Spring is one of my absolute favorite times of the year (although I admit I think I say that about every season). There's something just so exhilarating about watching new leaves form, seeing colors pop, enjoying softly falling rain and the intoxicating scents that emerge from the earth and fragrant flowers. I love it all. The past couple months have been exceptionally busy for me, moreso than usual, mainly because I moved into a new house (my first time as a homeowner - so exciting!), I've been finishing up my semester teaching as an adjunct professor at the School of Journalism at the University of Montana, and somewhere in between I'm ...
Traveling to Costa Rica and Panama – {It’s a Jungle out There}
I love my job and I adore running my own business, but that also means I work my tail off and rarely get days off or vacations. So, after long wanting to do this, I treated myself to a little vacation in Central America, specifically Costa Rica and Panama. And it. Was. Wonderful. I highly recommend visiting, especially Panama, if you'd like to explore this part of the world. We had a great time and I sincerely wish we could've stayed a little longer. It felt like a whirlwind. Anywho, take a peek at some snaps I made while I was down there. Fair warning, this is a super long post, but I'd like to think it's worth it. :) Enjoy! (Captions ...
A Simple Snowstorm – {Missoula’s first snow of December 2012}
Is there anything more serene or magical than watching snow fall at night? We had a little storm a couple of days ago in Missoula that blanketed our town with about 7 inches of beautiful, fluffy snow. I couldn't help but document it in a simple video and as a still photo, too. Check out the small slices of the evening below - the first is the final photo; the second is the behind-the-scenes video. (To watch it in HD, which makes a huge difference in viewing quality, hover over the video, click the HD button at the bottom right and click the corresponding link that pops up.) Enjoy! A Simple Snowstorm from Kristine Paulsen ...
The Importance of Photography – {Some Personal Thoughts}
I'm sitting here writing this at 12:08 a.m. Mostly because I don't think I'll be able to fall asleep without getting these thoughts out of my head, and partly because I am just a night owl at heart. This evening I was washing my face, enjoying the warmth of the water on my skin, and I found myself looking up at my reflection in the mirror and being caught in thought. I thought about the things that had happened over the course of the past couple days. How much I'd accomplished in my list of to-do's. How thankful I am to have had time to spend with friends and people I care about. And then I thought about something one of my friends had ...
Raw Emotion – {Joelle’s Missoula Fashion Shoot}
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 ...
My Little Blue Bird – {Flash the Parrotlet}
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 ...
Moon over Montana – {Friday Fun Photo}
I hope you all got a chance to step outside last evening and witness the gigantic moon hanging low over the hilltops and reflecting into the Clark Fork - seriously beautiful. I was hoping to see some northern lights, which didn't happen, but my...the moon sure was a good substitute. This photo isn't from last night, but I was reminded that I still had it hanging out, waiting to be shared, and today seemed like a good day for that. Enjoy! This was taken this past June after George and Emily's super fun engagement session. This image is way more gigantic than I'd normally post, but I figured the moon kind of merits that treatment. On the ...
Visitors from the North – {Snowy Owls in Montana}
This is a bit of a departure from what I normally post....not a portrait session (of people anyway), and much too long for a Wordless Wednesday post......but I really want to share these images with you because, quite simply: Owls Are Cool. Especially snowy owls. And especially since they've been hanging out with us here in Montana. Snowy owls don't usually spend all that much time in our area, so it's pretty rare to see them. They'll hop on down here every 5 or 6 years or so, and when they do...oh my gosh...go and see them! Admittedly, I may be slightly biased because I kind of LOVE birds (ok, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY love birds), but ...
There’s Nothing Better than Being with Family – {Portraits of my Own}
I love my family dearly. Which is a huge understatement. They mean so much to me, especially since we are kind of scattered all across the U.S. So when I get to spend time with them, I adore it. I drove to Spokane to celebrate an early Thanksgiving with my grandparents and uncle, and it was absolutely delightful. I spoiled them with pumpkin pies I made, received wonderful warm hugs and got to cook with grandma (which involved a hilarious turn at trying to figure out how to flatten a duck - long story - it involved a couple YouTube videos and resulted in one funny-looking duck!). Cooking with Grandma is especially dear to me since the last ...
Weddings, Best of 2011! – {Montana Weddings}
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 ...