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

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

{ Book a Session with Kristine }….{ Join the Facebook page }….{ Follow on Twitter }….{ Visit the Website }

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

{ Book a Session with Kristine }….{ Join the Facebook page }….{ Follow on Twitter }….{ Visit the Website }

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

{ Book a Session with Kristine }….{ Join the Facebook page }….{ Follow on Twitter }….{ Visit the Website }

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

{ Book a Session with Kristine }….{ Join the Facebook page }….{ Follow on Twitter }….{ Visit the Website }

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

{ Book a Session with Kristine }….{ Join the Facebook page }….{ Follow on Twitter }….{ Visit the Website }

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

{ Book a Session with Kristine }….{ Join the Facebook page }….{ Follow on Twitter }….{ Visit the Website }

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

{ Book a Session with Kristine }….{ Join the Facebook page }….{ Follow on Twitter }….{ Visit the Website }

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

{ Book a Session with Kristine }….{ Join the Facebook page }….{ Follow on Twitter }….{ Visit the Website }

I’ve always got to hand it to a bride who doesn’t break down at the site of raindrops. I’ve got to credit her even more when she LAUGHS in the face of pouring rain as she goes after the photos she really, really wants. Yes – Elizabeth and Odin totally rock. Period.

The day at Boulder Ridge in Great Falls started off sunny, but as the ceremony drew nigh, vows were said, rings were exchanged and alas – the thunder boomed and lightning crackled! Elizabeth really wanted some photos up on a ledge by the waterfall, and I assured her that if she was game, I was too – since, as sweet as I may be ( ;) ), I don’t melt. We dashed up the hill as fast as we could dash, carrying pounds of wedding dress and pounds of camera gear. And just as they climbed the ladder to the ledge (yes, did I mention Elizabeth and Odin totally rock?), the sprinkles turned to a full out downpour! But she laughed, and they kissed, and that, my friends, is just beautiful. True, true beauty.

We all walked into the reception a bit soggy, but our spirits were not dampened. (Oh, excuse the bad pun.) The sun even came out a bit later, and we were able to make some photos with Elizabeth’s dear horse, Rio, who was a real pro with the camera shutter sounds. Elizabeth and Odin have wonderful friends and family and they know how to PARTY! Groomsmen high-kicked, little boys wore Elizabeth’s garter as a hippie headband, folks threw off their shoes to get down and boogie barefoot, and Odin’s grandmother even led a conga line!

I had a wonderful time, and I wish you the very best in your new lives together. You’re a fantastic couple with hearty, happy laughs and I know you’ll spend many a day together sharing your joy with one another. Thank you for allowing me to document these special, unforgettable moments! Onward to the photos!

(P.S. I challenge you to find the woman in blue who is signing “I love you” to the couple.)

Venue: Boulder Ridge, Great Falls, MT
Flowers: Electric City Conservatory, Great Falls, MT
Dress and Vests: The Bride’s Shoppe, Great Falls, MT
DJ: Steve Keller DJ Services, Great Falls, MT
Dinner and Cake: Courtesy of family friends

Cheers!

-Kristine

{ Book a Session with Kristine }….{ Join the Facebook page }….{ Follow on Twitter }….{ Visit the Website }

I can’t resist! I have to share more of my favorite photos from Neli and Vern’s wedding. See the first set by referring to my previous blog post. They are just the sweetest of sweet couples.

And now – the photos!

Vern and Neli had fun during our quick "after session" prior to their reception.

So happy!

Vern wanted to make sure I got a good look at his beautiful bride!

Newlywed kisses!

A beautiful cake - top layer carrot cake for Neli, and bottom layer chocolate for Vern.

These three guys were great - clapping in sync to the groovy tunes!

So, this little guy has got to be the cutest little boy ever. He was waiting patiently for a hug from Neli.

I loved how everyone had such a great time on the dance floor!

See - what did I tell you? They were rockin' it, Saturday Night Fever style!

Coming soon – photos from a graduation session! Stay posted!

Cheers,

-Kristine

{ Book a Session with Kristine }….{ Join the Facebook page }….{ Follow on Twitter }….{ Visit the Website }