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

This shoot was all about drama drama drama – in a good way. I knew going into this that I wanted it to feel dark, dramatic and raw, and that I’d be shooting for black and white. So we styled Joelle very casually, and got all dark and smudgy with her makeup to really add to the drama of the photos.

This is pretty different from what I usually shoot – which is very happy, bright, and full of color. I wanted to go in the total opposite direction with these photographs and capture the vulnerability of someone who’s feeling sadness, curled into themselves and just letting go. Because I couldn’t go all sad and dark with every shot (I’m a super happy person by nature), we mixed it up with some softer images and expressions – and of course, there were a lot of giggles in between serious shots. Don’t worry – no Joelles were harmed in the making of these photos. If only you could have seen the behind-the-scenes hilarity….. ;)

On the docket: portraits!

Cheers,

-Kristine

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Dancemania is probably an understatement because the ladies at Oula’s first annual dance party at the Stensrud Building in Missoula seriously ROCKED their FEET off. I had such a blast photographing so many happy people shaking their groove thang (huge kudos to Kali Lindner who created Oula!), and I hope you’ll investigate all the awesomeness that is Oula. (I swear, if I hadn’t been photographing, I would have been a “dancemaniac” as well!)

This fab party was put together by the lovely Kelsey Motes-Conners from Glacier Parks Weddings and Events, who did a seriously wonderful job. Accents of fuschia along with pink drinks really popped and added to the lively atmosphere. Not to mention, a variety of great prizes from local vendors – shop local y’all!

And now, on to the photos! There’s more where these came from, so if you’d like to see the rest of the photos, hop on over to the online gallery to peruse at your leisure. Enjoy!

Don’t forget to give a little Facebook love to both Oula and Glacier Parks Weddings and Events! :)

On the docket: portraits!

Cheers,

-Kristine

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I love light. And I love that Joelle and I got to really play around with it during our latest Missoula fashion session. The weather couldn’t have been better – a balmy 87 degrees (in April of all things!), a slight breeze, topped off with a drop-dead-gorgeous sunset. That’s definitely the recipe for a sweet session. And, of course, Joelle was brilliant, too. :)

P.S. If you’ve got a dress you want to rock like Joelle did, let me know! These types of sessions are a blast and a great way to show off that prom dress or wedding dress! And I’m sure Joelle can attest to that, too.

A huge big shout out to the people who helped make this shoot happen:

Hair: by Boom Swagger Salon.

Makeup: by Alchemy Mineral Blends.

Clothing: blue top, white shorts, white bag, gray tree-print dress, black and white top, and jean shorts from One Eleven.

On the docket: portraits!

Cheers,

-Kristine

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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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So I love color. Especially bright colors. LOVE LOVE LOVE them. And I admittedly get beyond excited when I have the opportunity to have fun playing around with it. For Joelle’s model shoot we styled her wardrobe to contain little pops of color and interest – from fire engine red skinny jeans, to bright bags, to a super fun animal print coat and a red and purple clutch.

The light also happened to be deliciously awesome during our shoot (after a few weeks of reschedules due to rain, rain, rain), and I had fun working with it – both on its softer side, and more on its harsh, shadowy side. I love getting to exercise my creative photo muscles, so this was a really fun shoot for me. And Joelle, too. :)

We had a blast playing up the fun pieces of clothing, not to mention Joelle’s own natural beauty. And I’m happy to say we’ve got plans for more shoots in the future, so stay posted – we’ll be sharing many more fun photos to come!

Thanks again to Joelle for “working it,” to Alchemy Mineral Blends for doing Joelle’s makeup, and for One Eleven and the Mood Boutique for providing us with some of these great items for Joelle to model. To learn more about which store carries which fashion piece, please check out the images, and scroll down below the photos for info.

You can find these items at the following locations – some items may no longer be available, or inventory may have changed, so act fast if you want to get your hands on any of these fun pieces! I know I’ve got my eye on a few….

Lacy tank, red skinny jeans, cream off-shoulder sweater, dark wash jeans, orange bag, turquoise bag, Frye heels: the Mood Boutique downtown Missoula, Montana.

Brown and black flower patterned lacy dress, animal print coat, red and lavender clutch: One Eleven, downtown Missoula, Montana.

On the docket: portrait sessions! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

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I had the pleasure of meeting up with Hailey and Greg in sunny Stevensville the other day to photograph a mini maternity session with the two of them. They were both visiting from Washington state, and spending some time on family land. What a beautiful place for some photos showing off Hailey’s 33-week-along silhouette!

Thank you again for having me photograph such a milestone – and congrats again to you both, or all three of you I should say!

On the docket: portraits!

Cheers,

-Kristine

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Maggie and Tyler – I swear – their smiles could rival the brightness of the sun! We had such a fun time during their Missoula engagement session, and even managed to luck out with the weather, getting a bit of sun for our little walkabout. (I think they brought it with them from California!)

These two are so clearly meant to be with one another. They’re a lot like puzzle pieces – fitting together perfectly, but unique in their own right, too.

Maggie and Tyler, I’m so glad you were able to make it back to Montana for our session – thank you so much for all the smiles and laughter! I’m not sure summer can get here soon enough since I know your wedding is going to be such a happy celebration, and I can’t wait to document it!

On the docket: engagement sessions and some rad portraits! Stay posted!

Cheers,

-Kristine

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There is just something so sweet about newborn babies. Their little noises, their teensy-ness, their fuzzy dandelion hair…I could go on and on. And Mirai is definitely the epitome of a bundle of cute!

Just shy of a month old (she’s a 2012 leapling baby, born on Leap Day), she was content to cuddle with her mom and dad, getting little kisses every so often by the household Labradors. Mirai was pretty curious about everything going on around her, and gazed at us with her newly-focusing eyes – she was such a good little baby for her newborn photographs!

Thank you, Rachael, Mike and Mirai for a lovely session – your brand new baby girl is such a sweetie pie, and I couldn’t be happier for you all!

On the docket: engagement sessions and some spunky, fun portraits!

Cheers,

-Kristine

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It was so great to finally meet Sara and Ryan the other day for their sweet little Missoula engagement session. We’d been in touch through the various long-distance means: mainly phone and e-mail, so it was wonderful to meet these two in person. And it’s so clear how in love they are with one another and what a perfect pair they make.

Their engagement session was short and sweet and we even managed to catch a little sun towards the end, too!

Thank you again, Sara and Ryan, for taking the time out of your busy schedules whilst in Montana to make some fun images of the two of you – I’m looking forward to making more on your wedding day! :)

On the docket: a newborn baby session, engagement sessions and portraits galore! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

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