Today we’re sharing with you one of our extremely talented photographers,Greg Tennyson of Tahoe North Films. Tahoe North Films is based in Truckee and comes with more than a decade of experience in digital & film photography and video production. Weddings are Greg’s favorite genre of photography because it provides the opportunity to capture the most important day of my clients lives and create photos that will last generations.
Greg never planned to be a Wedding Photographer. His career started photographing action sports and commercial work and once his clients and friends started getting married he tried working a few weddings and realized that he loved it.
Tell us about your business? What do you do and what makes it special?
Tahoe North Films desires to document your day without intruding on it. In addition to still photography they also offer an affordable highlight video for couples who don’t want to hire a videographer.
What would you like to share with future couples?
An important part of your planning process is picking good vendors and letting them do all the work so you can enjoy your big day.
What brings you the greatest joy in your life?
My two and a half year old nephew and my dogs. My nephew is an awesome little kid and I have some of the sweetest dogs you’ll ever meet. Hanging out with them is my favorite way to spend the day.
What brought you to Tahoe?
Tahoe has some of the best outdoor recreation opportunities in the world. We have great mountain bike trails, a huge variety of rock climbing routes and the prettiest lakes in the USA.
What is a must-see hidden gem in Lake Tahoe?
If you’re on a bike, Tahoe Rim Trail and Flume trail aren’t to be missed. If you’re going to spend the day climbing, snowshed and split rock are worth visiting. Hiking to Donner Summit is a great way to wear off the calories from all the great restaurants in downtown Truckee.
Once the snow hits, you can’t go wrong with any of the world class ski resorts.
Tahoe lifestyle: winter or summer?
There are more options for activities during the Summer so that’s my preference. Skiing is fun but it’s really the only thing to do during the Winter.
If you were not a (fill in your vendor category), what would you do?
I love to build things. I do all the work on my house and vehicles myself and I get a lot of joy from it.
What inspires your work?
Photographers like Steven McCurry and Peter Lindbergh have a huge influence on my photo style. Larry Chen’s automotive photographer is an honorable mention, if you like cars — you’ll love his photos.
What is a fun fact about your company?
Greg never planned to be a Wedding Photographer. His career started photographing action sports and commercial work and once his clients and friends started getting married he tried working a few weddings and realized that he loved it.
What’s the most useless talent you have?
At one point I was in the top .01% of Call of Duty rankings. We barely got any snow that Winter so there wasn’t much else to do.
What was your go-to activity to do outside of work?
I go for a bike ride with my dog every day. He’s a Great Pyrenees mixed with an Alaskan Malamute named Otis. At night I am restoring a Honda dirt bike for my nephew to ride when he gets big enough.
What kind of wedding guest are you?
The rare kind! I am usually booked by the time I receive an invitation and I never flake on clients. If you want me to attend your wedding as a guest I suggest getting married on a Wednesday.
Any song you can add to our brides’ and grooms’ budding wedding playlist?
After all the weddings I’ve attended I do have a couple of favorites.
First dance, couple: Amazed – Lone Star
Father Daughter Dance: My Fathers Daughter, Eddie & Olivia Vedder
Working in the wedding industry is not for the faint of heart. So how do you rest and rejuvenate?
I’ve spent the last few years building my Toyota Tacoma for offloading. Getting deep into the back county without another person in site is something everyone should do.
What is something people might not know about you?
I used to work in accounting at a large tech company. Working with people is more fun than working with numbers. Especially when you’re bad at math…
Any four-legged friends in your home?
I have a 12 year old pitbull mix that I found on the side of the road. Her name is Bella and she loves kids. The newest addition is Otis, he’s a one year old Great Pyrenees mix that weighs 130 pounds and he thinks he’s a lap dog. Finally, we have a Cat named Lelu who loves naps.