Kristine Paulsen Photography – Lifestyle Portraits, Editorial and Wedding Photography in Missoula Montana

I recently photographed Pullman High School’s class of ’69 40 year reunion in Pullman, WA – and it was fantastic!

What a great time! I found myself completely inspired by these folks who have done so much in their careers and lives, and really hope that I can be as gracious, friendly and fulfilled when I go to my 40-year high school reunion. (Which is a ways down the road…)

Check out the page I’ve created for them if you want to take a look at photos or videos of the various reunion events:

http://www.kristinepaulsenphotography.com/reunion69.html

On the way there, I made a pit stop in Spokane to visit with my grandparents and make portraits for them. It was a beautiful day and I was so glad to be photographing them. Here’s one of my favorites:

Anyway, off I go! Only 26 days ’til I photograph Jackie and Jonathan’s nuptials in Cancun!
-Kristine

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Lately I’ve been playing around with a Lensbaby attachment for my camera, which produces beautiful, beautiful bokeh. Bokeh is that lovely out-of-focus blur that helps really make the in-focus, sharp subject “pop.” Lensbabies really play with focus because the lens itself actually bends, which results in a moveable area of focus.

Ok – that probably sounds completely nerdy – but trust me…it yields great results. I absolutely cannot WAIT to use this effect in portraits, weddings, etc.

Here is an example shot from the standard 50mm lensbaby with a 2.8 aperture ring and a +10 macro attachment. (Caveat: I’m still learning on this lens, so it’s strictly a test photo.)

I definitely think it’s got great potential!

Also, I’m really looking forward to heading to Pullman, WA, these next few days to photograph Pullman High’s class of ’69 reunion. Should be fun! I’ll post photos when I return.

Cheers,
-Kristine

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I’ve been in touch recently with an engaged couple who are in the beginning stages of choosing a wedding photographer. The bride-to-be had an excellent question for me – when to do the portraits? Before or after the ceremony?

Here’s an excerpt from my response to her:

Some brides prefer to have portraits taken before the ceremony while everyone is still “fresh.” This is particularly common in the summer when things can get really hot, especially in a church. It’s also helpful because you can go straight to the reception after the wedding and not have to worry about keeping guests waiting at the reception venue.

Some couples prefer to have portraits done right after the ceremony. People are usually more relaxed and you’ve got that wedding glow going on. However, it can sometimes be a little difficult to get everyone in the same place and ready for the portraits. Also, you’ve got the delay from wedding to reception. This can be mitigated by serving hors d’oeuvres at the reception venue.

I’ve experienced both examples, and in my opinion, both are good options. Either way, it’s very helpful if you put someone in charge to help get all the required folks together and determine in what order you want to have the portraits done. For instance, bride and groom, bride and bridesmaids, groom and groomsmen, entire wedding party, bride’s family, groom’s family, etc. Planning ahead is key to a smooth portrait session.

I like to spend about 5 to 10 minutes per portrait group. But when planning on how much time you want to allot for portraits, err on the side of too much time instead of too little just in case someone is taking longer to show up.

The following is a good little blurb to read about the pros and cons of portraits before or after the ceremony.

http://www.content4reprint.com/relationships/weddings/wedding-portraits-before-the-ceremony-or-after.htm

I think what he says here is very important if you choose to do the portraits before the ceremony:

“(If you do the portraits before the ceremony, be sure to have a special “first seeing” arranged, where you see each other for the first time, alone [with the photographer] in a special place. It will be a memorable moment for both of you).”

It’s moments like those that are so very important to have documented.

This link is also another great resource and provides some helpful tips:

http://www.weddingandeventmagazine.com/articles/Article_Details.php?Article_ID=85

Hopefully this will help a few more folks out, too!

:)

Cheers,
-Kristine

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Click here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Missoula-MT/Kristine-Paulsen-Photography/175477505033

Join the fan club! And don’t forget to invite your friends!

Cheers!
-Kristine

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Here’s another fun site I stumbled upon – some photos (and photographers) are definitely better than others, but it’s great for examples:

http://www.trashthedress.com/

And here’s a little screenshot to give you a taste of what you’ll be looking at on the site:

Like I said, I’m getting very excited for Jackie and Jonathan’s wedding and trash the dress session! Should be fantastic!

And, if you’re interested in doing a “trash the dress” session, whether it be on your wedding day or even several years after (like the couple in the photo above did), let me know – I’d love to talk with you about some creative options!

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I’m getting super excited to photograph Jackie and Jonathan’s wedding in Cancun at the end of July. They’re such a beautiful couple and fantastic people – it should be a lot of fun!

I mentioned to Jackie that she may want to consider “trash the dress” as an option while in Cancun, since she’s a free spirit and up for some fun. If you haven’t heard of it, trash the dress, sometimes known as TTD, has the bride pose in unusual circumstances…in lakes, sprawled out on the sand, sitting in trees, standing in train cars, etc., etc. It’s usually a bit hard on the dress, but can result in some stunning avant garde, high fashion photos that really take wedding photography to the next, more artistic level.

Check out the following links to see some examples:

http://www.bellagala.com/photography/blogs/troy/index.php
http://www.projectwedding.com/post/list/trash-the-dress-inspiration-post-em-ladies?page=3
http://www.altf.com/

There’s a lot out there on the web – google trash the dress to see other cool examples.

I can’t wait to post some photos from our trash the dress session!

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I recently got a new camera body and have been playing around with its video capabilities. Here’s a little bit I put together from a recent camping trip. I’m still learning its functions, but am just blown away with its capabilities, especially since it’s HD.

Check out the following and be sure to set it so HD is on.

Happy viewing!

-Kristine

Camping at Rock Creek, Montana.

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