When Kristan got in touch with me this year to make University of Montana summertime family photos again of her, her husband Ben, their son Lincoln, Ben’s mother Janet and Ben’s sister Jessica I was beyond excited because we’d had such a blast last summer making images for them. And this year was no exception!

Lincoln, now two, was as energetic as ever, ready to rocket all over campus, climb up and down stairs, balance on curbs, swing from his parents’ arms, giggle with his grammie and auntie, and challenge me to mini races. The boundless joy in this little guy is pretty magical and absolutely contagious! He had us all laughing and my cheeks definitely hurt from grinning so much!

Case-in-point: he gave me a new nickname of “Toots” – you know, short for Tootsie. Which has got to be about the funniest thing ever. Lincoln walked up to me at one point and exclaimed, “Hi Toots!” Ben looked at him, surprised and said, “Where did that come from?” We all had a good time guffawing over that little moment.

We eventually needed to wrap up our session, and as I was headed out to leave, Lincoln took my hand in his little one and pulled me along with his family. Oh my heart! I explained to him that I had to go to my house and he had to go to his, which wasn’t exactly the most suitable of explanations to him, because he was still pretty insistent that I come with them. So we agreed that he could give me a hug and I’d see him again soon. Seriously – how I didn’t melt right there on the spot is a mystery to me. What a little dear!

Suffice it to say, it was an absolutely fabulous session and I loved every second, as I knew I would. Kristan, Ben, Lincoln, Janet and Jessica – thank you again for a wonderful evening! It is such a treat to get to document your family when you swing on over to Montana! Here’s to a wonderful year ahead for you all!

On the docket:

Oodles of weddings, elopements, and portraits! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

I always have the best time when photographing Christine and Anders (see proof from their engagement session and wedding), and this time was no different, except for one thing. We got to make their Missoula Montana fall family photos with dogs! Misha, their golden retriever who’s about a year and a half, and Sam, their 12-week-old Australian Shepherd were as cute as cute can be, and the absolute sweetest pups you can imagine.

This was Sam’s first time really exploring beyond his backyard because he’d just gotten his shots. He was a little apprehensive at first since leashes are very big, scary snakes, black cameras are very frightening clicking boxes, and bicyclists are weird, fast humans with wheels. But soon he discovered the magic of pinecones which had him feeling mighty good about life. Misha also did a great job protecting her little sidekick from terrifying yellow school buses with some ferocious (read: very much NOT ferocious) barks, which were immediately accompanied by oodles of tail-wagging. Because Golden Retriever, amiright? ;)

We all had a fantastic time wandering through the woods, and the pups were beyond excited to explore, sniff up all the new scents of the day, and do their best to jump into the nearby creek. They also bestowed upon me loads and loads of puppy hugs and kisses, which nearly had me melting into a happy little pool of photographer joy. Sam was feeling especially lovey-dovey, and couldn’t get enough of Anders – the number of sweet puppy kisses he gave him was absolutely hilarious!

Christine, Anders, Misha and Sam! What a true blast of a family session it was! Thank you again for having me document you two and your darling doggies – I just love getting to work with you, and we for sure need to hit up Big Dipper soon (yay puppy cones!) and grab some beers. :) Here’s to you all and your fabulous family!

On the Docket:

Editorial shoots and weddings! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

If 19-month-old Lincoln ever wanted to bottle up his energy and sell it, he’d be rich! During Kristan, Ben, Lincoln, and Janet’s University of Montana Family photos he definitely kept us all on our toes and laughing our heads off!

It was so much fun getting to meet everyone, and their visit to Missoula was a special one since they all have Montana connections. This was Lincoln’s first visit to Montana, his dad, Ben, was born here, and Janet also grew up in Missoula and attended the University of Montana for a degree in music. And, Ben and Kristan were engaged in Glacier in 2012 – so there was lots of Montana love to go around!

As we made our way around campus on a blue sky, 90-something degree day, Lincoln was all about exploring and running hither, thither and yon. We all joked that by the end of our session he had probably already run at least four marathons! And his little red cheeks seemed to prove that point, too!

When he wasn’t running here, there, and everywhere, Lincoln absolutely loved giggling, looking at various flowers on campus, being tossed high into the sky by his parents and getting to swing from their hands as they walked. I’d say to him as we made photos, “I SEEEEE you!” and he’d give me the biggest grin back and respond, “I see!!” Which was just about the cutest thing ever.

Lincoln also loved to show off his jumping skills, and, at one point, we came across a hollowed out metal bench seat which made for a particularly awesome drum. Lincoln and his grandma Janet had a great time making some impromptu music for everyone!

Kristan, Ben, Lincoln and Janet! Thank you so much for such a blast of a session! Lincoln is quite the little sweetheart and I loved getting to make these images for all of you – AND getting a workout in of my own – haha! ;) Here’s to many more Montana visits for you all in the future – I’m sure Lincoln will love this beautiful place just as much as you all do!

On the Docket:

Portraits, weddings and elopements! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

Tim, Courtney, Teddy, Violet, Bill and Lorie’s family session last year was an absolute blast, so I was beyond excited to hear from Courtney again this summer to set up some more summertime family photos at Flathead Lake while everyone was together again at Bill and Lorie’s lake house.

Flathead Lake put on a stunning show that evening, and Teddy, almost 5, was super stoked to show me all the tricks he’d been saving up since our session last summer. Violet, almost 2, motored around everywhere, tiny little pockets full of rocks to throw in the lake at a moment’s notice, and was always interested in what her big brother was up to.

Teddy immediately took me to the dock where he’d set up his minnow-trapping contraption. And my heart just about melted upon seeing it, especially after hearing Teddy tell me that so far, he just hadn’t caught any minnows. But he wasn’t about to give up, and diligently checked it throughout the evening, rigging up even more elaborate minnow traps to catch those sneaky little guys.

At one point as Teddy worked on a mega knot, his grandpa looked at him and said, “If that’s not a knot, I don’t know what is!” which caused Teddy to just crack up and dissolve in a fit of giggles.

And giggling, happiness, and laughter pretty much sums up our entire session that evening. Everyone had a fantastic time tossing rocks into the lake, Teddy showed me how high he could kick his kickball, Violet demonstrated some super stellar somersaults and rolls all around the grass, the kiddos chased each other laughing and squealing with happiness, and then rushed back to dole out kisses to their parents and grandparents, Twizzler treats were a fan favorite, sparkler time was beyond exciting (and Teddy insisted that “picture lady” had sparklers to play with too – how sweet!), and before we knew it the sun was setting, and it was time for Teddy’s favorite thing – to fly into the air alongside his sister, Violet. And fly they did! Laughing and giggling and completely delighted as their parents tossed them, over and over, all silhouetted by a beautiful sunset on the lake.

But before we said our goodbyes, Teddy and Violet wanted to show me a few more of their moves on the swing set, swinging as high as they could into the sky, pure joy on their faces. After one last cool move down the slide, it was time to bid them farewell, and Teddy gave me the ultimate compliment, a high-five foot five with his feet – haha!

It completely goes without saying, but Tim, Courtney, Teddy, Violet, Bill and Lorie – thank you again, tenfold, for another fabulous session. The joy and love in your family is so beautiful, and I just feel completely honored getting to capture it for you, and having the opportunity to document your kiddos as they grow. What an absolute treat! Here’s to another wonderful evening on the lake and many more in the future!

On the Docket:

Weddings, portraits and elopements! Stay posted!

Cheers,

-Kristine

Oh my – it’s an understatement to say that autumn in October in Montana is pretty darn special. But when I have the pleasure of making Missoula fall family photos for returning clients, it’s even better! I got to meet up again with Keegan and his boys Anze and Mikko (I had a blast photographing them during their family session last summer), and this time Kristi and her daughter, Skylar, joined in the fun too.

The kids had a fantastic time exploring our surroundings, climbing logs, jumping off the logs, finding super special rocks (both to throw and to keep), locating intriguing sticks, exclaiming over soft moss and pretty leaves, “roaring” and cracking up as we made our photos, and generally just having a grand old time in the great outdoors. At one point, Mikko found a piece of a pine branch that he really loved and was beyond excited to show it to me up close and personal (which about made me laugh myself silly – his enthusiasm was so adorable!).

We couldn’t have had a more delightful session, and I’m just so excited that I got to document Keegan’s family again and see just how much the boys have grown since I last saw them! Keegan, Anze, Mikko, Kristi and Skylar – it truly goes without saying, but thank you again for having me photograph your sweet family. It was so much fun to make these photos for you and capture this latest stage in your lives!

On the Docket:

Weddings and portraits! Stay posted!

Cheers,

-Kristine

I’m just going to come right out with it – I absolutely, unequivocally adored Tim, Courtney, Teddy, Violet, Bill and Lorie’s Flathead Lake family portraits in Polson Montana. Not only are they such a sweet family, but they were willing to just have fun, play with their kiddos and let their kids be kids with them. That to me is the definition of a perfect family session. No rigid line-ups in front of the camera. No constant adjustments of clothing. No commands to force smiles.

Instead we goofed around on their slide, we picked cherries (and three-almost-four-year-old Teddy insisted I have one too and was kind enough to remind me to “spit the pit out, Kristine!”), we wrestled in the grass, we marveled at the power of Flathead Lake’s waves crashing into Finley Point, we played pat-a-cake, we giggled on swings, we chased mayflies, and to sum it up, we simply enjoyed the heck out of a perfect summer evening in Montana.

It’s, of course, an understatement to say just how glad I am that Tim and Courtney and their two cute-as-cute-can-be children, Teddy and Violet (10 months) contacted me to do this session. They came all the way from Rhode Island to visit Tim’s parents Bill and Lorie at their lakefront property for about a week and wanted to capture how much they love their time on the lake and how much they love one another.

And I’d like to think we did exactly that. :)

Thank you again, Tim, Courtney, Teddy, Violet, Bill and Lorie! It was SUCH a treat to get to meet you all and make these images for you (I still can’t believe Teddy is usually shy around new people!). I had an absolute blast and I’m so glad we got to document a little slice of your time on the lake this summer. You have such a beautiful, vibrant, happy family, and making these images for you just made my heart sing! Thank you again, and come back to Montana again soon!

On the Docket:

Weddings and portraits and elopements! Stay posted!

Cheers,

-Kristine

I’ve got to tell you, I was beyond flattered when Bonnie contacted me about doing Missoula family pictures in the spring with her partner, Josh, and 6-month-old baby girl, Ro. Bonnie’s a fellow photographer and journalism school graduate (she attended Berkeley’s j-school), and does beautiful work – both photographically and written. She and her darling little family were going to be in Missoula again to visit (Bonnie had an internship with the Missoula Independent a couple years ago and we met through mutual friends), and I was so excited to see them again, especially with the newest addition to their family, little Ro!

I seriously cannot say enough about this sweet family. There’s something so special about seeing people you know become parents, and getting the opportunity to document even just a little sliver of their new lives together is pretty magical. It came as no surprise to me at all that Bonnie and Josh are such fantastic parents. They love their little girl to the moon and back (easily more than that, I’m sure!), and laugh with her and love on her with such ease and happiness, it kind of makes my heart ache in that swelling-so-full-it’s-gonna-burst sort of way. I loved seeing them smooch Ro’s oh-so-smoochable cheeks, tickle her little baby toes, and then steal glances at one another with such love in their expressions as they watched each other play with their baby daughter.

It goes without saying that we had SUCH a blast making these images. Ro, it turns out, loves my wacky dancing especially accompanied by the excitedly-said word “BUS!” (And I love wacky dancing for her when she giggles and bestows smiles upon me like the ones you’ll see below – oh my heart!!!). So we danced, we basked in the golden sunlight filtering through the trees, we sang diaper-changing songs and we explored some massive dandelion fields together.

Bonnie, Josh and Ro – thank you again for such a beautiful, wonderful session. My heart grew a few sizes getting to see you all together, and I’m so grateful I got to capture just a smidgeon of that joy. So much love for you all! Come back and visit again soon!

On the docket:

Portraits and weddings! Stay posted!

Cheers,

-Kristine

I have been wanting to blog the Roberts’ family’s photo session for a while now since 1. They were a total and complete blast to photograph. 2. We seriously had a gorgeous evening to work with. And 3. Their girls, Landon and Logan made me remember just what is so exceptionally amazing about being a kid.

We giggled, we skipped, we got goofy, we ran, we played in the grass, and we made Jill and Dave laugh too.

And it was pure beauty.

What a treat it was to photograph your family – thank you! Come back and visit again soon! :)

On the docket: portraits, weddings, and more portraits! Don’t miss out!

Cheers,

-Kristine