Ashley and Nick truly are two wonderful people — and I was so excited to be able to make Garden of One Thousand Buddhas engagement photos for them, which is one of their favorite places. Ashley shared with me that it’s particularly significant to them because it’s the spot they’d often visit together when they first started dating. (And if there’s one thing I love, it’s being able to make photos in meaningful places for folks!)

Zipping up to Arlee from Missoula, we somehow managed to be treated to one of Montana’s balmier days this winter, complete with a little sun and blue sky, which I think must’ve been timed just perfectly for Ashley and Nick’s session. The universe knew!

If you haven’t been to it before, the Garden of One Thousand Buddhas is a special place, surrounded by stunning mountains, dotted with Buddhas of all shapes and sizes, and permeated by a tranquil, positive energy that we all appreciated. We wandered through the grounds, stopping at various points to laugh and chat and make photos. I think everyone’s faces hurt from smiling and cracking up so much — always a good thing in my opinion!

Speaking of which, Ashley and Nick are just a blast to photograph, and I love to see just how much fun they have together! Even though things were somewhat chilly (I mean, it is still winter after all), the warmth and love they radiated made the temps barely noticeable.

I am just so excited to get to photograph their wedding in October, and I already know we’re going to have the best time together capturing such a special day! (Photo ninja mode, here I come! )

Ashley and Nick! Congratulations again on your engagement, and thank you for being just an absolute delight to photograph! You two are the bees knees, and I’m seriously stoke, stoke, stoked for your wedding! Woohoo!

P.S. Here’s a fun little GIF to enjoy, too.

On the docket:

Portraits! Stay posted!

Cheers,

-Kristine

As has been the theme in my recent posts, it has been a damp, damp spring in Montana. Which I’m a fan of, don’t get me wrong – if we can keep the green a bit longer and avoid fire season then I’m all for it. But it also means that scheduling sessions has required some creativity, probably a little bit of hand-wringing, and perhaps some subtle (or not so subtle) murmuring to the radar on my weather app to “just push the storm over that way a little, pretty pretty please!” Thankfully that pleading with my weather app worked (well, we’ll pretend it did anyway) for Andrea and Mike’s spring engagement session in the Missoula hills. It had been pouring right up until a bit before we started our session, so I was pretty darn thankful we didn’t need to pull out the galoshes!

And it was a gorgeous session with these two! The hills were lush, clouds hung in fluffy strips across the blue of the mountains, and the arrowleaf baslamroot wildflowers were out en force. Not to mention, Andrea and Mike were such a pleasure to photograph. (I think Mike wins the award for “opera-singing” along with me – we truly had a “Sound of Music” moment for a second there!) Two bears even wandered through our shoot location (of course, right before I arrived)!

Andrea and Mike were so gung ho about everything and braved the wet grass and chilly temps, all the while grinning and laughing with one another as we frolicked (there was indeed some frolicking!!) in the fields. I’m especially happy that we also hit wildflower time right on the nose since Andrea had been hoping for them to make an appearance in their engagement photos. They actually live in New Mexico currently, but Montana holds a special place for them since Andrea visited her uncle’s cabin on Flathead Lake every summer growing up. (And that’s where they’ll be getting married this summer!)

Andrea and Mike! Thanks again for such a fun session and for being flexible with our crazy weather! (So glad it didn’t snow on us! Egads!) It was so good to finally meet you both in person and see just how much fun you have with one another. I can’t wait for your wedding day this summer (hopefully with a little warmer weather, too!).

On the docket:

portraits and weddings! Don’t miss out!

Cheers,

-Kristine

I always love it when couples have fun ideas for their photo shoot – and when Shannon and Jud told me they were thinking about doing their Missoula engagement photos in a funky airplane boneyard, I got more than a little excited. Like a LOT excited. Like clapping-of-my-hands-and-squealing-a-little-bit excited. (Shannon and Jud can totally vouch for that, too.)

And then the day came. And the light and the clouds and the beat up old planes, and Shannon and Jud together – it was all to DIE for. I could barely contain myself. In fact, I think I may have been speaking gibberish at times because I couldn’t get my words out quickly enough. So. Much. Awesome. And, pardon my French, but So. SO. Badass.

Suffice it to say, we all had a total and complete blast, laughed enough to give ourselves a full ab workout, and then topped it all off with celebratory Coldsmokes and talking and laughing in the twilight as the sun dipped behind the mountains. (Cool fact: Shannon and Jud met at Kettlehouse over Coldsmokes!)

Shannon and Jud – you are, hands down, the definition of fantastic! I am so beyond excited to get to photograph your wedding next year, and I’m thrilled to be working with you both. Here’s to continued awesomeness, badassery and Coldsmokes! :)

On the docket: portraits! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

When Colleen and Colin met up with me to talk about having me photograph their Missoula Montana engagement photography session, I knew we’d have a great time making images together – these two are so happy, so sweet together, and truly do epitomize the meaning of love.

We had such a wonderful time wandering the golden fields, laughing and chatting the entire time. They insisted they weren’t used to being in front of the camera, but these two were naturals! Mother Nature also behaved herself for us, treating Colleen and Colin to perfect temps, and, if you look closely, you might even see a cloud in the shape of heart – serendipitous!

Colleen and Colin! It was so much fun getting to make these photos for you and it was truly a treat to see just how much you love each other. Here’s to a fun engagement and an even better wedding day and married life together! :)

On the docket: portraits and weddings! Stay posted!

Cheers!

-Kristine

As October is wont to do sometimes, the skies threatened rain on Betsy and Cameron’s engagement session, but we decided to brave it anyway, and lucky us – the rain stayed away and treated us to some exceptionally beautiful light – only challenged, however, by the absolute happiness radiating from Betsy and Cameron as they looked at one another. Seriously – these two love each other. L. O. V. E. Love.

We had so much fun as we trekked about in the woods, laughing our heads off the entire time, and exclaiming at how we are so lucky to live in such a naturally gorgeous place.

And I feel pretty darn lucky I get to work with couples as fantastic as Betsy and Cameron are. You two – I cannot WAIT to photograph your wedding! I can tell we are going to have ourselves an exceptional day. :)

On the docket: portraits galore and one more wedding for the year! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine