Moseley Family

I have taken a lot of family portraits this year and am a bit behind in blogging about them. So as I snuggle in my favorite chair by our HUGE Christmas tree I will catch up.Bee and Austin had a little ice cream to start the portrait session off on the right note. I think this should be an annual tradition.

I have been photographing the Moseley's for the past three years thanks to Marian Maxwell for introducing me to Jeanne. I LOVE this session because the kids got to play a lot.

And Jeanne looks as beautiful as always loving her girl.
And who can resist little Bee?


And finally a quiet moment down by the creek.

Maxwell Family Portraits

Marian and Matt are some of my favorite people. They ask me to photograph their family every year so I get to enjoy watching their girls grow up and get to spend a little bit of time with them.
It was a bright sunny fall morning and I asked the girls to gather some leaves for me. When it was all over Avery found a leaf, wrapped some dirt in it, tied in a knot and gave it to me. I LOVE when kids find things in nature and create something out of whatever they find. Many years ago, before my husband and I were married, we decided to exchange found items. He found a ring box, put some dirt in and wrote the note "I love you more than anything on earth." It sits in my bedside table as one of my favorite gifts. Avery's leaf sits on the dashboard of my car. It reminds me of one of my favorite artists Andy Goldsworthy

Towards the end of the photo shoot I brought out a lollipop for the girls to share. They LOVED it.
I LOVE this photo of the girls laughing together....

and of Matt and the girls climbing on him.

At the very end Eden and Matt raced each other over the bridge.
Marian and Matt thank you for being such wonderful friends.

Drop It Modern

WOW! This is the second time that I have ever used a backdrop with my photography. I always believed it was hard to bring life into photos in such a staid atmosphere. But I was wrong, again! I asked some of my friends if I could photograph their children and had my kids model for me to experiment with the backdrops. I LOVE Drop It Modern backdrops.

I LOVE this collage of Keegan in this great wedding dress from After 5

Just for fun she grabbed Cole's skate board and brought it into the shoot!

Then there are the photos of Charlie and Cole. I decided to ask Cindy to convert these to BW because I thought it would look a bit more 'bad boy' like. I LOVED the contrast between their 'bad boy' personalities and the elegant backdrop.
Then there was Maddy. I love the subtlety of the black backdrop. I can't wait to use it with this great black dress that Keegan just bought. I love the subtle and rich texture of this backdrop. The women at Drop It Modern really know how to create textiles that are elegant, photographic and photograph beautifully.



I LOVE the skateboard in this photo.


I LOVE the black and white conversions of these backdrops too!



I LOVE the shallow depth of field that I used while photographing Maisy. I wanted to change it up a bit and get some depth in an otherwise flat atmosphere. Maisy is able to bring her personality out while in front of the camera. Finally, I have an office in downtown Livingston but not a studio. I sold my studio lights years ago and honestly don't like using them for portraits. So when it was time to do this photo shoot I set it up in the shade in the ALLEY right outside of my office. It was a perfect location. I will be using these more often in my on location photo shoots and at weddings.

Hollis.Bonson wedding planning update

Hi all! Wedding plans are coming along and we're getting close now! Yay! I just hammered out all of the details for our wedding day photography schedule, and I'm so excited for the pictures. Melanie and I are doing some boudoir shots to start as a little something for me to give to my new husband...I'll admit, I'm a little nervous about how my body's gonna look, but I know Mark will love them!

Also, Mark and I have decided to see each other and do all of our posed shots before the ceremony. We decided to do this for a of couple reasons. First, Mark and I wanted to have a very intimate moment when we saw each other for the first time. I think, for us, it will be a more personal, loving, and intimate situation. We both get really nervous in front of a lot of people, so we wanted to remember that moment and not be so nervous about me falling on my face. Secondly, we want to enjoy every drop of our wedding that we have put so much time, effort, and money into.


I think photography is SO important for your wedding day, so that you can have those memories and snapshots to tell your wedding story, but we wanted to be able to mingle with guests at the cocktail hour and not be doing all of our posed shots then. Our guests will have spent a lot of money to get out to Bozeman (both of our families are from Wisconsin) that we want to make sure we can spend time with everybody and not be rushed after the ceremony. As a wedding photographer myself, I have noticed over time that when a couple does all of their pictures before the ceremony, it gives a relaxed, romantic feel to pictures and also to that time right after the ceremony. Couples that decide to do posed shots after still get great pictures with a lot of emotion in them, but usually want to hurry through it so they can enjoy the rest of their wedding.

We wanted to be able to enjoy finally being married, instead of running around trying to get the family together for a picture. I know it's not for everybody, but for Mark and I, it was a really good fit. Plus, we like to live on the wild side and tempt superstitions...

- Rebecca Bonson, soon-to-be Rebecca Hollis

Chelsea's Senior Portraits

I just had the privilege of photographing Chelsea Lloyd's senior portraits while she was visiting Montana with her family. Our families have been great friends for years, although we are not often afforded the chance to spend time together since they live in Minnesota. I had a fantastic time photographing Chelsea -- she has become such a beautiful young woman!




What gorgeous hair!


Thank you to the Lloyds for choosing me to take her portraits!

Dani

I had the pleasure of photographing Dani for her senior portraits a few weeks ago. We headed out to a few locations and had some fun playing around with the Yellowstone River as a background.

When I first started photographing senior's for their yearbook photo I felt a bit awkward. How do you capture someone's personality in such a short time, make them look lovely and feel at ease? I know LOVE taking senior portraits. I LOVE getting to know the people and finding ways to make their portraits interesting but still enjoyable to them and their parents.

Working with Dani was SO easy. She is such a confident, competent young woman. I love to see someone so secure in who they are and comfortable with the way they look and what they do.
I LOVE her legs by the Yellowstone.

Fortunately for me it was hard NOT to get a good photo of Dani!
I LOVEd the tall grass for her senior photos. I try my best to do as little traveling around but to get as many different compositions and feelings as possible.
I LOVE the photos of her in her blue shirt under the overpass. We had her music playing on my player and we were just finding different compositions that worked well with the blue. Some of the painting were great and others not so much so. In order to make sure the photograph was about her and not the painting I used a very shallow depth of field and tried to use angles that took advantage of the colors but did not highlight the composition of the photo.
Dani,
Thank you for having me photograph you for you senior portraits for Park High School. Keegan told me that you were lovely and she was right.

Bailey.LaGreca Engagement

Cassie LaGreca and Chris Bailey are planning a carnival-themed wedding in August 2010 at Roy's Barn near Bozeman, Montana. The couple lives in Chicago, but while they were visiting Montana a few weeks ago, we were able to squeeze in a fun engagement session!




I love Cassie's dress!


The balloons and ice cream cones were an easy way to loosen the mood and have fun!

For images from their entire engagement session, visit the gallery on Nashan Photographers event page.

Maureen's Family Portraits

Maureen is a wonderful, long-time friend of mine, and I was lucky enough to be invited to stay at her home with her family on a recent trip to the East Coast for a wedding I shot in Massachusetts. While I was there, I took some family portraits that I wanted to share with you.










Thank you again, Maureen and family, for your hospitality!

FAMILY PORTRAITS: MISSOULA

Once a year I drive to Missoula to take family photos for several wonderful families. I have to say again that when I started taking family photos it was HARD! Why couldn't everyone be wearing a white dress and have their hair and make up done? I honestly would get m ore exhausted from doing a portrait shoot than from shooting a wedding. Luckily things have changed. I LOVE taking family photos and now it is FUN! What is even better is that there are several people who have me take their family photos annually so I consider them to be friends. I love visiting their homes, watching their children grow and finding out what is new in their lives ~

Yesterday I photographed Bee and Austin! Here are some of my favorite photos from my quick first edit. I love that Jeanne & Paul like to have candid photos that are show the kids in action. Austin can't sit still for very long, except of course to eat an ice cream cone!

Sneak Peek: Mike and Jessica Engagement Session in Bozeman

Mike and Jessica are getting married in October at The Woodlands. Nashan Photographers associate Chieko shot their engagement photos earlier this week in downtown Bozeman. The couple created a fun and playful atmosphere by carrying the color scheme of their wedding (pink and black) into the clothing that they chose for their engagement session.




Keeping with this week's theme of featuring gift ideas for your guests, we wanted to share with you the unique gift idea that Jessica and Mike are sharing with their wedding guests: the couple donated to a breast cancer charity in the names of each of their guests. At the wedding, they are giving friends and family pink breast cancer awareness bracelets, which continues with the theme of pink and black.

Check out the shots from their entire engagement session in the Nashan Photographers event gallery.

Wedding featured on Stellina Events!

Amanda of Stellina Events, a wedding and special events design consultancy based out of London and New York, has a new post up about how to choose a color palette for autumn. If you're thinking about a fall wedding, Amanda's advice is fantastic! She featured images from the Behr.Walters wedding at the 320 Ranch near Bozeman, Montana, shot by Melanie Nashan. Read Amanda's blog post for helpful hints, and visit the full Behr.Walters album here for more fall inspiration!

Ram Family

I photographed Hilary and Ethan's wedding in New York three years ago and just had the opportunity to photograph them and their sweet baby boy! Here are some of my favorite photos from their wedding!

I love this photo of the men on the bench on the upper east side right outside of Central Park.

Then of the whole wedding party in the same spot. It is always a challenge to find a location that is indicative of the area that people have chosen to get married at that also provides a simple backdrop for the people in the wedding.

I loved the sing in book that was a photography book of New York City. It was laid simply on a table with an understated bouquet. I love the line of the couch!

The bouquets were absolutely stunning!

The cathedral was very impressive. I am always taken aback by the craftsmanship that goes into some religious structures. It is impossible not to feel inspired in these types of spaces.



Here are the family photos that we just did a couple of months ago! I love little Darby! He is a sweet baby boy with a great disposition.

Every family that has a dog wants at least one photo with them in the photo.

One of my favorite photos from the day when Hilary was just playing around. I love the whole feeling of the photo, her hair swinging in the wind, and Ryan & Darby's smiles!

So CUTE!
Another one of my favorites. I love family portraits because they create a family history and show how people looked at different stages in their lives and more importantly they show the connection that people have between one another. Those emotions are what I love capturing. My hope is that years later when everyone looks a their photos they can be transported back to that time...



Over the last few years I have been making a concerted effort to stay in touch with my clients and take their family portraits as their families grown. At first I wasn't sure if I was going to like it but now I LOVE being able to be a part of their lives. It is so interesting and fun to keep in touch, know what everyone is up to and to take photos of their families. Thank you to all of you who keep in touch.
Melanie

Featured in BRIDES

Melanie Nashan's beautiful image of these bridesmaids is featured in the BRIDES September 2009 issue. The shot is the opener for a spread on "Friends & Family," which provides ideas for vivid colors, great gifts, and advice if sibling rivalry appears in your wedding! Check it out on the stands today!

Wishing the Molitors a wonderful one year anniversary!

On Sunday, August 30th, Rachel and Eric Molitors celebrated their one year anniversary -- 14 time zones apart. Eric, who is in the Marine Corps, has been in Afghanistan since May, and Rachel lives in Honolulu.

A couple of weeks ago, we received an email from Eric's mother, Karen, with a special request. Eric, without internet or email access in Afghanistan, had called to ask if she would help him send flowers to Rachel on their anniversary. Together, they decided to send the exact flowers that were in their wedding ceremony. We were more than happy to help out. We contacted the planner, who contacted the florist, who assisted in arranging for this BEAUTIFUL bouquet to be sent to Hawaii.

Visit our gallery to see all of the images from this elegant wedding!

Wishing you all the best, Rachel and Eric!

Just Beautiful

Nick Brandt is the most wonderful African Safari photographer I have ever come across! If you have a few minutes and want to get transported visit his site. It is a perfect destination for your honeymoon!