Oooh, am I ever stoked to share Maelyn’s University of Montana graduation images with you today! When Maelyn’s mom contacted me about making grad photos for her college graduation announcements, I was excited to get to work with her. Especially when she told me she wanted to go off campus to make her photos. (We opted to photograph towards the campus and have it just visible in the valley below.) Heck yes please!

Making these images to celebrate such a major accomplishment is always so special to me. I can’t help but remember that time in my own life, and how giddy, excited, nervous, and exhausted I was. I was beyond ready to graduate, while simultaneously terrified about what would come next.

Maelyn’s also “so ready to graduate,” and I don’t blame her. She’s been working hard in school these past several years, and will walk across that stage with not one, not two, but THREE degrees! She’s been studying Ecology, Organismal Biology, and Wildlife Biology — talk about wildly impressive!

As we meandered around the property close to where she lives, she told me that she made her own earrings (with feathers) and has been doing so for ages. She also ties flies and fly fishes. Upon heading into the trees, Maelyn’s experienced eye noticed some upturned rocks where a bear had been active. But thankfully the only critter we encountered during our session was her sweet cat, Tiger.

Maelyn and Tiger have been together since she was a kid. At age 19, Tiger is one of her best buds, and a really awesome adventure cat! Maelyn told me that Tiger is sort of a dog-cat — she likes to hike and ski with her! How cool is that?! These two clearly have such an incredible bond, and I was just so glad to capture it for them. (Big props to Tiger for being such a sweet participant, even though she really wanted to go on a hike and smell all the smells.)

Thank you again, Maelyn, for such a fun session, and for fitting it in amongst all the things I know you’re wrapping up with school! It was such a pleasure to meet you and Tiger. Happy graduation to you, too! 

I hope you all enjoy a little peek into Maelyn’s college grad session!

On the docket:

Portraits and weddings and more! Stay posted!

See another college grad session here!

Cheers,

-Kristine

You know how you feel when you’ve just accomplished something simultaneously so difficult and so rewarding? Pure joy! And Jordan embodied that feeling perfectly during her University of Montana graduation photos the other day. (She literally kicked up her heels from happiness!)

We had such a great time making these photos for her to celebrate her December graduation. Jordan’s getting her degree in Math (something I greatly respect as someone who is forever challenged by numbers). In between making photos near the beloved Griz statue and Main Hall’s clock tower, we popped into buildings around campus to warm up, one of which was the Math building. As luck would have it, we found a room that wasn’t being used, and Jordan had fun writing a quick equation on the board that we could use as a backdrop to some of her images.

I’ve also got to give her major props for braving the chilly temps when we weren’t indoors. A few snowflakes were coming down as we made her images, but even though she was freezing, you would have never known it!

Another one of our warm up pit stops was at the library, an old haunt of Jordan’s since she used to work the late late shift there. We had a good time playing with the leading lines of the endless shelves full of books, and captured some images of Jordan pseudo-studying. (And I promise, we were quiet while we made these photos!)

Jordan! Thank you (and your most excellent sister assistant) for such a fabulous session! Your joy and energy is contagious in the best way possible, and I left with a perma-grin on my face (always a wonderful thing). Here’s to you and all your hard work to reach this point, and congratulations again on your graduation!

On the docket:

After a little holiday break, portraits and weddings! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

Initially Christy and I were planning on photographing her family together. However, one of her daughters had a sports obligation and couldn’t make it to the shoot. And, what’s a family shoot with someone missing? Definitely not the same! So, instead of canceling, Christy decided to invite her best friend, Daisy, to join her for autumn best friend photos in Missoula. And it couldn’t have been more perfect!

We were a little worried we might get rained out, so Christy and Daisy leaned into it, and decided to accessorize with rain jackets, boots, and umbrellas. Honestly — what a fun look they had! Perfect for the overcast day (it didn’t actually rain on us, because of course, right?), and such a brilliant color pop in their images!

As we wandered around, basking in all the golden colors of the season, Christy and Daisy told me that they’ve known each other since they were 9. They met each other and asked if they wanted to be each other’s best friend, decided it sounded good, and they’ve been friends ever since. (Side note: I LOVE this origin story!)

They also shared with me that their kids are about the same age and they both have sets of twins. How about that! They also have sibling dogs and cats.

We had such a wonderful time together making these images. I wish more people would make images with their friends — it’s such a special thing to do for each other. And I can guarantee it’s an absolute blast. We were all completely cracking up over strangely shaped rocks, squirrels that seemed intent on stalking us, and the novelty of fun umbrellas. It was perfection! (Narrator: “The squirrels kept a safe distance away from everyone. )

Christy and Daisy! Thanks again for such a delightful shoot — I loved getting to make these photos to celebrate your fabulous friendship!

On the docket:

Portraits and editorial work – stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

If there’s one thing I’m a sucker for it’s someone who will have just as much fun laughing as I do. Enter Kaitlin! She contacted me a while ago about photographing her for her University of Montana graduation celebration images to document this time in her life after having successfully completed her studies. And as soon as I met her (and her lovely mom) I knew we’d have a total blast making images together.

Not only does she clearly exemplify the French phrase joie de vivre, she was gung ho to do anything I suggested and make the absolute most of the beautiful day we had been treated to on campus.

As we wandered around the University, she told me that she was just about to graduate from the University of Montana Business School with a degree in management and entrepreneurship with an entertainment management focus. Talk about impressive! She’s even already got an internship lined up in Arizona – color me doubly impressed!

She does have a super soft spot for Montana in her heart, though, so it was important to her to be able to document some of what she loves in these photos. That also included her mom! Kaitlin told me that she and her mom don’t have a ton of great photos together, so she was really excited to have her mom join her for some images too. And I’m SO glad she did! These two are like two peas in a pod, and it was such a treat to see their fun-loving relationship with one another. I won’t spoil the surprise here, but just do yourself a favor and be sure to find the set of images featuring mother and daughter. They had me absolutely busting a gut laughing. :)

As we progressed through our session, it came to light that Kaitlin has even perfected her Beyonce hair flip moves. Not only this, she’s a pro at making the “swooshing” sound effects to go along with the hair flip – which of course, had us all cracking up all over again.

Somehow we also managed to luck out with some absolutely stellar weather and light for Kaitlin’s session – rain and cold and snow had been threatening all week, but I think Mother Nature knew Kaitlin’s session deserved a little extra special “sumpin’ sumpin,”” so we were treated to some absolutely beautiful light and long shadows. Those shadows got my creative brain going and, as it turns out, Kaitlin told me (or rather, I think Kaitlin’s mom told me) she’s known for her midair heel clicks. Et voila! It was meant to be – long shadows, heel clicks, great light. What’s not to like? We even got to make those particular images right near the Business school, which is where Kaitlin has spent quite a bit of her time during her studies. If a midair heel click doesn’t scream celebratory exuberance, I don’t know what does!

As our session came to a close we were all grinning to beat the band, my face hurt from smiling and laughing (always a good thing!), and we ended it all with hugs all around, copious amounts of well-wishes, and a huge congrats to Kaitlin on her upcoming graduation. Which I’ll reiterate here again! Kaitlin! What a wonderful session it was – I just loved getting to meet you and your mom, and I want to wish you yet another giant congratulations on your accomplishment! You’ve got such a wonderful way about you, and I just know you’re going to do some amazing things in this life! Here’s to you and your future! Cheers! :)

On the docket:

Portraits and weddings and editorial work! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

Kristina and I first met at Snowbowl where we both were part of the same women’s ski group. Our group was totally rad, and we quickly became friends with one another as we spent time chatting on the lifts and laughing over après ski beers at the Last Run Inn. So I was tickled when she asked me to make some images of her doing her thing, which is Missoula Montana trail running. And boy howdy, does she do this well!

I’m always so very impressed by people who run (I’d love to be one of them myself – maybe one day!). But I’m in total and complete admiration and awe of people who not only run, but run mountains! Kristina’s so good at what she does that she is sponsored by several gear companies, and regularly posts about her trail running adventures on her blog and her instagram account. Seriously, she’s amazing, goes to amazing places, and runs amazing races. Follow her!

During our session, Kristina was gracious enough to put up with my slow pace as we hiked up some hills with all my gear, and once we were to a spot we liked, man did we ever have a blast! It was so fun to watch Kristina run, and every now and then, her pup, Blaze, would join us for a few images too when he wasn’t off galavanting through the grasses. I swear, I think we laughed the most of the way through this entire session, which is always a good thing in my book.

And that light! Daaaaaang! We hit golden hour right on the head, coasted our way through that and landed straight in beautiful, glowy, sunset light. I was stoked and probably was speaking only gibberish at this point because the light was seriously THAT. GOOD. And I was beyond excited.

Of course, it goes without saying that Kristina just nailed her shots. What a fun shoot!

Kristina! Thanks again for a splendid evening – what a treat to get to do this for you! Let’s do another shoot sometime soon, but before that let’s grab a few drinks too. :)

On the Docket:

Weddings, elopements and portraits, oh yeah! Stay posted!

Cheers,

-Kristine

One of my favorite parts of photographing portrait sessions is when the idea behind it is unique – and Caroline’s girls weekend at The Resort at Paws Up in Montana was definitely that! She and a group of her best friends from all over the country (all businesswomen and mothers) decided to meet up in Montana at Paws Up to celebrate Caroline’s birthday and treat themselves – which I think is such a fantastic thing to do!

Luckily, the weather cleared up for us and big sky country definitely put on a show for these ladies. We were treated to fantastic views, dramatic skies and wildflowers in abundance! As we were zipping around the resort, we also happened upon a chuck wagon, complete with big, beautiful draft horses.

The sister-wives (as Caroline jokingly referred to the group) all wore various white dresses to stand out against the landscape even more, and lend an editorial flare to our shoot. We went back and forth between serious “blue steel” moments to all out laughter, which was the perfect way to capture this fun bunch.

As a final surprise for the day, we stopped back in to the lodge where the ladies were staying, I pulled Caroline away for a few portraits of her own, and the remaining ladies executed a quick wardrobe change. As Caroline and I walked back to the lodge, the women came out sporting matching graphic tees (Caroline’s a HUGE fan of graphic tees), which got everyone cracking up. And of course, Caroline had been given one as well.

Caroline! What a blast it was to meet you and all your girlfriends and introduce you to the beauty that is Montana! I seriously love that you all did this for yourselves, and I hope you’ve got more Montana visits planned in the future. :)

On the Docket:

Weddings and portraits galore! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

I am always just so tickled when the people I get to photograph add personal, meaningful elements to their sessions. And Nichole and Zef’s Missoula Montana college graduation images certainly had that in spades!

To celebrate her college graduation from Carroll College in Helena and pay homage to her Navajo roots, Nichole’s grandmother made her dress for her. And when I say made, I mean MADE. Not only did she sew it for Nichole, she WOVE it. Talk about super, super special!

Thankfully, despite it being an overcast day, we didn’t get rained out for any of Nichole or Zef’s images. As we meandered from location to location, Nichole and Zef filled me in a bit more about themselves. Nichole will be graduating with a focus on biology and communications, and Zef will have a degree in English. The two met at Carroll and are super excited about their futures.

We had such a fantastic time making their images, and when it came time to capture moments between the two of them together, I could barely contain myself they are so darn sweet! We cracked up, giggled, and all-out guffawed together, which is basically what I live for in sessions.

Nichole and Zef! My goodness was it ever fun to make these images for you! Thank you so much for swinging down to Missoula and for being so supremely delightful to photograph! Here’s to a wonderful graduation celebration in a couple weeks, and to your very bright futures! Yay for newly-minted college graduates!

On the Docket:

Portraits and weddings coming your way! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

I’m always so tickled when I get to work with past couples of mine – and that was absolutely the case for Sarah and Matt’s Missoula autumn anniversary photos with their sweet pup, Oliver. (We called it an “anniversary session” even though it was technically a few months after their first anniversary, which was in August.)

I hadn’t met their dog, Oliver, before as he’s the newest addition to their family since they’ve moved to Montana, so it was such a treat to get to document these three together just enjoying the beauty of a chilly October day in Montana.

Oliver was pretty excited to survey his new playground, and did his best “dolphin” impersonation as he leapt through the swaying grasses, popping his head up every now and then to get a visual on us. We had such a great time chatting and cracking up at Oliver’s antics, and I’ve got to give a shout out to Sarah and Matt for braving the cold and wandering through the hills for their images.

We somehow also managed to avoid most of the raindrops the day was throwing at us, and even lucked out with some pretty spectacular big sky clouds to act as a wow factor in our backdrop, which always gets me pretty excited.

Sarah, Matt and Oliver! Thank you again for such a happy, fun session – I just love getting to work with you guys, and have absolutely enjoyed the opportunity to document so many wonderful moments in your lives! Here’s to loving where we live, and appreciating it and protecting it always!

On the Docket:

Weddings and portraits! Don’t miss ’em!

Cheers,

-Kristine

College graduation is such a time of excitement, joy and pure anticipation of getting out there in the real world and practicing what you’ve learned! I always love making graduation portraits – whether that’s for seniors in high school or seniors in college. So when Emily contacted me about making college graduation and couples’ photos with her boyfriend, John, I knew we’d have a fantastic time making these images to celebrate such a wonderful milestone in her life.

It was a bit of a windy, chilly day for our session, but Missoula in springtime is just gorgeous no matter what the weather decides to do. We had such a fun time on the University of Montana campus hitting up the symbolism trifecta (the Griz statue, Main Hall, and the M). And Emily added a little pizazz to the party by bring along some glitter to use in a few images (I admit that I totally yelped out of pure joy each time we made those shots – so fun!)

Our session then morphed into a couples’ session that John got to star in too! We really had a great time roaming around some funky little spots in Missoula, and making images of Emily and John – who clearly are smitten with one another. Those smiles!

Thank you again, Emily and John, for such an enjoyable shoot! It was so nice to meet you both, and here’s another big congratulations to you on your graduation! Here’s to a bright future – glitter included! :)

On the docket: portraits and weddings!
-Kristine

Kim and John’s Missoula “Just Because” portrait session was such a treat to photograph, made even sweeter by what Kim told me about the two of them before we met up for our shoot.

Kim moved out to Montana in January for a job, and John has been back in the midwest tying up some loose ends before he gets to move out here as well. He is able to visit Montana fairly frequently, but that’s still a long time to be apart. So, Kim told me that she wanted to make some images of the two of them so she could have some nice photos to enjoy for those in between times. Hence, their “Just Because” session!

Thankfully Montana’s spring weather treated us to an exceptionally gorgeous day, and we had so much fun walking through the woods and making images of just how much these two love one another, in between spirited conversation about photography and cameras and all the things that photographers get excited about. (John, I’m looking at you here. ;) )

Thank you again, Kim and John, for such a pleasant evening! I loved getting to meet you, and making some Montana images for you and the new chapter in your lives! Here’s to laughter and smiles and Montana sunshine!

On the docket: weddings are just around the corner! Stay tuned!

Cheers!

-Kristine