Location Scouting ~ Montana Dog & Fine Art Photography

Scouting a serene location for an upcoming portrait session at the Blasdel Barn.  Built in 1909 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

Upcoming Exhibitions ~ Montana Fine Art Photography

I've got photos in two group shows opening soon.  If you are in the Portland, OR area be sure to stop by and see "Landscape: The Eloquent Light" at Black Box Gallery which includes one of my personal favorites from 2011 as shown below.  It is from a series of images shot while spending time on a ranch in Marion, Montana - full blog post of that series here.  The show is up February 1-22 with the opening reception on the 3rd.

If you are in the Minneapolis area The Minneapolis Photo Center's exhibit "Black & White: The Absence of Color" opens March 9 through April 22 with the opening reception on the first day.  Included is this photo of my muse, Sugar, hiking on Bear Dance Trail here in Montana at the beginning of spring - full blog post of that series here but in color.

If you are able to make it to either of these shows please let me know what you thought since I'm too far away to attend myself.

Wolf Tracking ~ Montana Dog & Fine Art Photography

In the depths of winter when canine portrait sessions have slowed down it's exciting to stumble on to a new canine species to photograph: Canis lupus.  While hiking here in my hometown of Bigfork, Montana, I came across these lone, large prints in the snow.  Although I never saw the wolf it was really interesting to follow her tracks for a bit and watch as her pace changed and her gait got shorter as she came to a sharp bend in the trail and then pick up pace again while she was on a straighter section.  Her print was over 4" and the bottom image shows Sugar's print in comparison.

Luckily even though it was meant to be a short hike I did bring along my compact camera, a Canon G12, which is really fun to shoot with and I almost never regret not toting heavier pro gear.

WPJA Contest Winner ~ Montana Wedding Photography

Another winning image from this past wedding season selected by the judges over at the Wedding Photojournalism Association (WPJA).  It's a detail shot from Stephanie & Brian's gorgeous lakeside wedding at Rocky Point on Flathead Lake.  See the blog post featuring their complete wedding here.

Wishing everyone a wonderfully sweet New Year!

Horses, Dogs, & Alpacas ~ Montana Dog & Animal Photography

Two horses, five alpacas, and two Great Pyrenees dogs. What more could I want to see all together? Love, purpose (the dogs live with the alpacas to protect them from mountain lions), and interspecies friendship.

Alpacas are kind of hard to resist - see my previous session with Icicle here.

ISPWP Contest Winner! ~ Montana Wedding Photography

Okay, only 20th place, but the ISPWP (International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers) contest is world-wide (over 90 countries represented) and only 8 out of the winners in this category were shot at weddings in the U.S.  So I'm really pleased to have had my photo selected and included amongst so many incredible images.

For more images from this wedding see the complete blog post here and click here for the other winners in this contest.

Craig & Mandy ~ Montana Dog & Pet Photography

A man and his dog. Craig and his rescued lab-greyhound mix, Mandy, have been together since 2001, five years before he and Brittany got together and married. Brittany wanted to celebrate their bond and purchased a gift certificate from me for a portrait session of the two of them for Craig's birthday. It was hard to resist adding some time in for the whole family so jealous Belle (who was a holiday gift for Brittany from Craig and rescued from the Humane Society of NW Montana) got to get some on camera play time finally too.

Winter is coming! ~ Montana Dog & Pet Photography

Sugar High ~ Montana Dog & Pet Photography

Have I mentioned lately that my dog and muse, Sugar, is, as my polite friends tell me, a little exhuberant?

Allison & Paul's Wedding Album ~ Montana Wedding Photography

Allison and Paul were married at Congress Hall in Cape May, NJ, and will be getting their gorgeous Queensberry album shipped to them this week.  This is an 11x14 photo front pagemount album with ivory mattes on ivory pages. The cover is the understated gold buckram with the photo of their choice (although it was my favorite too!) filling half the page.  Thanks to Riley for being so patient for their kiss.

For more images from their wedding see my original blog post which includes an award winning image from the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) or you can view the slideshow below for their complete album.