Montana Triennial 2012 ~ Montana Fine Art Photography

I am really honored to have been selected by Keith Wells, curator for the Museum of Art at Washington State University, to be one of 39 artists whose work will be included in the Montana Triennial 2012 exhibit at the Missoula Art Museum, May 4 through August 26.  The show is a selection of both established and emerging artists and I must admit I'm not sure which group I fall into since as long as I've been shooting I always feel like I'm emerging with each different series that I create.

I have four images from two different series all created in 2011 in this show.  Typical of me is that neither series was something that I preconceived but images and moments that happened to me while exploring life in my new home state of Montana.  And with both series I didn't even know what I had until lots of time staring at the files on my computer upon returning home.

Below is one of the images selected but be sure to stop by the show to see all of them and the work of all the other Montana artists.  And if you are in the Missoula area please come join me for the opening reception on May 4 (check their website for exact times).

Time Travel with Sugar ~ Montana Dog & Fine Art Photography

Logan ~ Montana Dog & Pet Photography

One month before I even arrived in Montana from NJ I was contacted by Logan's human, Kim.  Two years later we finally managed to schedule a photo shoot as a surprise gift for her husband and Logan's other favorite human, Sonny.  In Logan's younger days he and Sonny traveled the northwest US and Canada bird hunting and hiking.  Now at almost 14 he loves his daily walks in the tall grasses of Montana, raft trips on the North Fork, but mostly, Kim says, he looks forward to his daily walks to the mailbox with Sonny.

I loved photographing Logan and I love these quiet photos.  A little less action than I normally catch and I had to go at Logan's pace, giving him lots of time to relax in the grass between different spots we visited at the historic Blasdel Barn (see previous blog post for details on this gorgeous structure).  When I asked Kim what their favorite part of Logan was to look at or to touch, she mentioned his forehead wrinkles that he never grew out of and has had since puppyhood.

Enjoy, Sonny & Kim, and thank you!

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.