It’s always so special to be able to make photos for seniors in a place that holds special significance to them. And Allie’s Seeley Lake senior photos were a perfect example of this! Her mom grew up in the Bitterroot valley, and Allie’s grandparents live in Seeley Lake. She’s been visiting them every summer since 6th grade. (Allie currently lives in Georgia, and Georgia just doesn’t have what we have here in Montana. Plus, apparently a LOT more snakes. )

Allie just loves the mountains and the lakes, and the wide expanses that Montana has to offer, so we made sure to showcase that in her senior photos. We initially had to postpone her session a couple days since this spring was a rainy one, and it had decided to just pour on our original session date. Thankfully, we found a little window of time where the weather was dry and we could have a blast making images together!

Allie is a self-professed nerd (as am I), so we had a great time nerding out together. (Marching band and Star Wars, oh yes!) Speaking of marching band, Allie channeled her marching band walk for some of her images (she nailed it!), but just without the saxophone, and in slightly taller boots.

The wildflowers were still in bloom for her session, and we found all sorts of beautiful specimens to include in some of her images — larkspur, arrow leaf balsam root, and I think wild geranium? But don’t quote me on that. Montana was definitely in full-on Montana mode during Allie’s session, and also treated us to melodic meadowlarks, and majestic eagles and ospreys flying overhead.

Allie also wore THE most excellent top for some of her images (Darth Vader on a bicycle, yo!), and after completely slaying one of her photos, she pumped her fist in the air with excitement. I joked with her that I should add a light saber into that image…wellll…..I’ll let you scroll down a bit to see if I did or not.

Allie! Thank you again for an absolutely awesome session! I loved getting to meet you (and your mom and Papa), and make these images for you. What an absolute treat! Here’s to you, your senior year, and your future ahead!

On the docket:

Portraits galore! Stay posted!

Cheers,

-Kristine

You know when you talk with people and just instantly connect? That’s how I felt when I first chatted with Brenna and Nathaniel over the phone about their engagement and wedding photography. And I was just so, SO excited to get to make their Butte Montana engagement photos. We somehow avoided the rain, too! (Though it was cold enough we were actually wondering if it might snow, ha!)

Brenna and Nathaniel are just the sweetest, and have been together for 10 years. I met up with them at their (gorrrrrgeous) home in Butte that has a beautiful view of the Tobacco Roots. Brenna’s family used to own a ski hill right nearby (when it still got snow). And holy smokes, is it ever a stunning property!

We had so much fun traipsing all around, and finding the prettiest little pockets of aspen and sagebrush and wildflowers, hooray! As we were making photos, the running joke was that we were being watched (literally) by their cats, Milo, Purrkley, and Tapper, who were hanging out in the windows of their home, keeping an eye on us. (Also, how awesome are their cats’ names?! They’re all named after Butte-related things!)

As a bonafide nerd myself, I was pretty stoked to hear that Brenna and Nathaniel also consider themselves nerdlings (yay!), and wanted to make a few photos of them gaming together. (Yas, please!)

Suffice it to say, we just had so much fun together, and there was no shortage of laughter and smiles and blissful nerdiness.

Brenna and Nathaniel! What I’ve shared here doesn’t do justice to what an absolute delight it was to hang out with you and make these photos! You two are just wonderful, and I cannot wait to document your wedding day for you! Woohoo! :)

On the docket:

Lotsa portraits! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

Matthew + Amanda’s wedding at the Nest on Swan River in Bigfork Montana was truly the perfect day. Amidst a very wet spring season, the raindrops only came out here and there, but otherwise left us alone, and Mother Nature treated the couple to a stunning wedding day.

We started off with some getting ready images. Everyone was so relaxed and chill (I’m always a big fan of that!), and people just truly seemed to be embracing the day and enjoying themselves. Laughter flowed freely, and I had such a blast getting to photograph Matthew, Amanda, their family, and friends.

Flowering trees and lilacs were just at the tail end of their blooms, but it made for a magical feeling around the Nest, with petals lazily floating on the breeze. And it made for a gorgeous photo backdrop, too! Matthew and Amanda’s first look was absolute perfection, and Matthew’s expression as he saw his bride for the first time was priceless.

Before long, it was time for the ceremony to start. Everyone was in good spirits, and the laughter trend continued. Matthew dipped Amanda for their first kiss, and everyone cheered for the newlyweds as they walked back down the aisle, beaming together as husband and wife.

Guests were treated to delicious food and drink, a rollicking good photo booth, and lawn games. Matthew and Amanda shared their mother-son and father-daughter dances with Matthew’s sister and father, since she and her husband had to cancel their wedding in 2020 and elope instead. There were more than a few tears that sprang up with this kind gesture, and the emotion was beautiful, sweet, and tangible.

Folks shared in more good natured laughter and fun during the toasts, and then it was time to cut the cake, distribute the desserts, and kick off some fantastic dancing as daylight shifted to night.

Matthew and Amanda! What an absolute pleasure it was to be invited to document your day and make these images for you! I just loved every second of getting to work with you, your friends, and family (you seriously have the sweetest people in your lives!), and I’m just so very happy for you both. Here’s to a joyful married life ahead! Big hugs and congrats to you again!

Vendors for Matthew + Amanda’s Wedding at The Nest on Swan River in Bigfork Montana

Photographer: Kristine Paulsen Photography, Missoula, Montana
Venue: The Nest on Swan River, Bigfork, Montana
Planner: Kayla Conners with Epic Events, Missoula, Montana
Florist: Blume Hill Studios, Flathead Valley, Montana
DJ: Collin, with Ryan Bradshaw Media, Missoula, Montana
Makeup and hair artist: Glow Salon, Kalispell, Montana
Officiant: Don Strine
Caterer: Oso’s Catering, Columbia Falls, Montana
Rentals: Celebrate Rentals, Kalispell, Montana
Wedding dress: an Essence of Australia design from Plume Bridal, Bozeman, Montana
Bridesmaid dresses: from Birdy Grey
Men’s suits: from Friar Tux, San Diego

On the docket:

Oodles of portraits and weddings — stay posted!

Cheers,

-Kristine

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

I’m so excited to share baby Mo and baby Liam’s Missoula Montana lifestyle newborn photos session with you today! After making Keriann’s maternity photos, I just couldn’t wait to meet these little ones! And how fun that Keriann and Alex have both a little boy and girl in their lives! There’s something just so, so special about documenting lifestyle newborn sessions. I love meeting the wee ones, but even more beautiful is getting to see people turn into parents. It was amazing to witness how absolutely brilliant they are in their new roles. Keriann and Alex certainly have a lot on their plates now, but boy, are they ever knocking it out of the park together in their new family of four!

I met up with them at their home for their photos, and, as it happens, the twins were one month old that day. Mo (short for Montine) and Liam (short for William) were absolutely incredible during their session! I was so impressed by how alert they were, and how big they are. Mo was 5 pounds and Liam was 7 pounds at birth (big kudos to you, Keriann!). They also have a super cool palindrome birthday — 3-20-23 — which also happened to be the first day of spring!

Being newborns, Mo and Liam had their moments, but Keriann and Alex were at the ready with an excellent pacifier strategy to keep the babies calm and happy. (Side note: I love how the pacifiers have names, related to the little stuffed animals attached to them. One is “Stego” and the other is “Drama Llama.” SO good. ) Keriann and Alex would count down “one, two, three!” Then they’d remove Stego and Drama Llama, and we’d have a few seconds to make photos before the babies realized what was up and staged a protest.

Liam completely passed out at one point, and Alex was a bit incredulous since “he never does this!” Mo, on the other hand, was so wide-eyed and seemed to be deeply taking in everything around her…including the weird black box I had up in her face. Liam about melted me when he gave us a few smiles here and there showing his sweet dimples.

And I was so happy to be able to make some images with Mo and Liam’s grandparents, too — Jo and Tommy. We also had fun creating photos with the beautiful quilts Jo made for the babies.

This was such a beautiful, delightful session, and I’m just so glad we got to capture this stage in all their lives together. Time flies, so being able to freeze these sweet moments just means the world to me.

Keriann, Alex, Mo, and Liam (and Jo and Tommy, too!), thank you so much for inviting me into your lives to capture these memories for you! Your family is so sweet, and it was an absolute treat to get to meet Mo and Liam. I can’t wait to see you all continue to grow together! 

Enjoy the following peek into this sweet newborn session!

On the docket:

Portraits and weddings and more! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

Way back in November of last year, Greg reached out to me about making Hamilton Montana family photos of him, his wife, Mary, and their son Jeremiah — and he booked the session as a surprise Christmas present for Mary. Fast forward a bit, and we planned on photographing sometime in spring, but it rained and rained and rained, and I think we had to reschedule something like six times! However, even with all those reschedules and rain delays, serendipity was on our side, and we experienced the most gorgeous evening together. The wildflowers were even still in bloom due to our wet, cold spring.

I met up with Greg, Mary, and Jeremiah on their 92 acre property outside of Hamilton, and as I parked my car at the their house, five-year-old Jeremiah came running up to me telling me that he had a gift for me! And out he thrust a little fist full of wildflowers he’d picked for me. I about melted of happiness on the spot right then and there. Suffice it to say that this was just the start of many, many delightful moments during our session together!

Jeremiah was incredibly excited about the photos and had all sorts of ideas for me. (As Mary said, “He’s five going on 30!”) He was our official tour guide, and he would take my hand, and lead me around to show off his favorite “shortcuts.” Bodie, their Rhodesian ridgeback, also joined us for some photos, too!

We had a blast finding the most perfect wildflowers and views, giggling and laughing and being silly, discovering dancing caterpillars, playing hide and seek in lupine, making flower petal confetti, turning into tigers in the tall grass, and even racing down their gravel road (Jeremiah definitely won that race with me, haha!).

What an absolutely delightful session! My heart was just soaring during and after, and I’m so glad we finally got to make these photos together! Thank you again, Greg, Mary, and Jeremiah! Your family is so delightful, and it was an absolute joy to capture these moments for you!

On the docket:

Portraits and weddings galore — stay posted!

Cheers,

-Kristine

It was such a treat to get to meet up with Kristie, Darwin, Isaac, Sophia, and Noah for their family photos at the Ranch at Rock Creek! They were visiting Montana from Florida, so our weather was slightly different than what they’re used to. We’ve had a very, very wet spring in Montana (did you see what happened to Yellowstone? ) , and even though it drizzled during our entire session, we still all made the most of it together!

I loved seeing how much fun their entire family has together — there were plenty of giggles to go around, some “mom adjustments” to hairstyles and good-natured joking, and the kids definitely know how to make each other crack up!

We hit up some of their favorite spots on the ranch, Isaac and Sophia spiffed up Noah’s cowboy hat with some giant feathers they found, they took a spin on the bikes the ranch provides (Sophia even off-roaded, all while wearing a dress — color me impressed!), and everyone had a good time showing off their cowboy boots, too.

As our session wound down, Sophia and Noah even showed me some of their “pool shark” moves at the ranch’s bar.

Kristie, Darwin, Isaac, Sophia, and Noah — thank you again for such a delightful session! I loved getting to meet you all, and I want to commend you again for braving those raindrops. Montana will most definitely be glad to welcome you back for another visit!

On the docket:

Weddings and portraits galore! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

Recently I had the pleasure of going on assignment for Cyclist magazine to photograph Tyler Hamilton for a feature the magazine was doing on him for their summer issue, which is on news stands now.

Tyler Hamilton was one of the whistleblowers who helped to reveal cycling’s doping scandal — including doping by Lance Armstrong, as well as his own use during his own racing career. Tyler detailed all of that in his autobiography (co-written with Daniel Coyle), The Secret Race: Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France. (It went on to become a New York Times bestseller.)

We fit in our shoot during Tyler’s son’s nap time, and he was just so fantastic and gracious to work with. Thankfully, Missoula’s strange spring weather held out for us (though we did get snowed on, sprinkled on, and sunshined-on during our shoot…because, spring in Montana!). And I even was treated to some doggo snuggles with his sweet pup, who starred in a handful of our images.

The magazine’s story is incredibly interesting (you can purchase a copy of Issue 128 on their website, or access it via Apple News), and I’m looking forward to reading Tyler’s book, which I’ve been told is absolutely fascinating.

Thanks again for sharing your time with me and helping to create a stellar shoot, Tyler! And thanks to Cyclist magazine and their deputy editor and art director for being fantastic to work with, too.

Now, onto some tearsheets from the feature as well as some of my favorite outtakes from the shoot. (To be respectful of the magazine and their paid content, I’ve blurred out the article text.) Enjoy!

On the docket:

Lots of portraits and weddings — stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

I constantly ask myself this question when shooting food photography: “How on earth can food be so darn gorgeous?” Here’s how — so much of it has to do with the chef behind it, and Tara of Dandelion Catering is an absolute magician when it comes to her food’s beauty and taste. Both are divine! We had such a great time during Dandelion Catering’s spring food photography in Missoula Montana, and we even got to create some business branding imagery, too.

Dandelion Catering’s space is cozy, light, and bright, and immediately inviting. And for good reason — you will 100% want to hang out a while and let the delicious aromas waft over you as you grab some of Tara’s seriously incredible soups (I’ve tasted them…they are so, SO good), or treat yourself to a grazing box (hello YUM!). (Speaking of grazing boxes, you can check out more of that imagery and Tara’s catering spread, from our shoot this past summer.)

As we were making these springtime images, it was so fun to laugh over the little “soup party” we were creating. The blessing (and curse) of being a food photographer is that it all smells so mouth-wateringly good, it can be difficult to resist sneaking a spoonful. (Tara was wonderfully kind and sent me home with delicious samples — thank you!) I love how she served her soups in mugs, which she told me was inspired by her grandma. (Soup in a mug, yes please!) Another standout detail about Dandelion Catering is that Tara works with locally sourced ingredients, and they’re healthy and flavorful.

But. Here I am, chatting away, when really we should let Dandelion Catering’s creations speak for themselves. Onwards to the photos! Thank you again, Tara, for a fantastic session! It’s always a pleasure getting to work with you. :)

On the docket:

Portraits, editorial work, and weddings! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

Senior photos are some of my favorite images to make. And Janelle’s Missoula senior photos in the spring were no exception. I was so excited to meet her and her mom and accompany them to one Janelle’s most favorite places up Deep Creek. (Janelle’s mom hadn’t even been there before, and neither had I!)

It’s a rocky beach area right along the river, with beautiful view of the mountains. Janelle told me that she loves to go there to hang out with her friends as they run their dogs. And she especially loves it because it’s got amazing sunsets.

Driving to this location was a long, bumpy journey, and I’ve got to admit, I was a little worried my tiny car was going to get stuck. (Janelle informed me during our session that stuck cars apparently happen fairly frequently up there! Luckily we hit a dry day and my minuscule little car was not swallowed up into the mud. )

But, enough about the drive! Janelle’s a busy, busy bee. She told me that she has already graduated, but is walking this spring with her Class of 2021. In the meantime, she packs her schedule with shifts at Burger King.

I’m glad she squeezed in some time for some senior photos though, because she is just an absolute natural in front of the camera. If Janelle had a superpower (or superpowers), I’d say they must be her easygoing nature, and her ability to radiate such a natural, happy smile with a few fun giggles thrown in for good measure. (Janelle’s mom in the background definitely helped elicit some of those giggles, too!)

Somehow during Janelle’s session we managed to be treated to beautiful light, while the rest of Missoula experienced a little spring snow squall. It literally hit everywhere else except our particular spot, which we were all totally happy with! The wind was just starting to pick up during our session, but it seemed to just perfectly follow Janelle in the best way — because who doesn’t want gorgeous wind in the hair? (People pay big bucks for that — Mother Nature gave us a deal!)

Janelle – thank you again for such a delightful session! It was a treat to get to meet you and your mom and make these photos for you! Here’s to you and your future, and congratulations on your graduation! You did it! Woot woot!

On the docket:

Portraits, weddings and business branding sessions! Keep your eyes open!

Cheers,

-Kristine