claire + ted: june 29, 2012

Claire and Ted were such a wonderful, laid-back couple! They got married at Big Sky Resort the end of June, on a breezy day with dramatic skies, a gorgeous sunset and surrounded by family and friends. It doesn't get any better than that! Claire and Ted, thank you for allowing me to share this very fabulous day with you both!

'tis the season: holiday family portraits!

It's a bit hard to believe, but the seasons, they are a changing! This is actually my favorite time of year . . . growing up in upstate New York spoiled me with the absurd amount of apple trees, orchards, pumpkin patches, blood-red maple trees, and sunshine in October. We have almost all of that in Montana, so no complaints on my part. Fall remains my favorite season, and I want to share it with you, giving you just what you need for a handful of beautiful family photographs to share on your holiday greeting cards! You can be smiling and relaxed . . . You can be goofy . . . You can throw your kids in the air . . . You can even bring your furry friend . . . And I promise to catch one of the two of you as a couple, as long as you promise not to make any comments like "oh, we have to pretend we like each other?" I hear that too much, and it's a bit sad. Sessions this year will be somewhat of a mini-session, meaning held in one location, one outfit (unless Junior has a blowout!), and will last about 30-45 minutes long. In the end, you'll receive 25 digital files that contain a mix of the entire family, the kiddos together and individually, and mom and dad together. The images are all high-resolution and ready for you to drag-and-drop into any holiday card template you find that pleases you . . . and holiday card templates are always available through me if you want to, ahem, keep it local. ;) If you are interested, shoot me an email at morgan@morganlamare.com, and I will send you over the rest of the information. Have a wonderful week!

the art of losing

The process of becoming a professional photographer is an interesting one . . . and lately there are so many quotes, sayings and tidbits floating around the internet that I stumble upon that remind me so much of where I came from in my journey to make this a career. One of the most profound quotes is something along the lines of, The only photographer you should compare yourself to is the one you used to be. The above photograph was taken recently this past April at a wedding I photographed in Charleston, South Carolina. The clients were from my hometown, and I was so honored they asked me to be a part of their very personal and intimate day, with just their immediate families and dearest friends. I took this image in Pioneer Park, the park where they married, and although it may be a very signature shot of mine, I'm extremely proud of it. I was so proud of it, and so confident in it, that I entered it into a wedding photography contest here in Bozeman, where the 15 semi-finalists' images will be on display during the last Art Walk of the summer. I was excited for entering my very first photo contest, even more excited that it was in the world of all things weddings AND local, and felt in my heart of hearts that I would be okay even if I didn't get selected. Well, I didn't get selected. And you know what? That is completely okay. (Well, it was completely okay after I sulked and pouted a little bit . . . losing sucks!) But in all honesty, I am extremely proud of this photograph. I am not only proud of the composition, but I am proud of how relaxed the couple looks and feels. Walking away from a wedding and hearing my clients tell me how enjoyable that part of the day was for them is one of the biggest compliments I can get. I know when it comes to judging any sort of art contest, or choosing a photographer to capture the moments of your wedding day, that it comes down to what's in your gut and what's in your heart, and art is completely different to each and every person. I am blessed to be where I am, I have made a cajillion mistakes that I remind myself of each day to never do again, I learn ways to avoid making new mistakes, and I am always seeking out how to be not only a better artist creatively, but a better business woman on the back side of things. So cheers to losing . . . but an even bigger cheers for being confident enough to put your work out there for all to see.

travis and kyndra: june 23, 2012

You really never know the atmosphere you are going to arrive to on a couple's wedding day . . . stress, anxiousness, nervousness, emotional, happiness, relaxed. Happiness and relaxed are, of course, a wedding photographer's favorite, and Travis and Kyndra were so much so - and emotional - that you couldn't help but be giddy watching them. I spent some time with Kyndra as she got dressed, and her warmth and love and emotions of marrying her best friend were palapable. Congratulations to this beautiful couple! It was an honor to be there and witness such beauty . . . Beautiful flowers by Leslie Lukas and The Woodlands was our backdrop . . . Travis and Kyndra, keep loving like you do. :)

yumtwist: chef sarah knecht

How much fun is this part of my job? Earlier this summer, I embarked on a set of shoots for local chef Sarah Knecht, a wonderful woman who is becoming a wonderful friend. Sarah and I have worked together at several weddings, and got to spend lots of quality time together bonding in Wyoming at a Dude Ranch wedding we worked last August . . . and when Sarah and I sat down to discuss the possibility of her cooking for my wedding, she asked me graciously to photograph the food and details for her up and coming cookbook, Yumtwist. And I kindly accepted. My love affair with good food is a widely known trait by now. ;) This was the second of three styled shoots that were held to make this project complete, this one being photographed at the simply gorgeous and stunning Double T River Ranch in Clyde Park. I arrived to this set up, designed beautifully by Angela of Fresh Designs and Elsa of The Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon. Montana Party Rentals provided the gorgeous vintage tables and decor, which they choose carefully and make available for any event. This team was incredible! Here are some details of the edibles: This kind of kicks bacon-and-eggs ass, doesn't it? After the brunch menu was photographed, Elsa and I moved to one of the beautiful cabins to style and photograph a grilled cheese spread, reuben sandwich, pizza and grilled fish, and we finished the day photographing a glorious pan of mussels tossed with all sorts of things beautiful and worldly such as olive oil, red onion, garlic and fresh parsley . . . mmmmmmmmm . . . Sarah is an incredible chef - we used her at our wedding this past Sunday, and we were approached by numerous guests who could not stop ranting and raving about how delightful the food was. Click here to Like her on Facebook and get all of the good information on ordering her very first cookbook!

weddings: photographing with the sun

Ask anyone and everyone who has ever asked me about the best time of the day to photograph a couple on their wedding day, or for an engagement session, and I will tell you - it's all about the evening light. And while we can be picky about the time of day to shoot your engagement photos, and sneak outside just before sunset at your wedding reception (more on that in another post), the wedding day schedule doesn't always allow for the majority of the portraits to be taken during that time. From day one of my photography career, one of the most important things to me to succeed at is using beautiful, natural light in a way that it makes the image all the more lovely because of it . . . Here is a selection of photographs taken by yours truly that show the light either directly above the subject, directly behind, or somewhere in between . . . I adore this photo of Nisha and Matt, taken this past April in Charleston, South Carolina . . . one thing this photo reminds me of on a technical level is the challenge of photographing in a heavily-treed area - there are lots and lots of shadows that may or may not be in favorable locations to what you want in your background, so it is important to put the subjects in either full shade or, preferably, full light where the sun is either above or behind them. A little evening light and flare . . . Backlight can look just as beautiful in black and white . . . And when you can get the low sun into your image without obstructing the subjects, all the better . . . I always work with my clients on the timing of the wedding day to ensure that we can work with the best light possible combined with the setting and where the majority of the photographs will be taken . . . but don't fret. If your wedding day is overcast, that light is just as delicious for a totally different set of reasons, and those images will come to you in a separate blog post. :) Happy Monday!