lindsay wells photography...... BLOG

San Francisco

2012-02-14T10:28:00.005-07:00

I left my heart (and lots of money) in San Francisco.

It was an absolutely incredible trip filled with fun & laughter with my bff from childhood (Michelle), lots of exploring, shopping and AMAZING food. Oh, the food. From Chinese cuisine in Chinatown, to some seriously authentic Mexican food in a supposed "sketchy" part of town, according to our cabbie.... "Just don't go any further up that street. Stay on this side and you'll be ok". ??? Whaaa? Ok then. The pork tacos were totally worth the scare. Ha! We also had some awesome award winning pizza in the Italian District. One of which was featured on the Food Network! So cool. Anyway, if you couldn't tell, other than hanging out & catching up with my best friend, the food was the highlight of this trip.

Time for some photos! Here are some things I liked the looks of while touring this wonderfully crazy city.... Oh, and THANK YOU so much, Michelle for being the best tour guide a person could ask for!!! I love you!!

Chinatown

Beach Chalet/ North Beach. Delicious Dungeness Crab Benedict. Mmmmm....

The Painted Ladies & opening credits scene from Michelle & I's favorite TV show as kids, Full House :)

The GGB

Fisherman's Wharf. Where lots of random, weird performances & such were taking place. Quite entertaining.

We had a really awesome spicy fried fish sandwich on the wharf.

Fresh baked bread from Boudin Bakery

Union Square

Just some Cityscapes....

Awesome Italian din on our last night in the city

Bye, bye SF. Until next time..... :)

Dan Freund

2012-01-25T10:02:00.005-07:00

An amazing musician & friend. These are some potential images for Dan's album cover. Fun shoot. Here ya go....

This one makes me laugh. This UPS truck driver was pulling right into the spot we wanted to shoot & that girl off to the left smiling, just made it interesting to me.

New Years at Newley's

2012-01-02T11:55:00.010-07:00

There is a very rustic cabin waaaaaaaayyy up in the mountains of the rugged Montana wilderness that doesn't see too many faces. But it was rudely awakened by four this weekend where Josh & I and some good friends celebrated & welcomed in the year 2012. We snowmobiled several miles up some very wintery terrain with lots of snow drifts & sketchy obstacles, up to Newley's cabin where we enjoyed some delicious cabin style food, fireworks, incredible views and just some good old fashioned fun.

Look at the size of that snow drift!!

View from the cabin...

Fresh Elk steaks, sauteed mushrooms & broccoli for din. Cooked on a super old, antique cook stove. So neat.

Firework time. It was sooo windy that Josh had to hold the launcher in his hand!! :/ Eek.

Mmmm. Homemade corned beef hash & eggs for breakfast.

This is Pearl. A beautiful & super sweet Malamute pup. (she is only one and already huge).

Thank you Zach & Marya & HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!

Instagram

2011-12-23T19:54:00.005-07:00

Ok. Ok. I'll admit it. Ever since I got my new iPhone, I have hardly even picked up my professional camera except for paid jobs. Yeah yikes. I'm a little embarrassed to admit it. But the camera on the iPhone is amazing & there's this fun little app called Instagram that I'm obsessed with. So I thought I'd share a few of my faves over the last couple months with you. Merry Christmas Eve, Eve!!! I hope all my followers have a fabulous Holiday & a very Happy New Year!

Michael + Jodi 12.10.11

2011-12-17T09:15:00.012-07:00

There is way too much to write in this post about these two wonderful people & the history behind my connection with the groom & how much he means to me & my family, so I'll keep it short & sweet. :)

It was last Summer when Michael & Jodi (an adorable Park Ranger couple) asked me if I would be interested in photographing their Colorado wedding and I immediately rose to the occasion with extreme excitement & flattery. Michael is a very close family friend & BFF to my sister, and although I didn't (and still really don't) know Jodi very well, I knew right when I met her that she was going to be perfect for Michael & was super cute, fun & laid back. So here are a few images of their beautiful Rocky Mountain winter wedding at the gorgeous Tapestry House in Laporte, CO just outside of Fort Collins. It was a blast. Everything about this trip & wedding was perfect. Congratulations again Jodi & Michael!!

Jodi's Chaco's she wore were awesome & totally PERFECT for her. :)

Her Mom putting on her Grandmothers pearls...

My sister Jamie Googling "how to fold a scarf for a tux pocket." Haha.

Michael & Jodi's first glance...

I love these images of Jodi coming through the door to the ceremony & her reaction after seeing Michael & all their wedding guests. I totally cried while shooting these.... :')

The floral arrangements were all gorgeous.

I thought I'd throw in this one of my sis & Michael. Love these people.

And a group shot of some of the guests.... Michael & Jodi- we could have fit a bunch more people in here!! I think those not pictured were busy in the reception tent gettin' the party started early. ;)

I could post like 20 more of my favorites but this will have to do for now!! All my best & a lifetime of love & happiness to the newlyweds!! :)

Lodge Grass & The Rigler Family

2011-10-03T15:57:00.011-06:00

Josh and I took a trip to Lodge Grass, Montana this past weekend to see & photograph an amazing family. My beautiful sister in law, her husband, and three adorable children (soon to be four!) on their incredible 8,000 acre ranch. It's completely amazingly desolate. Yet so full of life. The Fall color was out in full force just in time for some family portraits. It was a fabulous weekend. I hope you enjoy viewing these photos as much as I did taking them. :)

The kids love their chicks & take really great care of them :)

This one is my favorite!! Love the light & how calm the kids look.

I also liked the Antique look....

Apple Pandowdy

2011-09-26T16:55:00.003-06:00

Well, it's that time of year again!!! Apple dessert baking time, that is. I love baking pies and turnovers in the Fall, but I decided this year to try something different with my Mother in Laws delicious, fresh apples she grows in her lovely yard in the mountains. I made an "Apple Pandowdy". Don't ask me what that is..... I have no idea what it means & have never heard of it, but it was AWESOME. I baked mine in a cast iron skillet. And it came out crispy, carmalized, and delicious. I highly recommend it.

Here's the recipe...... Click HERE for a yummy pandowdy treat. :)

Megan

2011-09-13T08:57:00.008-06:00

A picturesque Montana senior portrait shoot.... Thank you Megan for a super fun day & for making my job so much easier with your stunning beauty!! :)

An Evening on the Yellowstone

2011-09-05T13:24:00.005-06:00

Josh and I had a lovely evening together on the Yellowstone River last night where we fished, grilled on the trusty 'ol BG (bucket grill), skipped rocks, laughed, talked and just enjoyed some time alone in the sun. Fall is on its way in Montana. Gotta take advantage of the nice weather while we still can... :)

Summer Roadie

2011-08-30T08:51:00.016-06:00

There are endless things to see in this incredible state we live in. It's overwhelming to even think about! So a couple weeks ago, Josh and I decided to take a weekend and do some exploring around our area & just get away for a while. First we went to the Lewis & Clark Caverns, then drove to the quaint & lovely little town of Red Lodge & ended our little roadie in the beautiful Beartooths.

Hiking up to the Caverns...

Stalagmites & Stalactites. The colors & formations in the cave were awesome.

Our tour guide called this formation in the cave "the fried egg". He was funny.

The most beautiful sunflower field on our way to Red Lodge (near a tiny town called Roberts). It was like a dream walking through it...

Red Lodge...

TONS of bikers! Funny story.... This is part of the reason why we couldn't get a hotel room in town. Or within a 100 mile radius!! We drove all the way to Billings & NOTHING. Every hotel was booked solid. I guess there was a bunch of stuff going on the one weekend we decide to do our little gettaway. I KNEW we should have called ahead & reserved a room before we got there. I just had a feeling. Oh well. So long story short, we ended up sleeping in the back of my Camry. After driving to Walmart to buy some blankets (since we didn't bring any camping stuff-derrr) we found a campsite at like midnight & woke up bright and early to this...

We got an early start to our Beartooth Highway drive....

So beautiful. It's amazing how cool (cold really) it is up there in the middle of August! It was like 45 degrees in the middle of the day.

Tons of wildflowers up there still.

Weird cloud...

Look at these adorable chipmunks!! They are so tame & use to people, they will eat right out of your hand. :)

So needless to say, it was a super fun weekend & a definite adventure. I love my husband & Montana. :)

Andrea + Philip

2011-08-24T09:56:00.019-06:00

Last Sunday, Andrea & Philip were married at a beautiful private lodge nestled in the timbers of the Rockies where every detail came together perfectly. It was the picture perfect Montana mountain wedding. (note the cowboy hats & boots). :) What a blessing to be able to be a part of yet another beautiful union this season in this amazing state I live in. Thank you so much Andie & Phil!! Best wishes to you both for a long & happy life together! :)

Kate + Matt

2011-08-15T11:20:00.010-06:00

Aaahhhh...... What an absolutely lovely wedding this was to photograph. From Kate's adorable wedding get-up & beautiful dress right down to the cupcakes she made herself. Kate is a chef & studied at the Western Culinary Institute in Portland. There was a taco bar at the reception with one of the meat options being local bison from Matt's boss's ranch outside of Big Timber. (the tacos were EXCELLENT btw). The weather was a little crazy with random (heavy) showers off & on, but it made for some gorgeous light. Then to top it all off, an amazing rainbow during their first dance!! :) Thank you Kate & Matt- it has been a pleasure getting to know you both over the last few months!! Congratulations & all my best to you!!!

Reagan + Brad

2011-08-12T15:55:00.006-06:00

A few of my favorite images of a beautiful Bozeman church wedding I shot last Saturday. Congratulations Reagan & Brad! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your special day. (And for making me cry during your ceremony & first dances) haha. :')

Ahhhhh. Summer.

2011-07-12T18:21:00.003-06:00

This summer is whiiizzzing by. I love the warmth & cooking outside & exploring the wilds of Montana so much in the summer months. I never want it to end....

I'm pretty proud of my herb pots this year. I have Basil, Sage & Dill. The Thyme I planted didn't come up. Darnit. Oh well- three outta four ain't bad! :)

Josh & I have been doing a ton of grilling and we especially love the taste of grilled asparagus. It's so good. Any vegetable on the grill is good really. We love grilling.

Bucket Grillin' on the creek the other night...

Josh tried fishing for a little while on Emigrant Creek the other day when we grilled out on the bucket grill but didn't have any luck. The creek is still super high. Maybe next month...

Wild Roses on the creek. So beautiful. And they smell AMAZING.

I made some pretty awesome BALT's (haha) the other day for lunch with fresh garden lettuce. (BALT= Bacon, Avocado, Lettuce, Tomato). Yummmmm. I have SO much lettuce in my garden right now. Actually, that's about ALL I have in my garden this year. And garlic. Lots of lettuce & garlic. Nothing else really did that great. Except Josh has a Topsy Turvy getting ready to produce some tomatoes! So that's cool.

Some little yellow flowers in a bed I planted this spring after a rainstorm.

And Emigrant Peak last night. It had the most incredible light I think I've ever seen shining down on it for like 30 seconds. I knew it was going to be gone in a flash so I grabbed my cam as quick as I could & captured it before it went away.

Goodbye June

2011-07-01T10:11:00.006-06:00

Whew. What a photographically exciting month! And a couple of firsts for me in this amazing field I love being a part of so much. I had my very first gallery showing at the Danforth gallery in Livingston and taught my first class on photography to a group of young teens at the Library in town. :) Fun.

Lilacs were in full bloom most of the month since we had such a wet, long Spring.

Look at the Yellowstone River!! It's even higher & bigger now. This was shot around the 2nd week in June.

I did a little baking. These are little "Blue Belles". Blueberry Lemon Tea Cakes. Yum. :)

We had some very special newly-engaged visitors from Utah. Michael & Jodi. And guess who's the lucky photographer for their Colorado wedding??!! Yep. Can't wait for that. These are from our pleasant little hike we took up to Pine Creek Falls in the Paradise Valley.

Josh & I celebrated our 2nd year anniversary. We had a picnic in the mountains & bbq'd lamb kabobs. It was lovely.

TONS of wildflowers.

We've been doing LOTS of bbq-ing.... These are Chicago Dogs we made the other night.

And last night we had the most amazing, beautiful double rainbow. It lasted forever. I love Montana.

See you in August! (If not sooner. Hopefully) :)

Paradise Valley Dining

2011-06-03T09:13:00.007-06:00

The Livingston Current did a restaurant issue last weekend which featured local cuisine from the scenic & gorgeous Paradise Valley (which is about 10 miles south of the town of Livingston) and I was fortunate enough to document (and taste!) it all. I have an awesome job. From breakfast to dessert, the Valley offers lots of delicious dining options and a breathtaking setting to top it all off. Here are a few of the restaurants this amazing place has to offer.....

Wildflour Bakery & Café
The most amazing freshly baked pastries. Barbara is an incredible baker & cook. She also makes to-die-for homemade pizzas! And sandwiches.... Including (but not pictured) an awesome Albacore Tuna burger.

Pine Creek Café
A hearty Reuben sandwich made on fresh rye bread from Wildflour Bakery mentioned above. Pine Creek is just down the road from Barbara's place. Also pictured is creamy seafood chowder which was the special that day. Yummm. That soup was awesome. Would be perfect on a chilly Autumn day. Pine Creek also hosts weekend barbecues and live music in the Summer. Fun!

Chico Hot Springs
Chico is a great place to relax after a long day at work or play. A little soak in one of the natural hot spring pools & a cocktail..... Aaahhh. :) And then, of course, don't forget about dinner in the fabulous dining room! The food is wonderful & super fresh with lots of local ingredients. This day, we got to taste their seared Ahi tuna appetizer with a citrus-soy vinaigrette accompanied by blood oranges, red peppers, crispy fried wontons, and young baby herbs from Chico's own garden. Wow.

Paradise Valley Grill
Finally, we end the day with a delicious feast at the Paradise Valley Grill which features locally inspired cuisine in a beautiful setting with views of the Absaroka Mountain range & Yellowstone River (which you couldn't really see on this day due to lots of rain and clouds). But on a sunny Summer day, outdoor dining at this restaurant would be a great way to accompany your beautifully presented and seriously tasty dinner.

Crisp Muscovy duck breast with cherry reduction atop truffled potatoes. Soooo good.

Awesome burger.

Beautiful dessert. Lemon mousse cake & blackberry sorbet.

Thank you Reilly & the Livingston Current for this and every wonderful opportunity you give me & my passion for photography!!! (especially in the food department) :)

Phoenix

2011-05-23T19:52:00.019-06:00

A nice little weekend getaway with my Mom to Phoenix where we enjoyed some much needed gorgeous sunshine, awesome mexican food, and most importantly, my super fun, always hilarious sister and her adorable children. The resort we stayed at was wonderful. It was a really good time. Here are some highlights of my way-too-short trip to the beautiful desert....

Loved these archways around the resort....

Mmmmm.... I heart Mexican food....

I had a delicious shrimp chimichanga. SO authentic & gooood.

And was sang to by a really loud one man mariachi band. He was good though. Just loud.

And finally, my sweet, newest little nephew Shea. What a doll. :)

Signs of Spring

2011-05-11T11:42:00.008-06:00

I took a little stroll around the yard yesterday evening after the rain quit & the clouds opened up. The low clouds covering Emigrant Peak all day finally cleared & revealed the most beautiful, lightly dusted snowy mountain with a lovely contrast against the greenish grass & dark sky.

There are definitely & CLEARLY four seasons in Montana with Spring being my favorite. There is nothing quite like the rebirth of life that Spring brings..... I love watching my plants & trees come back to life.

This is a great quote I've always loved:
"Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world." ~Virgil A. Kraft :)

I still find it strange that we have cactus growing in our yard... But they do call where we live the "high desert". So kinda makes sense.

A beautiful Spring sunset.....

Guthrie Lane

2011-05-03T15:04:00.007-06:00

I love photographing little ma & pa shops & boutiques so this assignment was really fun. I've been meaning to blog about this for awhile now (shot in March) and am just now getting around to it. Long overdue.... So Guthrie Lane is a lovely little children's boutique who's workshop resides in Livingston... Beautiful, hand made clothing for kids. Everything is totally unique & adorable. Almost makes me want to have a child to dress up.... almost. ;)

Here are a few of my favorites...

Pretty

2011-04-26T21:33:00.004-06:00

Some beautiful blooms purchased from the store of course. We have no Spring flowers blooming in our yard yet. It was so cold today! Still. It's only in the mid 40's & I am sooo ready for Summer. So I bought these flowers and photographed them in our kitchen which always has the most beautiful light pouring in from the windows. I bought the tulips for my awesome Mamma's Birthday which was today (Happy Birthday, Mom!) She loved them. The lily's are from Easter & just opened up. Sooo beautiful. The little pollen sticks are so cool & bouncy. On Easter Sunday, I dyed a bunch of eggs & photographed the process. It was so much fun & I really loved the way they all came out so was going to do a post, buuut now that it's nearly three days later, I feel like it is kind of insignificant at this point :(. Oh well. Next year. So for now, here are some lovely spring flowers. :)

Food

2011-04-18T17:48:00.010-06:00

I've been so seriously into and inspired by several different food photographers the last week or so. My DREAM is to ultimately be Christina Peters, Carmen Troesser, or Matt Long someday. (Their names are links to their websites, btw). They are the most inspirational people to me as far as photography goes right now. I love everything about the documentary aspect to the food & cooking process's they shoot. I'm starting to think still life might just be my thing. I still enjoy portraits, but everything about the culinary field intrigues me. The ingredients, the work that goes into creating a beautiful dish, the presentations, colors, textures, etc.

So I've been shooting like pretty much everything I cook & whatever looks nice on my cutting board inside until Summer comes & then I'll be outside shooting more stuff I cook, things Josh barbecues & hopefully some garden fresh produce. And until the fabulous paper I work for gives me more food assignments....! :) I really love it so much. So I hope you don't mind seeing more food on my blog!

Butter

2011-04-15T12:14:00.006-06:00

So my friend Reilly (who is also my awesome employer), hooked me up with some farm fresh milk the other day and proceeded to explain to me that I can make butter from the cream top out of the jug of milk. "Whaaat??" This was all new to me. Growing up in the city, and not being familiar with the term "farm fresh" milk, I had no idea this process existed & was overly excited to get it home and try it. We loooove us some butter at our house. :) Sooo here's my documentation of making fresh butter from the cream top of farm fresh milk!

Not only was it super easy & fun, at the end of the process, I got the butter of course, a little heavy cream for coffee, buttermilk for biscuits, and the 1/2 gallon of milk out of ONE source. Amazing. (haha).

First off, I always search for recipes & "how-to's" from my trusty iPad. It's really handy in the kitchen. I love it.

Jug after I skimmed all the cream off the top of the milk.

Pouring the cream into a mixing bowl to get whipped up.

Whip, whip, whip for about 10 minutes.

Here's the whipped cream for like the top of a dessert stage. About 4 more minutes or so to go...

Here's where the butter begins to separate from the buttermilk. Ready to be strained.

Butter!! Straining (really well I might add) the buttermilk off the butter.

I saved the buttermilk to make biscuits with tonight. :)

And WHAALA!! I formed the clumps into a little 1/2 stick of butter.

Don't forget to add some sea salt!

SOOO rewarding! And it tastes amazing. So fresh. I forgot to photograph the butter spread on a piece of bread.... I was too excited it actually came out. :)

April Fools!

2011-04-01T10:49:00.006-06:00

I had way too much fun with these. I took Montana, California, Seattle & Utah photos from my archives & did some wildlife/ landscape photo manipulations for the Livingston Current April Fools issue. My amazing boss Reilly comes up with the most creative, bogus stories every year and I make some crazy photo contribution. It's a really fun issue. Enjoy..... :)

Bison, Yellowstone National Park, Seattle

A Grizzly grazes the sands of Torrey Pines Beach, San Diego, CA

Cow Elk, Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Utah

A surfer riding a wave in the Yellowstone River, Paradise Valley, MT

Geysers erupting & Paint Pots bubble on D Street Beach, San Diego

Big Horn Ram, Grand Tetons, D Street Beach, San Diego

Bald Eagle, Pismo Beach, Paradise Valley, MT

Story Ranch

2011-03-24T17:28:00.006-06:00

Josh & his friend Zach were working in the shop the other day and while I didn't want to hang out inside where they were welding and grinding in a small space filled with toxic dust, I decided to go out and shoot the old buildings and some details of the ranch the shop resides on. (In the delicate, but very wet snow.) There are SO many cool old buildings on that old ranch. It holds quite a bit of really interesting character & history... Go HERE to read more. As for now, please enjoy some details of this historic estate. :)

Muffins

2011-03-21T15:50:00.005-06:00

So, I'm really bad at buying bananas for a fruit source because EVERY time I buy them, 3 or 4 out of 5 of them go bad. And I always end up just tossing them in the trash. Waste. Well THIS time, I decided I'd try & make some banana nut muffins with my almost totally bad bananas..... And boy am I glad I did. Yum. My first banana bread attempt & they were a success. Yay. SO good & moist. It was fun documenting the process too. Here's the recipe if you're interested.

You know your eggs are farm fresh when there's still a little chicken poo on them. (Don't worry, I washed them before I broke them. haha)

Mmmm.... Cinnamon.

Time to eat! I promised my husband I'd save him one. ;)

The Curated Closet

2011-03-05T17:28:00.011-07:00

A new little shop in town. A high-end thrift store that sells delicately used goods. Everything was displayed so perfectly & couldn't have been more photogenic. I might just have to do some of my shopping here from now on... (esp. since I spotted a Free People shirt during my perusing) :).

From the stores blog....

"This little gem of a store is curated as “Livingston’s Past, Present & Future.” Excellent-condition vintage clothing and accessories represent the past. High-end contemporary labels and fashion-forward styles (some new with tags) represent the present. And the future comes into play in the form of items that have been creatively recycled or repurposed..."

C2R3= Curated Closet • Reuse, Recycle, Reinvest.

I had fun photographing the mannequins.

RANDOMNESS

2011-03-01T18:00:00.004-07:00

This is probably the most random blog post EVER. I was pretty bored last week so got my camera out a couple different times & photographed whatever I saw that I liked the looks of...

I bought a baguette from the local bakery by our house. Mmmm. Fresh baked bread. There's nothing quite like it...

I also purchased a big beautiful bouquet of spring flowers to somewhat tame my serious case of spring fever...

I like this one in black & white too...

Stems

It's definitely NOT spring yet by the feel of the brisk winter air & constant FREEEZING cold wind.... I walked around with one of our crazy kitties (Leo) one afternoon & watched as he got all frisky from the cold. The wind on the bench we live on is almost intolerable so when I DO go out, its not for very long. I'm a wimp. But Leo didn't last that long either.

I painted a wall in our house red. :) It's nice & bright. I love it.

And I shot some garlic in my kitchen since I use it like every day for every meal. I love garlic.

Sonja

2011-02-23T09:39:00.006-07:00

My long-lost sister... :) An artist, a Libra (born just one day before me), and from California. These portraits reflect Sonja's persona... raw, real; an authentic person. What a fun shoot. Enjoy!

Yellowstone

2011-01-22T15:49:00.018-07:00

I was blessed with the opportunity to tag along on one of Tom Murphy's Yellowstone Association courses in the park last week. This was my second photo essay I've done for the Livingston Current on the Association and what the photography courses entail. Tom teaches a photography class titled "Silence & Solitude- Winter Photography in Yellowstone" which takes place in Lamar Valley & surrounding areas completely covered with feet upon feet of powdery, fresh, untouched snow & wild animals bearing the frigid elements. It was freeeeezing. Didn't reach above zero the 2nd day out. I documented the temp the second day... -5 at 3 pm. But the frozen temps make for an even more majestic landscape.

We stayed in rustic little cabins, had delicious dinners every night, back country ski stories & slide shows by Tom, and enjoyed the beauty & solitude of winter in the park all day. Here are a few of my favorites from this arctic adventure in this majestic wintery wonderland....

Bison withstand freezing temperatures with wind chill and blowing snow.... The image on the left shows a bisons tracks from foraging through snow for food. (They use their huge heads to plow through several feet of snow. So cool!)

Shadows of student photographers are cast on the road.

A River Otter pokes its head from the icy waters of Soda Butte Creek.

Bull Elk

Wing Prints. This particular image makes me happy because it reminds me of one specific photograph Tom Murphy is actually famous for. "Wing Prints & Mouse Tracks". Critter tracks in the snow leave a story to be told with out you even needing to be there to witness it. (Go HERE to see Tom's image. It's amazing).

Absaroka Mountains

A couple of Coyotes

Sage Brush at sunset

Soda Butte Creek Abstract

Text on the bus I liked :)

An eery looking tree in the Lamar Valley

Mammoth Hot Springs

A couple snow drift abstracts

Winter Art

2010-12-31T12:33:00.005-07:00

I've had these layin' around & felt the need to share a couple. Just some random frosty, snowy winter shots from the last couple weeks. Happy New Year!!!

We had some visitors last night! Can you guess what they were? :)

Oh Christmas Tree

2010-12-20T21:33:00.009-07:00

We found the perfect tree this year. I was so excited when Josh spotted this beauty. Here are a few shots from the hunt up Emigrant Creek, as well as a couple artsy bokeh shots after I finished decorating it.

The view from the bench where we found the tree....

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Nutcracker

2010-12-06T10:50:00.010-07:00

Some shots from the Nutcracker Ballet rehearsals... I just love all the beautiful colored tutu's and outfits, and all the adorable kids. Oh, and the slippers too if you couldn't tell. :)

>

SNOOOWWWW!!!! And LOTS of it.

2010-11-28T22:02:00.007-07:00

We had the craziest of snowstorms up here in Montana last week. More snow than I have ever seen since I've lived here. Sooo much snow (and so much drifting), I haven't been able to drive my car up the hill we live on & several locals were stuck in their houses for days! So I grabbed a couple shots of what our yard looked like after the 7 or so inches of snow we got & what it looked like as it blowed across the plains...... (and I only lasted like 5 minutes out there... Yeah, I'm a bit of a wimp in the below freezing, wind/snow blowing in my face kind of conditions). :)

This one makes me feel like I'm looking down from miles up in the sky through a window of a plane....

Chef's Recipes

2010-11-20T11:22:00.007-07:00

An issue of the Livingston Current I look forward to shooting every year. For obvious reasons. :) Local chef's prepare a dish made from local/ sustainable ingredients, and I have the pleasure of photographing them cooking the recipe from start to finish. And at the end of the shoot, I eat what they made. Life is good.

Chico Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa: Braised Lamb shank w/ delicious locally grown veggies

Pinky's Cafe: Local Pear Salad. Very Asian inspired & so crunchy & fresh

Pine Creek Bakery: Local Apple & Plum Tart with Pumpkin Dough. :) Yum.

2nd Street Bistro: Lamb Chops w/ fresh Grilled Potatoes & Kale. Aaahhmazing.

Adagio Trattoria: Local Beets w/ Shaved Parmesan & Olive Oil. So simple & refreshing! Great appetizer.

Paradise Valley Grill: Grilled Lamb Pops w/ Mint Jelly.... Need I say more.

Hearthstone Bakery: A simple & delicious Pecan Pie. Just in time for Thanksgiving!!

The Sport Bar & Grill: Duck Breast w/ Cranberry Chutney & Fingerling Potatoes.

CATS

2010-11-08T19:09:00.011-07:00

First, let me say this.... I have an amazing job. Not to mention, an awesome boss. Not only do I get to do all day long what I LOVE to do, but I am constantly meeting tons of great people while at the same time getting an "insider" look at things a "visitor", or regular 'ol person, would typically know nothing about. I love it.

The 'Cats' musical at the East Side Arts Center in Livingston, is one of these things. I was able to go backstage at one of the dress rehearsals before the premier of the play, and see what all goes on in the world of theatre. And WOW. There is LOTS of preparation to something like this! And this is small time compared to Broadway. I could only imagine..... Anyway, thanks to the Livingston Current, I had the pleasure of witnessing the amount of work & passion that goes into a production like 'Cats'. Really cool. What a great play & fantastic group of actors & incredible talent in our small town!

Mason

2010-11-02T13:56:00.012-06:00

Another awesome shoot full of adventure & laughs. If only I had gotten a series of shots of Mason slipping on a slimy rock & almost falling into the creek! I kinda know Mason from a previous shoot we did for the Livingston Current. And he was just as photogenic the second time around.

What a blessing to have these incredible backdrops right out my front door. And the good-looking subjects to put in front of them. :) Thanks for a fun evening Mason & best of luck to you in all your future endeavors!!

Mason with his cool old Ford truck...

We ended with a beauuutiful sunset...

Autumn= Apple Pies

2010-10-25T18:09:00.005-06:00

This time of year says so many things to me..... Besides the obvious of the changing colors of the trees, the cooler temps & Halloween, there is one that sticks out in my mind & never fails to define the season. That thing being, Apple pies. I make at least three a year, all in the Fall. And I loooove the process. It's calming & relaxing to me. Kinda like pumpkin carving. Maybe that's weird, but both processes are like a release. This is definitely my favorite time of year. :)

And one more of the cinnamon.... I like the mood this image provokes...

Good 'ol California

2010-10-22T18:37:00.015-06:00

I've lived in Montana for ten years now, but I still, and will always have, a special bond or connection to California. I think it's because of all the childhood memories I have from growing up there that makes it such a special place. I love Montana with all my heart, but there's just something about the air & the smell of the ocean in California that keeps me wanting to go back. Maybe its the palm trees. :) I don't know. But I love it.

Thanks to my sister, I'm able to return to my roots.... and I take advantage of it every chance I get. She lives in Carlsbad- a charming little town by the beach where there's little farmer's market stands, wine tasting shops, TONS of shopping & fabulous restaurants everywhere. I documented some of my stay & am posting my favorites here. Enjoy.

Jamie (my sister) has tons of Orchids in her sunroom.... They're such a beautiful flower.

A woodpecker in her rain forest of a backyard.....

3rd Corner wine shop & bistro....

Witch Creek winery & tasting room.....

Some delicious sushi. This role was called "Oh no, but oh yes". :)

A Tomato stand that still uses the "honor system" when purchasing your produce! Nobody there.... Simply trust. So neat.

Aaaaannnd..... My sisters precious puppy Pismo. :)

Kate + Matt

2010-10-10T16:18:00.012-06:00

What an adorable couple. These are from Saturday morning & shot in Emigrant, MT where I live & where the groom-to-be grew up. Population- 372. It's a peculiar little town & I love it. It made for the perfect location for the shoot b/c of Matt's upbringing & I live just down the road. And the Old Saloon never looses its rustic charm & character as an interesting backdrop. Then we went down to the Yellowstone & took a few more there.... Fun people. And super cute. Thanks Kate & Matt for the fun morning! It was great meeting you two. :)

The reflections in the runoff ponds from the river were spectacular! So calm & clear...

I love the height difference between these two... So cute how she's looking up at what seems like 3 feet at him. :)

And one just for fun of their cutie of a dog, Koah. :)

Caitlin

2010-10-08T13:20:00.004-06:00

What a totally fun & awesomely perfect shoot. Caitlin was beautiful & super easy to photograph. We went up Emigrant Creek/ Old Chico, then down to the Yellowstone River. The lighting was gorgeous & the Fall color held wonderfully for her session. Good luck the rest of your Senior year, Caitlin! And I know the future holds great things for you!

My 99th Post!

2010-10-06T22:16:00.008-06:00

These beach-y shots are of the other night. We had some bucket grilled burgers & enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the Yellowstone river.... In OCTOBER. Strange for this area... It's usually snowing right now. We've been having the most gorgeous weather. Anyway, it was a lovely evening. In a couple weeks, I'll have some slightly different beach shots to share with you. :) Hope you enjoy these as much as I did the day....

Elle the Belle

2010-10-03T15:30:00.004-06:00

My adorable little niece, Elle. She is such a sweetie & so much fun. Oh, and she looooves lipstick. :)

This one makes me smile... haha :)

Hobbs (AKA Hobbsie)

2010-09-29T17:50:00.002-06:00

My Mother & Father in-laws dog..... An adorable Standard Poodle. Black as night and sooo cute.

Fall + Garden Harvesting= Harvest Celebration Dinner

2010-09-28T18:25:00.004-06:00

A lot of amazing organic, locally grown & harvested food was served here..... And prepared by incredibly talented area chefs. Photographing food (and eating it) will never get old..... :)

Tomato & Goat Cheese Bruschetta ...

Beautiful Heirloom Tomatoes...

Lamb Meatballs (in some awesome locally grown mushroom gravy)....

And some amaaaazing little Lamb Shepherds Pies...

Jeanine & Jeremy 9.18.10

2010-09-22T13:23:00.004-06:00

A beautiful Fall day, couple & wedding at the Livingston Train Depot downtown Livingston, MT. What a nice change it was to photograph a wedding in town. I had such a great time.... Thank you Jeremy & Jeanine & congratulations!!

Almost Autumn

2010-09-13T21:58:00.004-06:00

A few of my favorite shots from a nice little stroll my husband & I took along the river yesterday. Fall is definitely in the air.....

Dragonfly

2010-09-09T16:58:00.000-06:00

Leo

2010-09-05T21:59:00.001-06:00

This is one crazy kitty you don't wanna mess with. He's so wild & weird & we love him. My favorite shot of like 15 I took of him the other day as we were hangin' out together on the couch.... :)

Portraits

2010-08-20T10:13:00.005-06:00

Some recent portrait work. All credit to the Livingston Current (and lovely models of course...)

Carrots & Cupcakes

2010-08-05T15:02:00.002-06:00

Two of my favorite things I bought at the Livingston Farmers Market the other day.....

Malou & Andres 7.24.10

2010-07-26T13:49:00.004-06:00

Here are a few of my favorites from an absolutely lovely wedding I shot with my friend Chieko last weekend. This was like the perfect Montana wedding. Malou was beautiful in her simple chiffon dress & her cowboy boots added the perfect touch of western flare to fit the whole theme of the couples day. The flowers were gorgeous and all the special details made the whole event all the more charming. Including the horse & carriage that transported guests & the bridal party to and from the different venues. Thank you Malou & Andres for such a wonderful opportunity! Chieko & I had a great time! Best of luck to you both. :)

..... And a collage I put together of a few of my faves....

Mandy & David 7.03.10

2010-07-26T11:08:00.010-06:00

What a blessing and honor it was to not only attend this beautiful wedding, but to have been the one chosen to document it. Mandy & David- you set a true example of what a relationship & marriage between two people was meant to entail. Thank you Casebolts and God bless you!!

Aaaanndd..... Probably my favorite shot. If this isn't Montana, I don't know what is..... :)

...... and did I mention those are ALL Mandy's brothers standing there with the rifles?? Yeah. All 8 of 'em.

Cocktails

2010-07-16T10:06:00.003-06:00

I've been dreaming of food & drink photography lately. To be a food photographer & travel around documenting beautiful & delicious food & drink creations would be the ultimate job. I really love it.

Annie & Thomas

2010-07-01T15:39:00.002-06:00

What an adorable couple!!! So cute & fun to photograph. I believe little Jack is due any day now..... Congratulations Annie & Thomas & it was so nice meeting you two!!

Christi & Dan 6.19.10

2010-06-25T11:11:00.003-06:00

A couple ceremony collages. I loved the birdseed send-off. So much fun & an exciting time for everyone. :)

And everyone really seems to like this one on Facebook. I really like the huge tree & the light was fantastic that evening!

Aaaannnd....

2010-06-21T19:48:00.002-06:00

I have lots of goodies to post of a maternity shoot & wedding I just shot..... stay tuned.... ;)

NEW LENS!!!

2010-06-21T19:30:00.001-06:00

My first photograph shot with my new Sigma 18-50 2.8 Macro. :)

Utah

2010-06-10T18:03:00.003-06:00

A couple collages from my travels down to Southern UT last week. We went to Zion & Bryce national parks & then to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. What amazingly beautiful places!!

May Storm

2010-05-30T17:37:00.002-06:00

We had the most amazing skies yesterday evening!! I went crazy with my camera. Here is one of the most dramatic shots I got. I love Spring.

Chieko & Angela

2010-05-20T20:20:00.002-06:00

Two lovely ladies. I just really like the relaxed, natural feel to this portrait. I might post a couple more soon.....

Amélie

2010-05-18T11:31:00.001-06:00

This is my friend Chieko's daughter...... What a beautiful little girl.

Chives!!!

2010-05-14T18:19:00.002-06:00

I was so excited when I found these in the yard today. :) I had no idea they were even planted so when I stumbled upon them I was ecstatic. I love chives and put them on everything..... baked potatoes, eggs, potato salad..... whatever. So now I don't have to buy them at the store this summer or plant them (as I had planned). Happy Friday!!

Paradise Valley Grill Part II

2010-05-11T08:33:00.002-06:00

I just finished editing the PVG shoot photos and thought I'd share a couple more images here. Mmmmm.... what gorgeous, delicious food. Are you hungry yet?? :)

Meadowlark

2010-05-06T09:45:00.002-06:00

Yesterday in the backyard.....

They have the most beautiful song. I love birds.

Story Ranch Branding

2010-05-03T14:22:00.004-06:00

Always makes for a great photo opp.....

Spring Stroll

2010-04-25T21:49:00.003-06:00

I took a little evening stroll tonight just before the sun went down and had a little follower.... :). I like the two image or more collages (aka "Diptychs") I've been noticing from other photographers on Flickr, so thought I'd try one here.

Buds

2010-04-23T17:58:00.003-06:00

It's FINALLY Spring. Whew. The weather has been gorgeous in SW Montana. I was having a hard time deciding which one of these I liked more, so I'm just posting them both for you to decide....

Paradise Valley Grill

2010-04-22T21:41:00.006-06:00

..... in Paradise Valley, MT. Which it seriously is (paradise). What a beautiful location for a restaurant (right on the Yellowstone River w/ amazing views) & INCREDIBLE food. I had the opportunity (thanks to the Livingston Current) to go and taste & photograph a six course meal yesterday evening. And yes, I ate all six plates. Deeelicious. I can't spoil all the photographs as the issue has not been printed. But here are a couple I couldn't resist. Enjoy the sneak peek....

Sun Dog

2010-04-22T21:31:00.002-06:00

This was awesome. It was visible almost the whole afternoon. I had no idea what a "Sun Dog" was until my Dad (who seriously knows EVERYTHING), explained to me the whole "ice crystals in the clouds" thing. Anyway, really neat. Had to share. :)

One More...

2010-04-07T23:12:00.002-06:00

Textures

2010-04-06T15:51:00.002-06:00

I've been playing w/ texture overlays in Photoshop. Something different & fun. Which one do you like?

Bananas

2010-04-03T12:01:00.002-06:00

Food photography is something I've always been interested in getting in to. It's really fun to use the natural light coming into the house & just using existing food in the kitchen. I've been trying to experiment w/ it more lately. Here are some bananas.

Love

2010-03-29T20:25:00.002-06:00

My all time favorite food. There is seriously nothing better than an unstringy, green, ripe, nutty (ew- hate that word), delicious avocado. mmmm. :)

Trumpeter Swan & Cygnet Baby

2010-03-23T19:08:00.006-06:00

I shot this photo like two springs ago and just think it's cute & fun. And I really want these little guys back soon. They are a sure sign of spring!!

East Side School

2010-03-23T19:04:00.006-06:00

I did a photo shoot at the old abandoned East Side School in Livingston where the old building has future plans of becoming a newly renovated community arts center. So awesome! The building has so much character and is just beautiful.

Curvy Tulip Leaf

2010-03-12T17:47:00.004-07:00

Curvy Leaf
Originally uploaded by lwfoto

This is a test of my new Flickr account "Blog This" option... :)

Sorry for the lame (& small) off-center posting. Not sure what's up w/ that. Anyway..... click on the image to check out some more of my work! Flickr is such an incredible photo sharing tool. Its fascinating how many millions of people are on it. I could spend hours on that site!! Wow. There are some seriously talented people in our world. Its so neat to see what others are shooting out there.

"Keeks"

2010-03-11T20:59:00.003-07:00

This is our lovely kitty. Her name is Stripes but we've nick-named and almost re-named her "Keeks" or "Kee kee". Love her.

Light

2010-03-08T14:52:00.004-07:00

What I feel makes this shot is purely LIGHT. The early morning light on a chilly winter morning, made any old tree into a beautiful/ glowing tree with so much more life to it.

Blue Mountains

2010-03-07T20:37:00.004-07:00

Thank you for not stealing my images. :)

How Devine!

2010-03-03T17:30:00.005-07:00

This is Mike Devine. A writer, musician and really cool guy (with a large beard). :)

2nd Street Bistro

2010-03-02T22:05:00.003-07:00

Downtown Livingston MT.

Aarrgghh!!

2010-02-28T21:08:00.003-07:00

Ok. So this is my first text only post on my blog. No photo. Just frustration. I just tried to publish my blog with a custom domain (i.e. no .blogspot.com at the end). All I want is a blog name w/ out the .blogspot.com at the end and EVEERY SINGLE NAME I tried is taken. Let me take the time to list what I've tried.........

• lwphoto.com
• lwphotography.com
• lwp.com
• Both my maiden last name (wright) & my new/ married last name (wells) combined with "photo" and "photography"

And NOTHING. :( Guess I shoulda came up with a more original/ creative business name. Any ideas????

Just a portrait I like a lot

2010-02-26T19:39:00.004-07:00

Of Katlyn & her horse....

Yaayy For BIG photos!!

2010-02-25T21:10:00.019-07:00

I'm really excited to share with you that I just (finally) figured out how to make my photographs larger in my posts!! So now they will all be big enough to see w/ out having to click on them to enlarge. :) Haha, previous post photos look so tiny now.

• Ice Skating •

2010-02-19T18:16:00.007-07:00

Today, I photographed the Pine Creek School children having a great time ice skating at the new rink in town. The kids were so cute and were having a blast (despite the bumps & bruises from falling!) :)

• A link •

2010-02-18T19:47:00.007-07:00

..... to an amazing photographers work. His photography is so original, creative, whimsical.... I could go on. But I thought I'd share. I am in love!!!

http://www.janvonholleben.com/?page_id=4

• The Crick •

2010-02-07T22:11:00.003-07:00

Emigrant Creek on a peaceful morning.

• Seagull •

2010-02-05T17:33:00.001-07:00

I took this in Dec. in Pismo from our hotel balcony....

• Latte •

2010-02-04T22:15:00.004-07:00

"Latte Art" by Jay @ Coffee Crossing in Livingston.....

So beautiful & creative. He has all kinds of different designs. It was fun discovering this "art form". I never knew it even existed.

• Frosty Morning •

2010-02-01T13:43:00.005-07:00

I love waking up to frost. I always grab my camera and immediately start shooting. This morning it was gently covering every life form in the valley. Here are a few of my favorites.....

• Ice •

2009-12-30T20:17:00.003-07:00

Ice crystals on a wood planter on the back deck yesterday morn...

• Another Sunset •

2009-12-21T18:02:00.003-07:00

Quite a bit different from the one below, but equally as beautiful. What an incredible world we live in. I always stop and really try to appreciate the beauty of every image I shoot. I believe it makes for a better photograph and story to tell.

Shot in Pismo Beach, CA last weekend.

• Winter Sunset •

2009-12-03T21:07:00.002-07:00

• Fall Harvest •

2009-11-13T17:26:00.006-07:00

Last month, I photographed an elementary school harvest where the kids pulled tons of fresh vegetables from the school garden & these were a few of the photos published. They were all so cute!! It was a really fun shoot. I thought I'd share since the issue for the paper seemed to be such a success and had such great reviews. Enjoy.

• Fall Flowers •

2009-11-03T12:27:00.005-07:00

These were shot just before the first hard frost we got this Fall. I really like the naked stalk or stem- it was a poppy that lost its bud. To me it says "the end is near..." and sure enough, a couple days later all my flowers died.

I wish it were still Summer......

• Katlyn Part III •

2009-10-25T13:14:00.007-06:00

So I'm doing some more SP editing, and thought I'd share a couple of Katlyn's final shoot w/ her horse. The light was absolutely fantastic for these. We had so much fun & were cracking up like the whole time. What a wonderful family. If you're reading...It was so nice meeting you guys!! I hope we can keep in touch. :)

• SNOW!! •

2009-10-12T15:55:00.003-06:00

We already have snow and it's only October!! I liked the looks of this snowy abstract. Shot with a Sony Cyber-shot point & shoot.

• Hailey •

2009-09-28T16:20:00.011-06:00

This was an amazingly fun & adventurous shoot. Hailey & her whole fam came along for this one. We went way up in the mountains for a few of these where there was an old homestead w/ several really neat old buildings which made for awesome props. Then w/ some fall color in the trees- that made for some nice photos as well. I took over 900 images on this shoot....... yeah, so needless to say, I'm still editing! Thanks Hailey & your parents for the fun day & great company. Can't wait for you to see the rest!

The ones of Hailey & her horse are some of my faves...

• Michael Ann •

2009-09-21T21:34:00.010-06:00

It seems as though my photographic career has taken a sudden and unexpected turn.... and definitely for the better! I never would have imagined myself shooting portraits- but I can honestly say that I am thoroughly enjoying doing them. Every model is so different from one to the next and every session has been so much fun.

This is Michael-Ann. She was so cute, a little shy, but a total natural. Her parents property was amazing! So beautiful and so cool that all the backdrops were just steps away from one another. I'm photographing her & her sisters next weekend. Can't wait to post a couple of those!

• Meghan •

2009-09-19T14:16:00.010-06:00

I photographed the Otis family the other day and thought I'd share a few of little Meghan. She's the youngest & was just such a doll. Talk about dramatic and so many different facial expressions! What a cute family.

Oh yeah, and did I mention she rides a 4-wheeler??! Yeah, she's three & can ride an ATV by herself. I guess that's MT for ya. :)

Here's the whole fam.....