I was so excited to meet up with Erin and Chris for their Missoula summer maternity photos. I hadn’t yet connected with them because their maternity session (and upcoming newborn portraits) were a gift from Erin’s sisters. (Side note: what an amazingly thoughtful gift to give!)

When I met them for their maternity session, it turns out that Erin and I had met a few years back during the “For Women’s Only” ski program at Snowbowl. (Funny how small towns work like that!) It was so nice to see her again in this new stage of her life, and we had such a fantastic time making images to celebrate her mama-ness.

Their 10-year-old border collie mix, Lyra, also joined us for our shoot, and was such a trooper even though she seemed a little confused that we weren’t all going for a longer walk together and kept stopping a lot to take photos.

We had such a beautiful evening to make Erin, Chris, and Lyra’s photos. Mother Nature treated us to perfect light, with gorgeous cottonwood fuzz floating around creating a sparkle-like effect.

Erin and Chris’s little boy is due in early August. Erin told me she can’t quite wrap her mind around his arrival and meeting him for the first time. “What will he look like?” she mused. She and Chris are beyond giddy to meet their little man.

Erin, Chris, and Lyra! Thank you for such a fabulous session! I loved everything about your shoot, and I’m just so excited to meet your little boy very soon!

On the docket:

Editorial shoots, brand sessions, portraits, and weddings — stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

I always love documenting people during new stages of their lives, and I was so excited when Rachael reached out to me about making Missoula springtime maternity photos to celebrate such a special time as she and her partner, Joe, await the arrival of their first child.

As we walked and talked during their shoot, they told me that their little boy is due at the end of May. He’ll be joining two older fur siblings, one of whom made a cameo in this session as well. Rookie, their mini doodle, was beyond excited for his moment in front of the lens and could barely contain himself. But he absolutely knew how to work it for the camera and flashed all sorts of cute smiles my way.

We had a quintessential Montana session. As we meandered about near the river, an osprey dove into the river fishing for its dinner. (Mother Nature really excelled that evening!)

Rachael also told me that “it’s been weirdly nice to be pregnant during a pandemic.” She hasn’t had to worry about going out, spend time worrying too much about what to wear, trying to hide her bump, etc. I hadn’t even thought of that, but what a totally unique perspective! And just think of the tales she and Joe will be able to tell their son once he’s a little older!

Thank you again, Rachael, Joe, and Rookie for such a great evening! You three are all naturals in front of the camera, and I had such a wonderful time making these photos for you. I’m so beyond excited for this new adventure, and can’t wait to hear about your little guy’s arrival! Congrats congrats congrats again!

On the docket: portraits, weddings, and business branding sessions! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

I just love getting to work with Becka and Stephan – we’ve made family portraits together, and I’ve documented their wedding and their rock the dress session – so when Becka contacted me to tell me that she was pregnant and wanted me to make some Missoula Montana springtime maternity photos to celebrate this happy occasion for their family, I was just SO excited! These two are always so much fun to photograph, and I feel so fortunate to be able to document so many amazing things in their lives.

Thankfully the weather held out for us (though we did get sprinkled on a bit because, you know, that’s just par for the course in Missoula in the spring) and we were treated to some beautiful views, gorgeous clouds, but most importantly, just the sheer happiness of Becka and Stephan.

Becka was simply radiant for her session, and I love how tenderly she looked down at her baby, whom they’ll be meeting in June. Stephan says he doesn’t like being in photos, but you could’ve fooled me! It’s so apparent how much he loves Becka and their soon-to-arrive son, laughing, smiling, and wrapping his arms around Becka and their baby boy.

Thanks again for yet another wonderful session, Becka and Stephan, and for braving the ever-changing weather! I am just so thrilled for you and your family, and I cannot wait to meet little mister B!

On the docket:

Portraits, weddings and editorial work! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

Oh goodness me – what an absolute blast I had with Katie, Anthony and Dominic for their Missoula family, maternity and baby photos the other day. I was so, so excited when Katie contacted me about making these images because 1) I just adore them (I photographed both their engagement and wedding)  and 2) I hadn’t yet met mister 14-month-old Dominic yet! AND Katie told me she’s due with another little one at the end of January – so there is a lot to be excited about!

Not surprisingly, Dominic is completely adorable. For having just learned to walk about a month before their session, he motored around very well and navigated the tall grass with only a few (soft) tumbles here and there. He also was enamored of the view (as in, he literally could not stop staring at the mountains – so cute!), loved pointing at things, definitely holds a soft spot for all things rock, and really enjoyed playing in the dirt and taste-testing it too.

He had a blast “chasing after” and “getting” his mom and dad, and would fall into them and cuddle hard. They’d shower him with kisses and hugs and, good gravy, folks! They’re such a sweet family!

Dominic was also extremely curious about what I was up to and would toddle to me as well, bestowing smiles and hugs upon me (melt my heart, mister Dom!).

We all had such a fabulous time laughing and dancing and pointing at rocks. When we weren’t doing this, Anthony treated Dominic to shoulder rides, and Dom treated Anthony to some new hairdos – haha! Dominic also really loved it when I made my camera fly through the air and “swoosh” at him which elicited all sorts of smiles and giggles. Which, of course, nearly rendered me into a pool of heart-meltiness all over again.

Katie, Anthony and “Vacation Dom!” Oh my gosh, you guys! It’s such an understatement to say how much I loved getting to hang with you and document your new stage in life as parents and family. I always know my face will get a workout from smiling and laughing so much when I’m around you, and this latest session was no exception. Thank you again for having me capture this little slice of life with you all – here’s to more Montana visits in the future! :) :)

On the Docket:

Portraits, weddings, elopements and editorial shoots! Stay posted!

Cheers,

-Kristine

I know I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again – there’s really nothing better than getting to work with past clients in new stages of their lives. So when Kelci and Michael contacted me about doing their wintry Missoula maternity photos to document the excitement surrounding their very first baby, I was, simply put, giddy (which is totally an understatement). I’ve had the pleasure of getting to photograph their engagement, their wedding, now their maternity session, and soon, their sweet little baby!

As I knew we would, we had such a blast making these photos. Kelci and Michael are the absolute sweetest people, and were just as excited as I was by all the new snow we had been treated to. Talk about a winter wonderland (or, technically autumn – yay wacky Montana weather!).

It was so fun to see just how thrilled they are to meet their baby girl, and how happy they are as a couple together. We giggled, we laughed, we tromped through the snow, we danced in the snowflakes, and avoided being hit by “snow bombs” dropping off the trees – their session was pure perfection!

Kelci and Michael, it goes without saying, of course, but thank you a million times over again for such a delightful session! I am just so happy for you two and I cannot WAIT to meet that sweet little girl of yours! Soon soon! :)

On the Docket:

Portraits! Stay posted!

Cheers,

-Kristine

I was so tickled when Katie recently got in touch with me to do her Missoula maternity photos – not only because she’s pregnant with her first baby (SO EXCITING!), but also because I was so looking forward to seeing her and her husband, Mike, again too. I have had the pleasure of making photos for them before – for their engagement images, their wedding day, and their rock the dress photos, and I was so looking forward to getting to see them again and document this new, wonderful stage in their lives!

Katie and Mike decided to have their photos done at Mike’s parents’ property – which is actually where we did their engagement photos way back in 2011. It was quite the change from our original shoot when everything was covered in snow and we were thigh-high in it in some areas!

And it was the perfect location for their photos – so green and lush! We also got to catch the last of a smoky sunset to start out our session, and Katie was just glowing (she is one gorgeous mama-to-be!). We meandered on down to the creek that runs through their property for some images too. (Katie was definitely a fan of the cool water on her bare feet!) And holy moly – talk about a magical setting for these images. It was no surprise that we had such a blast laughing and cracking up as we made their photos. Katie and Mike’s dog, Drake, even joined in for a few photos too! (He’s also a pretty excellent photo-bomber leaping through the grass, dolphin-style!) Katie’s mother, Connie, deserves a shout out as well for being a most excellent wardrobe assistant, and for being at the ready for any help we needed. (So wonderful to see you again, too, Connie!)

Katie and Mike! I just loved getting to hang out with you two again, and it was so fun to document this new exciting time in your lives! I am so thrilled for you both, and am simply beyond happy for you and your soon-to-be family of three, and I can’t wait to meet your little Ruthie!

On the Docket:

Portraits and weddings! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine