Be forewarned, this turned out to be much longer than I had expected: When it came time for my now wife and I to pick a photographer for our wedding we were faced with the realization that this person is going to be documenting one of the most special occasions in our lives. That thought put a lot of weight on the decision and resulted in thorough discussions on the subject. Those discussions continued while we filtered through various photographers that would shoot in our location of Telluride. Being somewhat skilled myself in photography (I use that very loosely :) only made the decision that much more difficult for me to sit back and let a pro do what they do. So, to get to the point: I feel that when you look at someone's photographs you can see right away whether you like their style or not, you can see if the photographer's got a creative eye that suits your liking...or not. What you can't see through photographs is the person behind the lens. When we first met Merrick in person it was a few days before our wedding. We meet at one of our favorite watering holes in Telluride to mainly lay out a game plan for our wedding day. To my surprise, we did very little of that. Instead we spent most the time talking about everything else---the music, the hikes, the mountain biking, the road trip, our dog.... was so refreshing to me because my wife and I had been running around for days tying to tie up countless loose ends and entertain our guests at the same time. When it did come time to talk photos, we had our list of shots around town. He was excited about our ideas and offered some great suggestions of his own. When we had a special request for unique shot that required multiple strobes, he was down for it. When we said we wanted that shot almost 2 miles outside of town, he was down and excited for the challenge. This required a bit of logistic chess playing between me being dropped off, him being dropped off (with gear), and my wife coming in the vehicle we would use to drive around town with. All of that on top of opening day of the Bluegrass Festival--he pulled off flawlessly. Overall, it was the fact that Merrick was so easy, and fun, to get along with that allowed us to fully enjoy what we were doing...getting married!! We knew he could get awesome shots; after all, we reviewed his photos. It was his energy, flexibility, and willingness to work with us that allowed us to enjoy everything else which made the day so special. For decades to come what we, our family, and friends will see in our photographs from that day is a beautifully happy couple getting married in an absolutely breathtaking location. But behind those photographs is the person who made it happen, a person who not only captures joyful moments for others, but also has and shows enjoyment in his work and life. read more

My husband and I could not have been more pleased with our engagement and wedding photos and the whole experience of working with Merrick in general. We were looking for someone to "capture" our day, but also just us. Merrick totally lived up to our expectations, and flying him from Colorado to Austin to shoot our wedding was one of the best decisions we made! Also, all 1,000 of the edited proofs from the wedding and a smaller set from our rehearsal dinner were waiting for us in the mail by the time we got back from our eight-day honeymoon. What impressed me, and our guests, so much about Merrick was that he worked so hard to capture our day. It was obvious that he took being at our wedding seriously, and he wasn't just taking the run of the mill photos. He was focused on creating the best pictures possible from beginning to end, whether it was running around grabbing shots everywhere he could, jumping over us while were dancing to get shots from above, and using every minute he was there to get the best pictures possible. Furthermore, he and his assistant could not be more friendly and seemed truly honored and excited to be part of our big day. During our engagement and wedding, we both felt such a connection with Merrick because although he barely knew us, he was genuinely happy for us and it showed! After such a positive experience with our engagement photos, he seemed like a great choice for our wedding, and I could not have been more pleased with the results. We only have positive thoughts when we think of him and his connection to two of the most important days of our lives. read more

Merrick Chase photographed pictures of our family on our vacation to Telluride and the pictures came out stunning. Merrick was recommended to us by friends in Telluride who raved about the quality of his work. Merrick was a pleasure to work with, easy going, responsive and thoughtful as we coordinated the shoot and prints from a distance. Our family had pictures taken in Telluride 10 year before and had wanted to be photographed in the same location. Merrick was very accommodating and we were able to recreate the photos from the past. He was also creative at suggesting other locations and angles as a backdrop and the result was the most gorgeous picture of our family with Mt. Wilson in the background with the sunlight coming through the Aspen trees. We've hung this picture in our home and everyone comments that this breathtaking photograph captures the essence of our family in scenic Telluride. We're grateful to have worked with such a talented photographer that was able to create an everlasting memory for our family. We look forward to having Merrick take an updated family portrait on our next trip to Telluride. read more

I knew right off the bat when Merrick responded to our inquiry about hiring him for a destination wedding in Telluride that he was the man for us! I was instantly impressed with not only his quick call back, but also the energy and enthusiasm that he shared with us! Truly, his personality is what set him apart from the other photographers that we contacted. Not only is he obviously extremely talented, but he was so much fun to work with, which was very important to us! He was also always prompt, flexible, open to new ideas, and bent over backwards to get the shots we wanted! We were blown away with the quality of the photos that he gave us! The colors are so vibrant, and he captured the spirit of the day so perfectly! Looking back on our album, it is clear what a BEAUTIFUL and FUN day our wedding celebration was, and luckily we have Merrick to thank for that! He went above and beyond our expectations, and was an absolute pleasure to work with! If I had to do it all over again (which I wish I could!) we would definitely hire him again. :) ~ Amy Wilkinson read more

My fiancé and I were looking for an intimate wedding experience. We came across Merrick Chase's work for Telluride Photography and loved his ability to capture action, emotion, and natural beauty in each shot. So we knew he would be the perfect photographer for us! While working with Merrick, he was incredibly patient and understanding of my wishes, but also offered visionary suggestions. He was very accessible and answered my emails/phone calls promptly. Merrick was flexible with his services, in order to provide us with a custom, unforgettable wedding day. During our most intimate moments, Merrick was there to capture them on film, yet he was unobtrusive and considerate of our time as a newly married couple. Overall, I could not have been more pleased with our big day. I have had numerous compliments on the beauty and quality of our wedding photos, and would highly recommend Merrick Chase's services to any engaged couple! read more

Merrick Chase photographed my engagement in CO and wedding in Austin, Texas. Unlike many photographers who try so hard to get artsy pictures, Merrick is brilliant at capturing "life as it happens." After capturing our engagement with incredible pictures my fiancee (now wife) and I knew Merrick had to be flown in for our wedding in Texas. He not only creates pictures that are without a doubt better that any other photographers (trust me we looked through a ton), but he is one of the kindest people we have met. Merrick was able to make both our proposal and wedding joyous events because of the excitement he felt while capturing the moments as they happen. Very rarely are you blessed enough to enact with someone who loves what they do so much. It would be very difficult to find a better photograher or person. Not only do my wife and I have better wedding and engagement photos than any of our friends but we made a life long friend. read more

We used Merrick Chase for our wedding in early September of this year. He was recommended to us by another friend who had worked with him in the past. I have such gratitude that he was a part of one of our most intimate and cherished moments in our life. He moved through the wedding day with such ease and joyfulness. We had several people comment on how delightful it was to work with him as he was able to direct people when needed in such a gentle, confident manner and at the same time be a part of a moment between people without taking anything way or even being noticed! Our wedding pictures are fantastic. All edited, perfectly composed 578 of them! Seriously, at least meet with him, check out his portfolio and you'll get it. read more

Merrick photographed our wedding in Telluride and our pictures are amazing! We planned a Telluride wedding last June and had never met Merrick in person until the day of the wedding. I chose him based on his online portfolio. It was important to me to have a photographer who was passionate and you can tell from his photos that he is present, in the moment, and focused on his subject. We were planning the wedding all the way from New Orleans and he was patient and thorough when responding to my numerous emails and phone calls. He is fun, professional, sincere, and obviously very talented. read more

As the founding director of the Telluride Yoga Festival which occurs every year in Colorado, I've hired Merrick Chase Photography for the last couple of years and have been nothing short of impressed. He's got an expert eye for shooting all kind of venues and events. I've gotten great candid, scenic, group and class shots from him. So great in fact, that multiple publications such as Yoga Journal, La Yoga Magazine, Timeout NYC, and the Denver Post have all requested usage rights of Merrick's work. I couldn't recommend him more. read more

This guy is one of the most passionate photographers that I have ever encountered. I am the Bar Owner of "There" in Telluride Colorado and I was amazed at how on point Merrick Chase is about achieving his vision and goals. Super personable and understands that their is awesome to be found in every event and person. Merrick's devotion to business and photography mirrored my passion for my work and enabled us to be lifetime friends. Strong recommendations for this fella! read more

We got married March of 2011 in Telluride Colorado. We had the privilege of Merrick being our photographer. Our picture shoot was one of the top highlights of our wedding! He allows you to just be yourself, and the pictures turned out fabulous! We weren't expecting to have so much fun. He is professional, and yet laid back. You can truly tell he loves what he does, and the quality of pictures prove it. We will highly recommend him to anyone who asks. Erika & Brandon read more

Yelp for Merrick Chase Photography! Merrick is professional, honest, and talented- the absolute best combination when looking for a good photographer. Merrick worked on photography for our hotel in Telluride and we couldn't be more pleased. He has a very special eye for bringing the best out of any/every inanimate and animate object. I highly recommend his services. Amanda Acosta Director of Sales & Marketing The Hotel Telluride Telluride, Colorado read more