeply for the relationship and their friends.
“The way she approaches her life is so heartfelt and pure,” recalled Cooper, “She’s just so wonderful.”
For Jenny, she absolutely cherishes Cooper’s contagious enthusiasm for life and admires his ability to talk to anyone. Cooper’s social skillset has helped her feel more comfortable to open her own life more to others. As a result, he has positively impacted her growth into the best version of herself. Jenny loves Cooper’s commitment to being a role model. His passion for others shows when he is coaching free ride skiing to his twelve to eighteen-year-olds students. Most importantly, Cooper has a unique ability to make her feel safe. His kind presence empowers and allows her to let go of past shame. Such a gift from a loving partner.
With high spirits, we explored Peet’s Hill Park and played with their dogs as the sun set behind the Madison Mountains to the west. These are some favorite photos we created during out time together.
I loved getting to know these two and discovering all that they loved about each other and their relationship. I’m looking forward to photographing their wedding celebration at the Star M Barn venue in late August this year. Congrats to the newly engaged couple! -M
I had the pleasure of photographing the Triple Tree Trail Family Portrait Experience of Lexi and Dan in Bozeman, Montana a few weeks back.
With two young boys full of energy, Lexi and Dan wanted to document their young family’s adventurous spirit. They were growing up so fast. The Fall colors around Triple Tree Trail would make for the perfect backdrop for our family session. With their chocolate labrador in tow, we went for a hike along the popular Bozeman trail documenting the fun along the way.
Here are some of my favorite photos we made along the way. -M
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Family portraits from afar to raise money for those in need.
This past weekend, ten gracious Bozeman families participated in the Bozeman Front Porch Project to celebrate their loved ones, be a part of a community art project, and raise money to support the Bozeman Area Community Foundation during this unsettling time in our community and country.
As a self-employed photography business owner navigating the uncertainty of the COVID-19 virus, I wanted to create a little something to uplift the mood for local families and support our incredibly hard-working not-for-profits in town while we collectively maintain safety with social distancing.
While our normal lives have been turned into a holding pattern it’s important to remember that – Love is not cancelled. Friendships are not canceled. Emotional support is not canceled.
With all the uncertainty and fear circulating around. I wanted to change the narrative to focus on the positives that are still around us.
I wanted to create a reminder of all the good things these families have to celebrate in their lives.
We are all doing our part to change the curve of our predicament. We can also safely from afar give ourselves permission to celebrate the people who give our lives meaning.
Family is everything and is worth celebrating right now.
These precious moments of togetherness with our families, loved ones, and pets – our relationships, are what matter most.
The love and support we give and receive from others will help us all get through these times of difficulty.
It’s through our shared, sheltered experience, that we can still foster connections and our combined community’s resilience.
Right from the start, the health and safety of every one were at the forefront of importance for me.
Stay-at-home directives started last weekend for Montana by Gov. Steve Bullock. I’ve been personally exercising stringent social distancing practices while closely monitoring new developments.
In the end, under my already stringent safety measures, I decided to continue forward. By photographing everyone from afar with my telephoto lens (on average at least 20 feet), we created some really genuine fun family portraits.
Like the week before, the outpouring of support from the Bozeman community was incredible.
I am happy to announce that together this past weekend we raised $500.00 that will be donated to the Bozeman Area Community Foundation!
I feel so thankful for all of the generous donations to this giving organization. I’m proud to be a part of our Bozeman community of helpers and look forward to a time when we can put this challenge in our rearview mirrors.
Thank you to all the wonderful families that participated in the Bozeman Front Porch Project!
Stay safe, stay healthy and soak up this time with your loved ones.
When this storm passes, I’ll be here to help you showcase everything you love about your family relationships during your own custom family photographic experience.
Together, we are all going to get through this. -Mike Greener
P.S. As a candid, creative family photographer, I can’t help but capture a moment if it’s happening in front of me. Here are a few bonus photos that I liked from my weekend of giving back.
Last weekend I photographed the Salem Connecticut Destination Wedding celebration of Knikka and Greg on her family’s property.
This was a special wedding for me.
I came to know Knikka years ago while working as a photojournalist for the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. At the time, she was a young parent raising a child and about to have another, I followed her and her family as part of a documentary story for the newspaper.
What started out as an assignment, turned into a friendship.
As the years have gone by, I’ve remained in touch with Knikka. I’ve even gotten to know her family members during their frequent visits to Montana over the years. They are wonderful people.
Through her family grapevine, I heard the news of her engagement to Greg. I was thrilled when they reached out to ask me to be their wedding photographer and was over the moon with excitement.
It’s always such a joy for me to document the wedding celebrations of friends.
While I’ve visited NYC and had a life-changing experience at the Eddie Adams workshop upstate, I have never visited New England.
It was time to remedy that.
This destination wedding would serve as a chance to photograph and celebrate two amazing individuals in a place I’ve always wanted to visit.
The wedding day took place on Knikka’s large family property. It’s an old farm homestead that’s settled amongst the historic Connecticut countryside outside of Salem. Their fall wedding was timed perfectly with the peak Fall colors of the trees.
Greg and Knikka’s DIY wedding had all the custom touches of a tasteful, rustic wedding shaped by their own personal styles.
The newlywed’s friends and community all contributed making everything special for the bride and groom. Everything from cakes and bread pudding to the homemade smoked BBQ, antique table settings, and the elaborate outdoor scene.
It was a hoot. For their Salem Connecticut Destination Wedding, the newlyweds even hired a minstrel band in costume to entertain the festivities at their themed wedding.
Here are some favorite photographs from their wedding day festivities.
I could not be more excited for these two. Congrats my friends! Cheers to a lifetime of happiness! -M
I had the absolute pleasure of photographing the Green Oaks Creek California Wedding Day of Marit and Samir outside Santa Cruz, California.
These two are dear friends of mine. I was honored when they asked me to document their hybrid Jain and Jewish multicultural wedding weekend celebration.
Samir and Marit wanted their wedding to highlight all the important aspects of their lives – honoring their numerous religious traditions, celebrating their family and friends, and a dedication to ethical green practices.
I think the best weddings are the ones where the couple creates an experience that uniquely reflects their shared interests and values. These two did just that.
Like their Sangeet Celebration the day before, it was a splendid event organized under the careful guidance and care of wedding planner Aimee Newlander, of Weddings by Aimee.
They had numerous food booths offering paella and an assortment of delicious vegetarian options. They had bohemian lounges for their guests to relax in and ofcourse, the dance floor entertained all well into the night.
When it came to the wedding day reception, the bride and groom insisted I set my cameras down so I could completely lose myself dancing. We all had a wonderful time!
The warmest congratulations to the bride and groom Marit and Samir!
Here are a few of my favorites from their wedding day celebration.
Fellow Vendors:
Venue: Green Oaks Creek Farm
Wedding Coordinator: Weddings by Aimee
Wedding Photographer: Greener Visuals Photography
Food: Gerard’s Paella, Wah Jee Wah Street Food, & Wood Fire Woodie pizza.
Live Music: Pallavi Mehta & accompaniment, from Soor Academy
A few weeks back, I had the absolute pleasure of photographing the Green Oaks Creek Wedding Sangeet of Marit and Samir outside Santa Cruz, California.
Marit and Samir are dear friends of mine. It was an honor when they asked me to document their hybrid Jain and Jewish multicultural wedding weekend celebration. The experience was a complete joy to be a part of.
For this couple, they wanted a wedding highlighting all the important aspects of their lives – honoring their numerous religious traditions, celebrating of their family and friends, and a dedication to ethical green practices.
The best weddings are where the wedding couple creates an experience that uniquely reflects their shared interests and values.
Being surrounded by so many of my favorite people, it was bound to be an incredibly fun weekend event.
We started the celebration on Thursday with Marit and her female family members getting their traditional bridal mehndi artwork by the talented Modern Mehndi.
Saturday marked the welcome wedding Sangeet celebration before the actual wedding on Sunday. Marit and Samir hosted their wedding festivities at the peaceful Green Oaks Creek Farm, a beautiful organic farm north of Santa Cruz, California.
The premise of the Sangeet is not only to kick off the wedding festivities but more importantly, to join their two families from Texas and Chicago. The goal was to create a space that they could familiarize themselves with one another prior to the big wedding day.
What better way to do so than through laughter, song, food trucks, and dancing.
Everything with their Green Oaks Creek Wedding Sangeet went off without a hitch due to the careful guidance and care of wedding planner Aimee Newlander, of Weddings by Aimee.
Relatives and friends of the bride and groom performed music, taught line dancing, ate delicious food on compostable dishware, and gave toasts of good wishes. Then we danced and danced some more.
The warmest congratulations to the bride and groom Marit and Samir!
Here are a few of my favorites from the evening.
I’m working hard on finishing up their wedding day photos. Stay tuned for more…-M
Fellow Vendors:
Venue: Green Oaks Creek Farm
Wedding Coordinator: Weddings by Aimee
Wedding Photographer: Greener Visuals Photography
Food: Gerard’s Paella, Wah Jee Wah Street Food, & Wood Fire Woodie pizza.
Live Music: Pallavi Mehta & accompaniment, from Soor Academy
This past Saturday, I photographed the Deep Creek Range wedding day celebration of Megan and Ben in Paradise Valley, just south of Livingston, Montana.
These two met in 2015 and from the get-go, they had immediate chemistry.
After just three months of dating, they came up with a bold idea. They decided to quit their jobs, sell all their belongings, and bought a teardrop trailer for an impromptu six-week road trip around Colorado, Utah, and the California coast.
That trip would change everything for them. Their shared love of spontaneity and fun, outdoor adventures blossomed into a powerful bond. It would be the first of many wonderful road trips they would share together. Over time, this couple ultimately realized they were the perfect match for one another and became engaged.
I came to know these two wonderful humans when I moved into the house apartment below them in Bozeman. Friendly neighbors quickly became friends over dinners and great bottles of wine.
I was honored when Megan and Ben chose me to photograph their wedding celebration.
The beautiful Deep Creek Range wedding venue was the perfect setting to host their Montana wedding day with friends and family.
On a lovely cool August afternoon, their wedding day was filled with laughter, good wine, family, friends, and a whole lot of dancing into the night. I loved the energy of this crew.
Here are some of my favorite photographs from their wedding day. I could not be more happy for these two. Congrats to the newlyweds! -M
A week ago, I had the absolute pleasure of photographing the Countryside Bozeman Montana Wedding of Courtney and Josh.
On a cool August sunny day, their small intimate Countryside Bozeman Montana Wedding was held at her father’s property here in the Gallatin Valley.
I met Courtney and her family a few years back when I photographed her sister Jenny’s wedding celebration here in Bozeman.
While Courtney and Josh have only been dating for the last two years, they have known each other since they were twelve years old. Josh admitted that he had a life-long crush on her when they were growing up together in Bozeman.
As they were coming of age, he was her first kiss. They stayed friends.
Years later, they reconnected and began cultivating a stronger bond with one another. For her, it was his unconditional support and selflessness. For him, he loves her confidence, intelligence, and nurturing presence.
Over the last six months, it’s been great getting to know these two even more and discovering what they love most about each other and their relationship.
After getting to know these two this past year and photographing their portrait photographic experience, it was wonderful to see these two lovebirds say their vows and celebrate at their countryside Bozeman Montana wedding.
Surrounded by family and friends, they spent the evening eating great food and dancing the night away.
Here are some favorite wedding photos from their wedding day. I could not be more happy for these two. Congrats to the newlyweds! -M
This past weekend I had the absolute pleasure of photographing Courtney and Josh’s Bozeman Wedding Day celebration.
Their small intimate wedding was held at her father’s property here in the Gallatin Valley.
After getting to know these two this past year and photographing their portrait photographic experience, it was wonderful to see these two lovebirds say their vows and celebrate.
Congrats to the newlyweds!
I’m working hard at editing through all the fun moments from their wedding day and will post all of them soon.
In the meantime, I wanted to share a preview of a few favorite photographs that have stood out so far. I can’t wait to share the rest. Stay tuned. -M
A few weeks back, I photographed the Bozeman Holy Rosary Church Wedding of Cassie and Justin and their wedding reception at Bridger Bowl Ski Resort.
After dating for the past eight years, Cassie and Justing wanted to say their vows during their Holy Rosary Church Wedding surrounded by the most important people in their lives. Their celebration after the ceremony would be amongst the mountainous backdrop of Southwest Montana at a place they both love so much, Bridger Bowl Ski Area.
For many of their family members (coming from Florida, Maine, New Jersey. Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Washington) their wedding weekend would be the first chance to see the place the newlyweds have called home for the last few years.
After an unusually soggy Spring and Summer in Southwest Montana this year, we had high hopes of avoiding the recent rain weather patterns. Alas, on a Saturday in mid-July, the rain found us.
Luckily, it just so happened that Cassie and Justin’s wedding ceremony and reception were preemptively planned for a rainy day – they had an indoor Catholic mass ceremony at the church and then lovely intimate reception at the Bridger Bowl mid-mountain lodge.
The rain couldn’t keep us down.
We celebrated indoors at both locations by dancing, eating crusted trout and elk tenderloin (delicious!), and playing in the Greener Visuals Photobooth. Many of their guests had taken advantage of the close proximity of Yellowstone National Park and were telling stories of their recent adventures. It was a lovely evening in a great place with good people.
I could not be more excited for these two. Congrats to the newlyweds Cassie and Justin! -M
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of photographing the Bozeman, Montana wedding day celebration of Cassie and Justin at Holy Rosary Church and Bridger Bowl Ski Resort.
After dating for the past eight years, these two wanted to say their vows surrounded by the most important people in their lives among the mountainous landscape of Southwest Montana they love so much.
Their wedding would be a chance for many of their family members (coming from Florida, Maine, New Jersey. Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Washington) to see the place they have called home over the last few years. Many of their wedding guests were traveling to Montana for the first time. The day was filled with Big Sky excitement and surprisingly for July, lots of precipitation.
It has been an unusually soggy Spring and Summer in Southwest Montana this year. The rain found us.
Luckily, it just so happened that their ceremony and reception were preemptively planned for a rainy day – indoor Catholic mass ceremony at the church and then lovely intimate reception at the Bridger Bowl mid-mountain lodge. The rain couldn’t keep us down. We celebrated without a hitch indoors at both locations dancing, eating crusted trout and elk tenderloin and playing in the Greener Visuals Photobooth.
I’m working hard to go through all the fun photos I made during their special day. For now, I wanted to share a preview of their wedding photographs. Here are a few favorites so far. So many more photos to share.
I could not be more excited for these two. Congrats to the newlyweds and stay tuned for more! -M
For Belle and Angel’s West Yellowstone Couples Portraits experience, we decided to drive back to their hometown of West Yellowstone, Montana to explore and photograph the place that fostered the roots of their relationship.
These two have been dating since high school – over seven years ago – where they first cultivated their relationship through their shared love of basketball.
While a lot has changed since high school, their relationship has never been stronger.
In Belle’s opinion regardless of where they are, Angel’s presence in her life is an immediate sense of home.
They now live and work in Bozeman, Montana – him as a chef and her as a caregiver.
Time together has helped them discover not only their love for each other but their shared passion for exploring the outdoors.
Now, as they work to finalize their wedding plans for Summer 2020, they wanted to celebrate this time in their lives by giving a nod to their shared love of camping and hiking in their old Yellowstone National Park area stomping ground.
We headed over to Black Sand Spring, a small spring creek west of town where we explored the area making photographs of them. Here are some favorites from their experience. Congrats on your engagement Belle and Angel! -M
A few weeks back I had the pleasure of photographing the Washoe Theatre Couples Portraits of Amanda and Harley in Anaconda Montana.
Amanda and Harley met ten years ago and were high school sweethearts.
I had an amazing time discovering all that they cherished in each other and their relationship.
It has been such a fun time getting to know these two high school sweethearts over the past year.
They met at the age of 16-year-old. From the get-go, they shared an easy-going sense of humor and appreciation of the little things in one another.
Harley, usually a shy kid, recalled how profound it was that she could always bring him out of his shell and how to completely be himself around others.
Thinking back on what was a difficult childhood, Amanda loved that meeting Harley showed her the possibility of a better life and how to be a kid again.
More often than not, this usually takes the form of dancing and singing to music while cooking together.
Over the next ten years, Amanda and Harley’s relationship flourished.
“We were able to develop around each other and made up for each other’s perceived “faults”, Amanda said.
It was a wonderful, mutual balance of support, love, and acceptance. Each knew they had found their person
For them, it was those times growing up together around Butte and Anaconda, Montana where the foundations of their relationship and support for one another really solidified.
As their relationship grew, some of their fondest memories were going on dates to the historic Washoe Theatre in downtown Anaconda and then dining at one of their favorite restaurants in Butte, the Pekin Noodle Parlor – the oldest Chinese restaurant in the country and housed in a formal brothel.
We wanted to highlight these two places that held a lot of wonderful memories for them.
We decided to recreate an ultimate date night for them!
Here are some favorites photographs from their Washoe Theatre Couples Portraits photographic experience.
This January, they will be getting married here in Bozeman and the Gallatin River Lodge. I can’t wait to celebrate with them. Congrats on your engagement you two! -M
The other day, I photographed the Indoor Business Portraits of Knoff Real Estate Associate Molly Ogle.
Over the last few years, I’ve had the pleasure of creating numerous professional business portraits for the good folks at Knoff Group Real Estate in Bozeman, Montana.
Molly Ogle, their new associate, recently joined this talented team of realtors and was in need of some updated headshots and business portraits. We decided to explore the newly restored, historic Cannery District with her French bulldog, Pippa in tow and made some fun, indoor business portraits for her new position.
Here are some of my favorites from our portrait photographic experience. -M
Looking to get some fresh new business portraits for your own company?
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