Tag Archive for: Greener Visuals

A few weeks back I had the pleasure of creating a Bozeman Morel Mushroom Hunting Couples Portrait Photographic Experience for Brianna and Kyle.

These two foodies are planning their September wedding celebration later this summer.

For their portrait photographic experience, our conversations focused on all the things they love about each other, their relationship together and the shared love of their 8-year-old English Pointer dog named Speck.

My role was to help them rediscover all the things they have to celebrate in their daily lives.

These two have made a life together fostering their shared love of the outdoors and wild foods. They work hard for that lifestyle. Both are part of the talented staff at the Gallatin River Lodge, him as a sous chef and her as the kitchen garden and reservations manager for events, and with any job in the service industry, long hours (especially in the summer) can make personal time challenging to harness especially when your partner might not have the same schedule as you.

Through our numerous conversations leading up to our experience, we discovered together, that it’s the little things that they are able to share together that helps make their relationship so strong and satisfying.

For them, life doesn’t get much better than when they are walking the banks of the Gallatin River near their home with their dog and finding wild morel mushrooms to turn into fancy meals. The more we talked, the clearer it became that that would be the recipe for the perfect evening and theme for our portrait photographic experience.

I traveled out to their property West of Bozeman where we explored the river bottom together. Within an hour, we had found a heaping bowl full of blond morel mushrooms and had made some really fun, personal photos of them in their happy place with their pup. Being an aficionado of foraging and cooking wild game meat myself, I joined them for a riverside campfire dinner where I photographed them in their zone, creating together in their outdoor, fireside kitchen with uncontrollable smiles on their faces. They sautéed our morel mushrooms with garlic, spices, and asparagus then artistically dished them onto a perfectly grilled moose backstrap donated by yours truly and prepared by Kyle.

We ate like kings and queens that night.

With our bellies full of delicious food and a couple of microbrews, these two snuggled up into their hammock and Kyle played blues riffs on his guitar as the sun set over the mountains. It was a perfect way to enjoy a Montana summer evening. I love the energy and the life these two have created together. I think their bond together really shines through these photographs.

Congrats again on your engagement Brianna and Kyle. Wishing you two a lifetime of happiness! -M

Horses-Fall-Headwaters-State-Park-Family-Portrait-Photography

The other day I was out at the Missouri Headwaters for a family portrait photography session of Eliza and Drew. For this Three Forks, Montana family, there is no better way to spend a day than when they are trail riding with their young daughter Evelyn, horses, and dogs outside. We decided to incorporate all of their loves into one photography session timed perfectly with the Montana Fall colors out at the state park. We had a great time exploring the area. Here are some favorite photos from their portrait session. What a cute family! Happy Fall you guys! -M

Bozeman Wedding Photographer Springhill Pavilion Bridger Mountains couple portrait

I’m still buzzing with excitement after photographing the Springhill Pavilion Wedding Day of Allison and Matt outside Bozeman, Montana a few weeks back.

I’ve gotten to know these two Montana transplants over the past year and have been looking forward to documenting their wedding day for some time now.

And it’s all because they happened to meet by chance.

At the time, both were getting their Ecology graduate degrees from UC Davis in Davis, California but didn’t know each other.

One night after class, Allison was planning to catch up with a friend, but there was a location mix up and she ended up in the wrong bar. As fate would have it, it was in that wrong bar where she met Matt and they instantly hit it off.

Davis, California was a place where I used to live back when I was a newspaper photojournalist and a place that is close to my heart. Having them into my studio to learn more about their wedding day plans, we bonded immediately over Davis stories and the realization that we knew many of the same people.

Sometimes you encounter certain people in your life that you know will instantly become friends. These two are wonderful, hilarious goofballs.

Their Montana wedding day was everything you would hope one could be – lovely Spring-like weather, the perfect setting, and a gathering of friends and family that were ready to get down on the dance floor. Their wedding day was an absolute blast to photograph. Here are some of my favorite photographs I made throughout their wedding day. Congrats to the newlyweds! -Mike

To see all of their wedding photos, click here.

Livingston Wedding Photographer Paradise Valley wedding couple

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of photographing and celebrating the Livingston Montana Wedding Day of Teresa and Bob.

I met these two lovebirds at last year’s A Montana Wedding Bridal Event at The Commons in Bozeman, Montana. After a friendly ten-minute conversation, it was clear my candid, documentary photographic style resonated with their wedding day vision. They booked me on the spot. For these two, their love for each other, their family and devotion to their Catholic faith would the focal point of their wedding day celebration.

Their ceremony was held in the grand space of St. Mary’s Catholic Church complete with an hour Mass service. From there we made our way up Orea Creek Road near their Livingston home. We couldn’t help ourselves to stop numerous times to make some portraits with the epic Montana scenery around us. It is so beautiful up that way. The sound of cheers from their awaiting guests greeted the newlyweds to their outdoor reception on their Livingston property.

It was a wedding celebration in the pure local Montana cowboy style.

The live country band beckoned everyone to the dance floor where formal country two-step dance lessons were given. Yardgames and a photo booth entertained in between songs and everyone got stuffed on good Montana BBQ and libations. It was a perfect Montana evening to celebrate the union of these two amazing people. I could not be more excited for these two. Congrats to the newlyweds Teresa and Bob! -M

To view all of their wedding photos, click here.

 

Bozeman Wedding Photographer Springhill Pavilion

I’m still buzzing with excitement after photographing the Springhill Pavilion Wedding Day of Allison and Matt this past weekend.

I’ve gotten to know these two Montana transplants over the past year and have been looking forward to documenting their wedding day for some time now. Both got their Ecology graduate degrees from UC Davis, a place where I used to live and a place that is close to heart. We bonded immediately over Davis stories and the realization that we knew many of the same people. Sometimes you encounter certain people in your life that you know will instantly become friends.

These two are wonderful, hilarious goofballs.

Their Montana wedding day was everything you would hope one could be – lovely Spring-like weather, the perfect setting, and a gathering of friends and family that were ready to get down on the dance floor. Their wedding day was an absolute blast to photograph. As I begin editing through all of the photographs, I wanted to share a preview of them. Many more to come! Stay tuned… -Mike

 

Livingston Wedding Photographer Paradise Valley wedding couple

Last Friday I spent the day photographing and celebrating the Livingston Montana Wedding Day of  Teresa and Bob.

I met these two lovebirds at last year’s A Montana Wedding Bridal Event at The Commons. After a friendly ten-minute conversation, it was clear my candid, documentary style resonated with their wedding day vision. They booked me on the spot. For these two, their love for each other, their family and devotion to their Catholic faith would the focal point of their wedding day celebration. The day could not have been better. Here is a sneak peek of their wedding photos made at St. Mary’s Catholic Church and up Orea Creek near their home where they had their reception. So many more fun photos to share with you all! Stay tuned! -M

 

Bozeman Wedding Photographer Kelly Canyon Quaker Wedding ceremony

Montana native newlyweds Lisa and Noah got married on his family’s property in Kelly Canyon just outside of Bozeman Montana last weekend. Perfect sunny weather blessed the day where these two celebrated their Quaker wedding with their close friends and family. I’m working hard to edit through all of the fun photos I made throughout their wedding day.

For now, check out a preview of some favorite photos I made for them. Stay tuned for more… -M

Livingston Wedding Photographer Yellowstone River wedding portrait

A few weeks back, I had the absolute pleasure of providing the Livingston Montana Wedding Day Photography of Erika and Josh.

For these two, it was all about returning to the source of where they met.

Little did they know after a chance encounter over a foosball game table in Livingston, Montana, two years later they would be celebrating their wedding at the Livingston KOA in the beautiful Paradise Valley just south of town.

Both are well versed in the art of hospitality (Josh as a chef at Feast Raw Bar & Bistro and Erika as a former wedding planner now operations manager for the Shane Center for the Arts), they wanted to have their wedding day be “about letting their friends and family know how much they’ve impacted us in our lives.” by creating a personal wedding experience for their guests.

In a wonderfully intimate setting along the Yellowstone River, guests were met with great food, meticulous decorations of 1,000 paper cranes and rock cairns, homemade booze-infused cupcakes and the right tunes to keep the dance floor busy.

Their attention to the little details made their wedding day a true delight.

Not even the constant rainfall throughout the afternoon could dampen the spirits of those in attendance.

As the sounds of the consistent rain and the high waters of the nearby Yellowstone River serenaded the evening, the big pavilion transformed smoothly from the ceremony to the catered dinner and then into an energetic all night dance party.

Happiness, smiles and good times abound. What a day!

Here are some of my favorite highlights from my day photographing their wedding celebration. Congrats again to the bride and groom Erika and Josh! Wish you guys a lifetime of happiness! -M

See all of their wedding photos here.

 

Bozeman Engagement Photographer Hyalite Canyon couple portrait

Capitalizing on a recent break in the rainy weather, I met up with Allison and Matt for their Hyalite Canyon Bozeman Montana Couples Portrait Photographic Experience.

Over these last few months, I’ve really enjoyed getting to know these two.

They recently moved to Bozeman from Davis, Montana where they attended school as Ecology grad students. Back during my time working in California newspapers, I too lived in the city of Davis. As we got to know each other, we quickly realized we had many overlapping UC Davis friends and shared leisure activities. We quickly hit it off and had a blast exploring the scenic local landscape during our photo session. These two are great.

And their big wedding day is quickly approaching. I’m looking forward to documenting and celebrating them at their Springhill Pavilion wedding day in a few weeks! -M

To see all of their photos from our session click here.

 

Springhill_Pavillion_Bozeman_Wedding_Photography

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. Not that it would matter. Instead, the wonderful combined family energy of Wisconsinites and Montanans raised the level of a wedding celebration to a new high bar.

This was a group that shrugged off uncertain weather, raised their Coors Light libations with smiles and focused on the task at hand, celebrating two special people through hugs, laughter, songs, and dance.

I met Camille at a fishing friend’s house over ten years ago when I was working weekdays at newspapers in Northern California and spending my weekends chasing steelhead in the multitude of incredible Pacific Coast streams nearby. She was raised splitting time between Montana and Alaska, where she’s spent every summer since she was a little girl at her family’s fishing lodge on the Nushagak River in Bristol Bay. She began guiding at a young age, enveloping herself in fly fishing and the great outdoors. When I met her, Camille was about to graduate high school and buzz in the fishing circles was that she was already quickly becoming one of the most successful women anglers in the United States. Presently, she is dominating the internet dividing her time advocating to protect against the Alaskan Pebble Mine efforts, working as Alaska & Christmas Island Program Director for Yellow Dog Flyfishing and living her dream traveling the world with a fly rod in hand.

It was only natural that she would find a partner with the same passion for the outdoors. Through her I got to know Matt – a kind, caring and incredibly talented hunting and outdoor lifestyle photographer based here in Bozeman. As I’ve gotten to know them both more over this past year, I am convinced. Anyone would be hard-pressed to find a better pair of people so perfectly suited for each other.

Their shared love of the outdoors helped influence their 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. Their mutual love of fishing was noted by cute artwork details of fly fishing files for the table settings and bridal party flair. The day was a wonderful, complete representation of all that was important to them in their lives.

I could not be more thrilled for these two newlyweds! Congrats Camille and Matt! Thank you so much for letting me and my photo team be apart of your special day! Wish you guys a lifetime of happiness! -M

To view the entire wedding day photos and purchase your own special memories from the day, follow this link to see all of the goodness.

View the entire wedding

 

Anchorage_Alaska_Family_Photography_GreenerVisuals

Last week I was able to travel up to Anchorage, Alaska for an Alaska Family Portrait Photographic Experience of Brandy and Eric.

The new Greener heir has been born!

My new nephew Paul is a little over a month old and the trip was my first time meeting him. It was fun to embed into the world of a young family’s experience raising two kiddos. Despite the occasional fuss from my stinking cute two-year-old niece Molly, the majority of the time giggles and laughter could be heard throughout the house.

These two are natural parents and it was fun for me to help out where I could while documenting their family experience. It’s a cool new thing for me in my role as an uncle. It’s the ultimate long-term photo project. A lifetime photographing all of the fun with my niece and nephew.

I’m just thrilled!

We had a great time and my arms are tired from holding and bouncing babies! Someday I’ll get dad arms. Here are some favorite photos I made of my family during my stay. I can’t wait until the next time I can head back up. -M

 

Montana_Wedding_Photographer_Springhill_Pavilion_Wedding_Camille

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

Norris_Montana_portrait_Photography_Sam

I had the pleasure of photographing the Norris Montana Couples Portrait Photographic Experience of Sam & Melissa.

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

I love discovering what my clients love about each other and their relationship 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.

As we settled into our mountainous environment, these two were quickly set at ease in front of my lens and we ended up making some great photos that encapsulate their relationship.

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 from Greener Visuals! -M

Virginia City Montana wedding reception photo booth

As part of their historic Virginia City, Montana wedding day reception, Marissa, and Tyler added my Greener Visuals photo booth into the mix for entertaining their guests.

It was a huge hit.

Complete with old-fashioned furniture to match the old west theme of their wedding, it seemed like everyone had a chance to play in it. The cool thing is that their guests triggered the camera and studio flashes themselves remotely. The creativity of their tribe knew no boundaries.

Here are some of my favorite photos from their reception photo booth. To see all of the fun photo booth photographs, click here.

It was such a fun evening with some amazing people. Congrats again to the bride and groom!

125th-Lake-Hotel-Round-GreenerVisuals

This past Friday I had the pleasure of photographing the Lake Yellowstone Hotel 125th Anniversary Event in Yellowstone National Park. The event was in conjunction with the 1ooth year anniversary of the National Park Service. To celebrate the National Historic Landmark designation of the “Grand Old Lady” a great party was held Friday evening in the historic building which recently received a two-year, $28 million facelift in which the 153 guest rooms, public spaces, dining room, and much of the interior were renovated. I was hired to document the evening festivities and distinguished guests. It was a lovely time complete with live music, a seven course meal and a celebration amongst good people dressed up in traditional black tie affair. So glad I could be apart of it. -M

To see all the images from the event and order prints click here.

Last week I met up with Kim and Preston at the Lark Hotel in downtown Bozeman where we loaded up into my Subaru and headed for the mountains to photograph their engagement photos. These two both work and live in Washington D.C. but were in town to finish up their destination wedding planning details and to do their engagement photo session with me. These two were up for an adventure. We drove through the small fly fishing town of Ennis, Montana and we took advantage of the open space south of town where the sunset and the scenic views of the Madison River valley collide in a fantastic Montana scene. Here are some of my favorites from our time together. I’ll be photographing their wedding at the Big Yellow Barn this May. I am looking forward to it. -M

Eric & Brandy Wedding Day Photos in Hope, Alaska - Greener Visuals Wedding Photography

It is with much love and pride that I present the wedding photos of my brother Eric & his awesome lady Brandy’s wedding day celebration in Hope, Alaska.

Earlier this summer, my younger pilot brother Eric tied-the-knot with his long time flight attendant girlfriend Brandy in a lush, mountainous wild Alaskan setting in the small town of Hope, Alaska. She is an incredible lady and I’m so grateful to now call her sister. After a very public Alaskan Airlines in flight wedding proposal that went viral on YouTube, the excitement of the first sibling to be married in the Greener clan was felt by all and plans soon sprang into action to create their special day. This was going to be one hell of a wedding celebration. I would be the best man and wedding photographer which proved to be a tricky, fun challenge. After purchasing their first home together earlier this year, Eric and Brandy were looking to be as frugal as possible when planning their wedding day. Without being over the top, they wanted a place to gather the two clans, have some good food, dance to a live band without breaking the bank. Not a problem. The families and friends all came together to create a DIY rustic themed Alaskan wedding day. I think some of the best wedding successes are when wedding couples think outside the box while staying within a budget.

We got creative.

We took reclaimed weathered barn wood to make their wedding arbor and decorated it with mason jars filled with flowers the grocery stores had that morning. Rather than make the bridesmaids and groomsman buy matching outfits, they instead told them a color palette, in this case navy which also would work with whatever color flowers were available the day of. It worked out well. Scrap pieces of corrugated steel siding with the application of white paint became cool signs and decorations for the reception. The elder Greener gentlemen roasted a pig, guests brought a dish to pass, local friends helped with location needs and their unfinished new house as a staging ground for the bride and her ladies. Everyone in attendance contributed to making their wedding day special. Paying for the live funk band was worth every cent.

There were of course some logistical hurdles to cover, the first being that Hope, Alaska was a dinky little town a two hour drive around the Turnagain Arm on Highway 1 out of Anchorage, Alaska. This meant that everything (guests, tents, tables, chairs, decorations, camping accommodations, food, etc..) would need to be driven out by the family and wedding guests. The venue provided the site alone. In the end, it took a village, generous friends, a fleet of trucks and a used short school bus to make it all happen.

It was a day meant to be. Even the rain held out. What a wonderful love to honor and celebrate. I’m so happy for them. In between dancing, chatting and my best man duties, I managed to make a couple photos through out the day. Here are some of my favorites.

To see all of the wedding photos from the day click here. Password: greener

Love you guys so much! Wishing you two a lifetime of happiness. -your brother Mike

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. Yesterday, I headed over to Red Tractor Pizza, a local, organic farm to table, pizza to plate restaurant, in Bozeman, Montana where I photographed the 1st Annual Harvest Hoedown fundraiser for the Gallatin Valley Farm to School program. It’s a pretty cool program here in town that I believe is important for my community to embrace. The local non-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 Harvest Hoedown was a community gathering and fundraiser for Gallatin Valley Farm to School, featuring live music, family activities, delicious local food, beverages, generous raffle items donated by local businesses this past Saturday. It was a great time and a great first showing turnout. Here are some photos I made from my time there. To learn more about supporting the Gallatin Valley Farm to School please visit their website here. Glad I could be apart of it. -M

Last weekend I returned to Chico Hot Springs in Pray, Montana to photograph the wedding day of Elizabeth & Ryan. When it came to these two New Mexican residents planning their wedding day, they opted to return to their old stomping grounds of southwest Montana. I’ve picked out a couple images that caught my eye during my day documenting these two. Good times with great people and a great dance party. So many more great photos to show you all. Congrats to the newlyweds! Stay tuned for more…. -M

A few weeks back my pilot brother Eric married an awesome woman named Brandy, the love of his life in Hope, Alaska. The first of the siblings to get hitched. It was also the first time I’d been assigned the roles as both a best man and a wedding photographer. It was a fun challenge. I’m editing through the mountain of photos and will post their full wedding soon. I’m so excited for you brother! Stay tuned… -M