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

It’s an understatement to say 2011 has been an absolutely wonderful year for weddings in so many ways. I don’t have words to express how thankful I am to have met so many amazing people, and to have shared such beautiful, touching moments with you all. So, thank you, thank you, thank you!

And now, here’s a little video to showcase the very best of 2011 – your smiling faces, the love in your hearts, and moments that have changed your lives. Thank you for inviting me to document this for you. It’s truly been an honor.

On the docket – portraits!

Cheers,

-Kristine

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It was a bit of a rainy, overcast day for Katherine and Mike’s Missoula “rock the dress” session, but that didn’t dampen anybody’s spirits, least of all their dog, Buck, who was happy to jump into the river, and come bounding towards Katherine and Mike for wet “hello’s!”

Katherine very much rocked her dress – we had a wonderful time strolling through the tall grasses, drinking in the beauty that is autumn in Missoula, and making some fun images in the rain.

We were joking that Katherine and Mike have hit almost all of the seasons during their photography with me – winter/spring for their engagement session, summer for their gorgeous ranch wedding west of Missoula, and now autumn for their rock the dress session.

As always, you two, what a wonderful time! Thank you so much for joining me on a damp day – it really paid off ! :) On to the photos!

On the docket: more portraits!

Cheers,

-Kristine

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I met up with Chris and Kelcy a day after their gorgeous Missoula wedding for their super fun trash the dress/rock the dress session. It was roasting hot, but we all had a blast making some really fun images of the two of them doing something they mutually dig – jeeping! I hadn’t ever been in a jeep before (I know, I know…I’m a woman of small, deceptively tough cars) and I’ve got to say, it was definitely a good time! We also made some stunning non-jeeping images of the two of them, and Chris definitely won the award for best veil assistant ever. With a veil as long as Kelcy’s, it liked to grab onto twigs and such, and Chris was always there to help her out. :)

Thanks again, you two! What a fun session! You rocked it!

On the docket: weddings and portraits and weddings galore!

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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I spent the last several days at the Big Sky Photo Summit, in Big Sky, Montana, learning from fabulous photographers Dane Sanders, Mike Colón, and Tamara Lackey. To put it simply – this photo summit was wonderful. Absolutely and completely. (Thank you Tracy Moore!) Not only because we were learning so much from our presenters, but because we all made great friends with the photographers who attended this workshop. We inspired one another, we laughed, we cried (yep, we cried), and we had a blast.

For me personally, I was launched back to a time in my life when I was working at Lone Mountain Ranch in Big Sky as a lowly housekeeper. I did this during my summers in between undergraduate years at Carleton College. The job…eh, not so hot. Housekeeping is in no way glamorous especially when you’re wielding toilet brushes on a daily basis. (As a side note: Be nice to your housekeepers! We really appreciate it and notice when you are kind to us. And being kind is as simple as saying “hi.”)  But I wasn’t there for the job. I was there to be in Montana and to get back to my roots. I was there to push myself and step out of my comfort zone. I went to the ranch not knowing a soul, and ended up meeting some of the most amazing people I have ever met. It still holds true to this day.

The summers working at the ranch were some of the very best in my life. My friends and I would drink tea and draw beautiful pictures in the warm sunlight. We’d drive to the green bridge along the Gallatin, and leap off the steel edge into the frigid water, laughing and yelping from the cold. We’d explore waterways, find secret plank diving boards, and eat ice cream still soaked from our water adventures. We’d hike and backpack and camp and witness shooting stars so big and beautiful and glowing, we wondered if what we’d seen was actually something real. We’d talk late into the starry, starry nights about our dreams and hopes and fears, wrapped in cozy blankets sitting on the porch of crew housing. We’d get caught hiking in thunderstorms so violent and awesome that we’d be soaked through, wringing our braids out as we ran back to the car pelted by fat, warm raindrops over muddy trails. We’d cry with one another as we helped each other through personal tragedies. We’d sit in the ranch hot tub after hours, late in the evening, and run giggling to jump in the nearby creek to shock our systems with the freezing mountain water. We lived life to its very fullest.

Every.   Single.   Day.

Those summers awakened me in a way I had never dreamed of. They also awakened me to the need to document what I was experiencing. I tried. But I didn’t have the knowledge at the time to make great images. Those memories aren’t lost to me. They still exist in my mind, and I hope always will. But I don’t have the ability to share them with others except through my words.

This is why I chose to pursue photography. And I did. I took classes in film at Carleton. And I awakened something even greater – the knowledge that this was what I was supposed to do in life. I graduated with a BA in English, knowing I needed something more. I went to grad school for photojournalism. I worked at some amazing newspapers and met more wonderful people along the way. And then I started this business officially.

And here I am. Stirred by my own nostalgia and memories and grateful to be doing something I love so you can retain your memories and nostalgia in a tangible way.

Thank you to everyone at the workshop who helped me re-remember these things. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.

And now for a few of my favorite photos from our time together at the summit. We participated in a bridal shoot with Mike Colón and a fantastic local model, we were witness to Tamara Lackey’s wonderful interactions with adorable little kiddos (and noticed the irony of a paparazzi sign in the lodge), and we photographed alongside Dane Sanders for an engagement session.

Life is good. Thanks for sticking with me through this lengthy post. On to the photos!

Vendor Info:

Hair for the engagement shoot:
Monica Eck of Monica’s Salon and Day Spa in Big Sky, MT
http://www.bigskyhair.com/

Hair for the bridal session:
Caitlin Labert
GW Design & Day Spa
(406) 570-0102

Make-up
Deirdre of Indulgence in Bozeman, MT
http://www.indulgencemontana.com/

Models
Engagement Couple:
Dave Neal & Jessie Wiese

Bride:
Tiffany Soong

On the docket: engagement sessions!

Cheers!

-Kristine

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I had myself a little impromptu photo shoot this morning with some hot-off-the-presses album samples I just received. These are just two examples from this new line I’m offering, and oh boy – they are gorgeous – down to every last detail.

The thick, lay-flat pages means you’ll get an uninterrupted photo spread. (No gutter down the middle!) These pages boast beautiful, true photo prints that are mounted to the lay-flat pages. And the cover options – oh my…they’re just simply stunning. From silks (like the one shown just below) to beautiful textures (like the second one shown) to leathers. (I’ll be getting a few more samples in soon to show off these options.)

You can choose from multiple sizes and page-lengths to fit your budget. (The samples shown below are 12×12 and 6×6 respectively.) To top it off, they’ll be delivered to you in a leather-bound, velvet-lined box for safekeeping. I’m just totally wowed by these albums and am so excited to offer this new line to you, my lovely friends!  (These albums feature the trash the dress session I did with Jen and Kyle, and the portrait session I did with Ali. :) ) Check them out!

P.S. If you’d like to have one of these albums designed, printed, and in your hands before December 23rd, please let me know as soon as you can. (I can also give you more info on your investment when you contact me.) The deadline for me to have designs sent to print is November 22nd, and I’ll need a small amount of time to actually put the design together prior to the November 22nd deadline. Thanks! On to the photos!

On the docket: family sessions, engagement sessions, weddings and more!

Cheers!

-Kristine

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Jen and Kyle were married at the Daly Mansion a few days prior to our Trash the Dress/Day After session. (Check out a sneak peek of their wedding photos.) We met up, ready to get a little bit dirty, and boy did we have fun making some beautiful images! The light was to-die-for, the water was pleasantly warm (Jen braved it and got her dress wet – not a requirement, by the way, ladies ;) ), and we just had an all out good time. As Jen said, “I don’t know why everyone doesn’t do this! It’s so FUN and not stressful at all!” (Thanks Jen! I couldn’t have said it better myself!)

Speaking of which, I’ll let the photos do the talking. Check them out! And remember, ladies and gents, a session like this makes for amazing anniversary gifts, especially for your one-year, which is traditionally a paper gift.

On the docket – a super cool photo project announcement that all Montanans can participate in!

Cheers!

-Kristine

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Dip me in the water…

Lisa did more than “dip in the water” during our Trash the Dress session last Friday.  She reclined in it, and managed not to freeze!

Her photos are absolutely stunning, and I cannot wait to hear what her husband has to say about his present!  It was really a blast photographing for Lisa.  Her mom came as well (and did a great job keeping Lisa’s cute lab, Bailey, in line) and we all had our fair share of laughs.  (In case you are just stumbling across this and haven’t read previous posts – Lisa chose to do a Trash the Dress session a year after her wedding day, as a one-year anniversary/birthday gift for her husband, Tim.)

Take a look for yourself at the following selected photos.  I had such a difficult time picking out my favorites – there were so many – but these are the ones I came up with.  Enjoy!
-Kristine

Tim is a hunter, so Lisa thought it might be kinda fun to see what a gun prop would add to the photos – cool idea!  Not very often you see a bride with a gun!

I’m loving the hairlight in this photo.

Laughter!  Yay!  (I’m loving the Tevas here, too.)

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I’m so excited to have finished editing the photos from Jackie and Jonathan’s beautiful wedding in Cancun, Mexico.

What a wonderful trip it was! I met so many delightful people, and was reunited with old friends as well – plus, it’s just cool to do that in a place as spectacular as Cancun!

It was a busy day photographing the wedding, but everyone was in good spirits even when stressed, and the results were, of course, beautiful. It helps that Jackie and Jonathan are madly in love and this always shows through. While photographing the bridal party on the beach after the wedding, the clouds started rolling in, signaling an approaching storm. We were all a bit nervous, not being familiar with storms in Cancun, but boy, I was in love with those clouds. I think it really helps these shots just pop!

I’m including several of my favorite shots from my time in Cancun, coupled with several shots of me photographing Jackie and Jonathan’s trash the dress session (kudos to John C. for taking the shots of me taking photos).

Speaking of which – this was so much fun! Jackie had a second dress she used for trash the dress (and I think Jonathan had a different suit to use, too). We woke up early the morning after the wedding ceremony and hit the beach around 7:15 to catch some of the beautiful morning light.

Pelicans were diving for their fish breakfasts and crabs scurried around the pier while we set up. I know I had a blast, and I’m sure they did, too, as we all had plenty of time for fun and laughter during our shoot. Their photos, I think, are stunning, and mainly because Jackie and Jonathan were so gung-ho about doing all sorts of fun (or as some people might say, crazy) things.

I returned stateside the 30th of July and promptly shot another beautiful wedding at the Gibson Mansion in Missoula, MT, on August 1st. Ashley and Luke are a beautiful couple, and it was great to be a part of their special day as well. Friendly folks all around, and very relaxed and happy. I can’t wait to begin editing those photos, too! The Gibson Mansion is another beautiful location, and the light towards the end of the evening was just gorgeous. (Seriously, I was so giddy about the light on the cake – ooh how scrumptious-looking). I’ll post a few selected photos from their wedding as well.

Anyway, enough of the talk – let’s look at the photos! Scroll down to see a few of my favorites…or if you’d like to see them all, visit: http://www.kristinepaulsenphotography.com/jandjloose.html. (Jackie and Jonathan have given me permission to share.)

Hasta luego,
-Kristine

A storm was rolling in – but aren’t the clouds spectacular?

Poor Jackie – her dress was soaking wet and I’m sure weighing a ton! But it was pretty comical!

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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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