It was a brisk autumn day when I met up with Chelsey, Marc and their two sweet dogs, Hara and Qull. And it couldn’t have been a prettier day to make some engagement photos of everyone together. We had a great time traipsing through the woods, watching “the girls” bound through fields, wade through streams, and perk their ears up at the mention of the ever-elusive squirrels. Marc and Chelsey were in their element, too – they love tall trees and trails since they are both runners and appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds us. And their love for one another is pretty beautiful too.
Congrats again, Chelsey and Marc! It was so great to meet you and walk and talk together as we photographed. And Hara and Qull are just downright awesome. :) What lucky girls to have you as their guardians!
It was a ridiculously smoky day when Val and I met up for her senior pictures – however, that didn’t stop us for one second. And Val seriously rocked her images to celebrate her class of 2013 status. As did her horse, Stitch. These two are so sweet together – he kept nuzzling her, and was a trooper even when he wanted to eat the yummy grass instead of looking at the camera.
Val has been riding English-style since she was a young girl, and hopes to pursue a degree in equine veterinary medicine after graduating from Loyala High School. She’s definitely got the magic touch with horses, so I’m sure she’ll be a great vet!
Here’s to a fab senior year, Val! Thanks for being so much fun to work with! You were awesome! (And give Stitch a scratch behind the ears for me, too.) :)
On the docket: portraits, weddings and more portraits! And, if you still need to schedule your senior pictures, I’ve still got openings – so contact me and we’ll get you set up!
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. :)
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!
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!
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. :)
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!
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!
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!
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!
On the docket: lotsa lotsa portraits!
