Portraits.....4 minutes and 30 seconds.....

Kathleen and Peter were married in Bozeman, MT this past weekend. My first wedding of the year and things are off to a great start. Getting married in Montana in January can pose some problems, most important of which is the early sunset that inhibits taking beautiful group shots during the daylight hours. Cathleen and Peter agreed to see each other before the wedding so we could be sure to use the light that quickly fades in the early evening out here in west.

Here is one of my favorite shots of the two of them in the atrium of the Gallatin Gateway Inn. I chose this spot because of the beautiful light and that it was indoors so they could be comfortable for the only bit of time that they would have to themselves during their wedding day. I LOVE it when my clients agree to have a little bit of time together during photos. I use a very long lens so they have their privacy and are able to have a nice private conversation....
Every once in awhile a bride asks me to 'reproduce' a photo that was taken at her parents wedding. This one is a reproduction of a photo of one shot of her mother fixing her veil. Although it seems very posed I think there is something very sweet about having the same type of photo as your parents did. Another issue is transportation. Luckily we didn't have much snow but using the bus insured that everyone that needed to be in the photos was there on time.
I do something that I think drives my associates crazy. When I get ready to shoot a wedding I don't preconceived much. Many other photographers fret about the weather or worry about where to take the portraits of the bride and groom. I like to go with the flow of the day and it ALWAYS works out for me. (Except for the day that I trespassed with the bride and groom's consent. We got great photos, but the owner of the land scolded me afterwards.) Cathleen, Peter and I had talked about doing some photos with the wedding party after the wedding somewhere during the drive between the church and the Gallatin Gateway Inn.

As I was driving to the church I saw this perfect spot that didn't have any 'no trespassing' signs on it and that had TERRIFIC views of the Bridger mountains. It even had a safe pull out for the bus to use! Anyway, the only drawback was that it was relatively 'balmy' that day and the ground was muddy instead of hard so we couldn't walk and have fun. Here are some of the photos from this spot which I think creates the perfect backdrop! So although I said it was blamy it still is VERY cold when you don't have a coat on. I promised the group that I would have the photos done in two minutes. I did get the groups shot done in two minutes, the whole process from the first shot of the large group to the last shot of Peter laughing took four minutes and thirty seconds!


Anyway, I had a great time working with Cathleen and Peter and meeting their families. Once again I think I am so lucky to have a job that I love and to get to work with so many wonderful people!