Lisa and Eric's Wedding at Chico Hot Springs, Pray, Montana

Yesterday I photographed Lisa and Eric's wedding OUTSIDE at Chico Hot Springs.
http://www.chicohotsprings.com/
When Lisa first told me this I talked to her about how bitter cold it can get, she was familiar with Montana winters and was aware of the cold tat come through our state. She and ad Eric are from Philadelphia so they know cold. I loved the whole idea because every photographer prefers to work outside, even though the temperature was around 25 degrees and the wind was howling!!!!

I wanted to have a few minutes with the two of them and the wedding party before the ceremony to take some photos in the Field of Dreams which has fantastic views. They were great sports, especially Lisa, who only had her cape on which was blowing off of her most of the time.

Here are a couple of my favorite shots of the two of them.....



And then some details of their snowy winter wonderland theme......


And a photo of their kiss...all of the guests were frozen by now but they were completely unaware of the winter cold.....
Lisa's niece in her sweet little hat......

And finally, Chico Hot Springs at twilight, my favorite time of the evening to take photos.....

Lisa and Eric,
Thank you for having me be your photographer. You had a lovely wedding and I will never forget your ceremony! : )

Keegan on the Madison.....

I was just looking through some photos for a call for some submissions and came across this photo of Keegan being a GREAT sport! I was hired by Moonlight on The Madison this past fall to photograph a wedding for them to promote more weddings at their BEAUTIFUL spot right on the Madison river. I have been shooting weddings in Montana for the past 17 years and this is one of the most beautiful places I have ever shot at. http://www.moonlightbasin.com/explore/summer-activities/luxury_camping.html
About 20 minutes before the ceremony I had the idea that it would be great to have a photo of the ceremony which included some of the river in the foreground. This idea of mine meant that someone had to wade across the river to take the photographs. LUCKILY, Keegan, my daughter, was with me as a second shooter. When I first asked her she replied "You've got to be kidding me!" After a little bit of discussion and persuasion she agreed to the assignment. There was a gentleman who works for the lodge who set her up with the proper foot gear and she was off. Keegan had the HARD job of trying to be graceful, not fall into the water, and to get some good shots! The water was freezing but she was able to get some really pretty shots!

If you would like to see more of her work from this wedding take a peak here...
http://nashan.com/clients/clientresults.asp?name=560

Another Photo in Martha Stewrt Weddings.....

Over the past seven years my work has regularly been featured in several of the national wedding publications. In 2007 I had the most images and weddings featured in one year. It looks as though 2008 will even be better! I am always very excited when a photo comes out in a publication. Here is the latest one in the One Thing I learned section in Martha Stewart Weddings......

Hilary and Ethan were married at the Episcopal Church of Heavenly Rest and had their reception at the Colony Club in NY. They were referred to me by Hilary and Ryan LaFoley, who happen to be Ethan's cousin! I know that was confusing, I am a photographer not a writer!!!

Anyway, it was my first NY City wedding and I loved shooting it! I love this photo of them although the original was very different, I am posting the original photo just so you can see the uncropped version. The wedding was really lovely, my only regret was that we only had about five minutes of natural light to do the posed shots after the ceremony. We were right beside Central Park and we could have gotten some more really great images if we had a bit more time.

Here is a link to the rest of the photos of the wedding that we have on the web.

http://www.nashan.com/clients/clientresults.asp?name=476

WPPI Master Class

Over the past several years I have gone to Wppi or have sent my associates to attend the classes and listen to the speakers. Each time I have atteneded I have learned something that has helped me fine tune my business. It is an invaluable resource for photographers!

This year almost all of the associates and I are going to Vegas. I am really looking forward to it for several reasons. First off it is the first time I am teaching a Masterclass at WPPI. My work has been included in a few of their books and now I get to participate in a more active way. If you are a photographer and are going I hope you would consider attending. It is going to be an informative class that will answer a lot of questions that I have painstakenly worked out over the years. Braning a Unique You is being offered on Mach 18, Tuesday morning. Here is the description and the link to the WPPI masterclass page

http://www.wppionline.com/tradeshow/show2008/speakers.taf?pgm=master

MELANIE NASHAN
Join Melanie in exploring ways to define your identity and to set your business apart from the competition. Melanie’s work is regularly published in “Martha Stewart Weddings,” “Bride’s” and “Elegant Bride " because of her documentary perspective. She has refined her visual style and uses captivating images to create promotional material that targets her intended customer. She will share the marketing strategies she uses when presenting herself and her work to prospective clients and to publishers. The discussion will include thought-provoking ideas regarding your online presence, your printed material, DVD slideshows, slideshows at wedding receptions, etc. Learn how to see your unique style and explore various ways to capitalize on it. Sponsored by WHCC.

Another reason I am excited about the time in Vegas is because four of my assoicates will be there and we will be holding our own workshops and meetings. It is going to be a perfect time to share information and share our ways of seeing......and to play some Craps at the tables.

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!

Ryan LaFoley: Personal Chef

I just received and email from Hilary and Ryan giving me the link to Ryan's new web site. I had taken their wedding photos a couple of years ago and have gotten to know them a little bit since then. Ryan has started his own personal chef business that has taken off. His food is delicious and not pretentious. If you are throwing a small party or want someone to make you a special dinner for an occasion give Ryan a call. His warm demeanor makes him a pleasure to be around and his food is outstanding. Take a peak at his new web site......


http://ryanlafoley.com/