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

I met up with Molly and Andy a while back to do a super mini engagement session with them – it was short and sweet – just what they wanted – and their cat, Melvin, even got to share the spotlight. :)

Can’t wait for your wedding this summer, you two!

On the docket: portraits!

Cheers,

-Kristine

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I don’t often post personal stuff, but today I’m just feeling like it. Perhaps it was because Missoula hit a sunny 70 degrees and upped my Vitamin D? Perhaps I can’t get over how stinking cute my little bird is? (Yes, yes, I know – I’m biased.) Perhaps I want to reveal “the man behind the curtain,” as it were, and give you an idea of who I am? Who knows. But here it is.

Some of you may know that I adore birds. Love them. Think they’re incredible. This stems from the fact that I grew up with canaries, and with grandparents who loved birding, and taught my brother and I a lot about this favorite pastime of theirs. I also know that some people think birds are scary and crazy and weird. And yes, there are some that are scary and crazy and weird, but it’s because they have not been treated properly by their owners. Birds need lots of attention and love, and when given this, they are just wonderful little creatures with huge hearts, even bigger personalities, and tiny companions that make life just a little more fun to live.

So, with no further ado, I introduce: Flash the Parrotlet. He is tiny, but he’s quite the little clown. Parrotlets can mimic, so he’s picked up a few of my phrases, including how I answer the phone: “Hello, this is Kristine.” Yep, he actually says that. But he sounds a bit Sean Connery-esque, so his phrasing is a bit more like this: “Hello, thish ish Krishtine.”

I’ve also got a delightful little canary named Mozart, but he’s not allowed outside since he can fly. Flash has his wings clipped, so he can only fly short distances. Also, for those of you out there who have birds and want to take them outside – PLEASE be extremely careful if you do this. Double check that your birds’ wings are clipped. Double check that where you take them outside is safe and free from danger…i.e. other animals, toxic things they could eat, overexposure to sun, etc., etc. Birds are fragile little things so only do this if you are an experienced bird owner, have taken the necessary precautions, and don’t take your eye off of them for one second. Ok, off my soapbox.

Photo time! I should also explain that Flash was being my model as I messed around with some lighting techniques. He’s a good little assistant.

I laughed so hard when I saw what had happened with the image on the right – Flash had moved a bit too close to the light source and ended up with a very alien-like look. Hilarious.

If you enjoyed Flash and would like to see more of his antics (and pics of Mozart, too), you can follow me on Instagram – my username is kristinep_photo. Flash and Mozart have got quite the fan club – all the way from Mexico to Finland!

On the docket: engagement and portrait sessions!

Cheers,

-Kristine

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The other day, I had the pleasure of meeting up with Kim and Randy in Stevensville, Montana, to trek around Randy’s family’s ranch and make some engagement photos of Kim, Randy and their horses, P, Q and Dinero.

We had so much fun despite the deceptively chilly weather (yet no snow!). And I swear, these two are so perfect for one another – they goofed around with each other, showed off some sweet dance moves, made me (and themselves) laugh a lot!, and just plain had a good time.

Not only were they radiant in their photos just on their own, but holy moly – our backdrop for the day wasn’t too shabby either (oh Bitterroot valley, you make me swoon). Thank you SO much, Kim and Randy, for inviting me out to your place to make these images. I seriously cannot WAIT for your wedding – we’re going to have a blast!

On the docket: engagement sessions!

Cheers!

-Kristine

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We are so darn lucky to live in Montana. I mean, just look at what our eyes get to feast upon on a daily basis! Lauren and Jeff took advantage of the exceptional natural beauty of the Two Feathers Ranch where they were married and met up with me a couple days after their wedding to have fun rocking their creative bridal session.

It really couldn’t have been a more gorgeous evening – we caught the tail end of a summer storm, so we had some beautiful clouds in the sky and golden light towards the end of our evening. We got to hang out with their horses as well, who were exceptionally curious about my cameras. (See outtakes towards the bottom of this post.) To top the evening off, Lauren even braved the cold creek running through the property and absolutely stole the show.

You two were just awesome! Thanks so much for doing this unforgettable session with me!

And now for a few outtakes: these are just too hilarious not to share. Jeff and Lauren’s horses were INCREDIBLY interested in what on earth I was up to with those weird gadgets in front of my face, so they decided to investigate by sticking their noses straight into my lenses. They absolutely cracked me up and we got a nice goofy nose shot because of it.

And yes, if you were wondering, I get in the water, too, when photographing bridal sessions in creeks. It was freezing at first, but Lauren and I eventually numbed to it and had a great time – and managed to navigate the mossy rocks successfully. Always a bonus!

On the docket: weddings, weddings and more weddings! And, if you’re seeing this session and wish you would have done something like this with your dress – I book these creative bridal sessions (also known as “trash the dress” or “rock the dress”) separately from wedding collections (some collections also include this) – no matter how long ago your wedding day was. If you want to create stunning memories of a dress that’s currently hanging in your closet (perfect for an anniversary gift to your love), then by all means, please get in touch. I absolutely adore these types of sessions. :)

Cheers!

-Kristine

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Three words to describe James and Kristina’s wedding: heartfelt. gorgeous. party!

There were tears and smiles, laughter and hugs – Kristina and James’s wedding had it all. The rain even held off for their gorgeous outdoor ceremony on the lawn of the Tarkio River Lodge in Tarkio, MT. Everyone’s crossed fingers must have helped!

Kristina’s dog, Huckleberry, even joined in the ceremony and had a great time watching James dip Kristina in their first kiss as newlyweds.

The couple’s friends and family had a blast celebrating with Kristina and James, and tore it up on the dance floor, courtesy of some rockin’ tunes by the Whiskey Rebellion. (Seriously – these folks know how to get down! The barn floor was bouncing!)

And James, to top off the night, performed a garter toss performance that is one for the ages – he danced, he teased, he became a ninja (those tux ties can really come in handy), and he stealthily pulled the garter off with just his teeth before making the day of a young man in the group of single guys.

Seriously, you two – I had such a wonderful time photographing your wedding, and I don’t think I stopped smiling ’til the next morning. Thank you so much for the opportunity to document such joy!

Here’s to a long life together full of happiness, love and your wonderful sense of humor!

Vendor Information:

Venue: Tarkio River Lodge, Tarkio, MT
Hair: Studio Metro, Missoula, MT
Bouquets: Habitat Floral, Missoula, MT
Catering: Bravo Catering, Missoula, MT
Cake: Made by the groom’s sister (am I correct?)
Ceremony Music: The Cat and the Fiddle, Missoula, MT
Reception Music: The Whiskey Rebellion, Missoula, MT

If I left anyone out, please let me know – thank you!

On the docket: more weddings! Stay tuned!

Cheers!

-Kristine

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It’s not every day that you meet someone so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about raising pigs, since so many of us haven’t set foot on a farm in who-knows-how-long. But that I did when I joined Collin and his mom at the pig barn to greet his four favorite piglets that he’s raising as a part of FFA (Future Farmers of America).

Collin and his mom, Anna Marie, have a special bond with these piglets, as they both helped birth them and ensure safe passage into their new world. And they also have a fondness for the farm, too – as Collin told me, it’s one of his favorite places. Which is truly evident – he’s at home, relaxed and confident next to the hay bales and the little two-month-old piglets that root around in the straw at his feet, grunting softly and occasionally nibbling his pants legs.

So it was the perfect location to make some photos for his senior year at Big Sky High School that truly capture what Collin loves – from the wee little piggies cuddling under a heat lamp in the barn, to the two-month-old piglets he helped bring into the world. And we got a few fun shots of Collin and his mom, too, for good keepsake material. :)  Thanks so much Collin and Anna Marie – I had a such a great time, and really learned a lot, too!

On to the photos! Enjoy!

On the docket: engagement sessions and portraits!

Cheers!

-Kristine

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I headed over to Portland the other day for a working vacation and on my way there, stopped in Spokane to visit my most wonderful grandparents. They’re avid birders and were showing me the little quail crew that comes near their house for a visit each morning and evening. Quail, in my opinion, are already pretty funny, so this photo just makes me laugh even more than usual….

Jumping Quail!

I know that was a lot of words for a “Wordless Wednesday” post, but I wanted to give a bit of background. Plus, I was an English major back in the day…. :)

On the docket: engagement and portrait sessions, as soon as I get over this cold I’ve come across on my travels!

Cheers!

-Kristine

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Missoula has gotten a lot of snow this winter – and Katherine, Mike, their black lab, Buck, and I all found this out during their lovely engagement session. We had so much fun making some fun images for the two of them. Katherine and Mike are so warm and smiley, and very obviously in love with one another – I found myself grinning non-stop during their session. We all had some good laughs upon literally stumbling across some snow pack that was over our knees. Thanks again for being so gung-ho about everything, you two! I cannot *wait* for your wedding this summer!

On the docket: engagement sessions and a video about pie that you don’t want to miss!

Cheers!

-Kristine

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Can you believe that 2011 is a matter of hours away? I can’t really wrap my mind around it – 2010 flew by in a flurry of wonderful experiences, including so many memorable photo sessions and weddings. I wouldn’t be as happy with life and my work if it weren’t for all of my fantastic clients (seriously, you all are WONDERFUL), business friends and supporters of my work. I’m always so grateful and humbled that you choose me to document the moments in your lives – it means more to me than you may know.

To celebrate the awesomeness that is YOU, I put together a collage of some of my favorite images from 2010 – can you find yourself or friends?

Happy, happy New Year!

On the docket: engagements and senior sessions!

Cheers!

-Kristine

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I had such a fabulous time the past several days volunteering my photography for YWCA’s Secret Seconds 2011 Recessionista campaign. The models totally rocked their shoots as well as the Secret Seconds clothing they were showcasing, we all had a blast and made some great images to help promote an extremely worthy cause. You can grab some affordable styles and make a difference, too – all sales at YWCA Secret Seconds help women and children in crisis, including the YWCA’s domestic violence shelter.

Thanks ladies! I’m looking forward to doing this again!

Cheers!

-Kristine

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