The leaves rustled in the gentle breeze and a chill was in the air. Winter was close and trying to move in. Fall was not letting go. The cottonwoods were hanging onto their last leaves in protest. Burnt orange, golden amber, and blush red filled the landscape and gave warmth to the brisk evening. Asher […]

The breeze blew gently, rattling the dry leaves. Golden hearts shimmered across the sky and fell with the other leaves that littered the path way. They crunched beneath our feet. Foliage of every fall color imaginable surrounded us. As I took the boy’s photos, I could tell Wyatt need more. “How about we have a […]

What do you picture when I say “Fall Spokesmodel Session?” Let me tell you. It starts with a perfectly warm evening. Add golden leaves dancing on the trees, ready to float to the ground below at any moment. Sun beams streaming into the cottonwood grove. An earthy, comforting smell with every step you take. And, […]

The sun was quickly dropping behind the horizon. It cast a warm glow on the trees and grass along the rims. The pink clouds popped against the sky. The twins worked their so called “prairie dresses” as they spun, swayed, and strolled through the tall grass. The dreamy light illuminated their skin and hair giving […]

The wild Montana wind had stilled leaving a perfect fall evening. His hands spun a racket as we walked on the courts. The suit he wore juxtaposed the sport of tennis. He casually tossed the tennis ball up and sent the ball flying. The suit jacket moved with the swing as if it belonged to […]

The morning sun illuminated the tall grass. The golden field looked ablaze and gave warmth to the brisk fall morning. Kristin’s smile beamed. She told me when Jenni asked her if she wanted to take pictures together, there was no hesitation. It was an immediate “YES!” She went on and said how they even got […]

The days were clearly getting shorter as the sun was quickly dropping behind the horizon. The golden sun reflected off the river and gave the girls a beautiful glow. Touches of fall hung in the trees. The evening was still warm as we meandered through the cottonwood grove. The gravel path crunched beneath our feet, […]

The evening was a warm welcome from the morning rain. The golden sun was quickly slipping behind the downtown buildings. Jackson sat on the Depot steps, automatically leaning his elbows on his knees. Cars buzzed down Montana Avenue. “Now give me a scowl.” He did and boy did he nail it! “That’s the one right […]

The setting summer sun draped this downtown Billings senior session in golden light. The streets were buzzing with Saturday evening life. Flowers hung on to the last bit of summer, while the leaves of some trees were starting to show signs of fall. Samantha ran her fingers through her hair. She giggled. I snapped a […]

The evening rain settled the smoke that hung in the air. The clouds were still thick in the sky giving little room for the sun to break through. The dropping red sun beckoned mosquitoes in and sent people out of the park. We tromped through the golden grass and the Aurora String Quartet chatted and […]

It was so good to see Daniel again for his cap and gown session! It feels like just yesterday we were waking up bright and early for his senior session. Once again Daniel’s sense of humor and laid back personality came out during our session and made taking photos of him a breeze! One of […]

It was so much fun to be back at Riverfront Park for Jennica’s cap and gown session because this is where we started the year with her senior session! Once again, it was a beautiful Montana day. Even Winston, Jenni’s dog, thought so because we couldn’t keep him out of the water! I’ve loved photographing […]

The dark clouds loomed over the rims, but Natalie wasn’t going to let a chance of rain stop her from having an amazing cap and gown session. She even had some overcast skies and chances of rain for her roots garden center session but her smile could light up the gloomiest of days. And that’s […]

At Arrow’s Senior Session he was telling me about how he was taking a German class this year so I was looking forward to hearing what he learned. Turns out his favorite saying has something to do with peeling your skin off! Totally gross, but it got some authentic smiles out of him for his […]

As expected Joseph’s go getter spirit yielded a successful senior year! And it seemed like he even had some fun along the way. After he told me all his big plans at his airplane senior session I was eager to hear how everything went at his cap&gown session. Turns out when you are as determined […]

The sun warmed the brick building. It casted a golden glow on this spring evening. The downtown lights were just starting to come on creating little sparkles in the background. The street was quiet; a reminder summer was not yet here. We discussed how prom went for each girl and moved to the old depot […]

The warm day was a welcome from the rainy weekend. The sun shone brightly parting the few clouds in the sky. A perfect Montana spring day for a Billings elopement. On the top of the rims, the wind blew the tall grass and gave movement to Alicia’s angelic gown and golden hair. Alicia and Cody […]

The sun was peeking in and out from behind the clouds as it set. A gentle breeze was blowing, just enough to create a little movement in the girls’ hair. Compared to the negative temperatures of last weekend, it almost felt like a spring day. The snow was melting creating the perfect consistency for a […]

The breeze had stopped making the 40 degree temperatures seem tolerable. Many had already taken shelter from the cold in their cars. The park had cleared. It was now quiet and still. The golden grass glowed from the setting light. As we walked back to the parking lot, time seemed to slow down from the […]

The sun beat down. Almost too warm to believe it’s a Montana fall evening. The cottonwood leaves burned a bright yellow. Families meandered across the low river bed. As the sun set, it filtered through the trees creating a dreamy glow. The clouds turned cotton candy pink and reflected off the puddles left by the […]

The sound of the river trickled by. We balanced over wobbly river rock. The chatter of the girls drifted in the quiet moments. My eyes were drawn to the bright colors of fall leaves lining the river. As we moved around to different locations, the girls started warming up. Before I knew it they were […]

The sun is dipping behind the cottonwood trees. Fall colors in the leaves are prominent this evening, creating a glow in the open field. The many voices of a large extended family fill the quiet field. As I make the fine adjustments to where the thirteen Haan grandchildren are to stand, I feel a gently […]

We stepped into the building and I felt a relief from the cool morning air. The dark hallway sloped down to a set of glass doors. The sound and smell of pool gradually became apparent as we neared the doors. Daniel walked in front with a confidence like he was walking into his own house. […]

The river rushed by. Dogs and their people meandered along the path in the fleeting evening light. Arrow sat on the sandstone rocks looking out across the river. As he told me about his summer, I couldn’t help but ask more and more questions. Who wouldn’t want to know more about petting alligators!? We talked […]

The smells of coffee, flowers, and morning rain mixed in the air. The music played softly in the background creating a movie-like feel. The tree in the garden caught my eye. We repositioned near the tree as Natalie posed with her floral bouquet. I took a few quick pictures. As I checked the back of […]

The sun glowed in the setting light casting a dreamy look onto the surroundings. The chatter of friends and families enjoying Riverfront Park floated around. Everyone was trying to catch the last fleeting days of summer. Winston’s tail happily swished back and forth. It was clear he was walking with his best friend. As if […]

The early morning air was crisp. The clouds hung in the sky, but that didn’t intimidate us. Light rain started to fall. This was the location we were looking forward to most so we couldn’t stop now. As we circled the airplane taking pictures from all angles, Joseph reached up to his aviators. His hand […]

I can hear them down the hall in the nursery. They aren’t playing, just looking around. Then my heart melts. “When you were a baby, I helped with you. We are both going to be great helpers when the new baby comes.” I love overhearing the sweet moments between siblings! Yes, the rumors are true. […]

The early July sun beat down. The backyard aspen trees created a much needed cooling shade. The laughter and conversation filled my ears from the family behind me. No sooner did my camera click and I gave a “You look great!” did I hear my new friend bound over to me. “Can I see?” uttered […]

After reading Teaching Career: Life Change #3 many of you have been asking me, now what? And if you’ve been following along for any amount of time, I bet you can guess the answer. Yep, photography is my life change #2! In high school I got my first digital camera for my birthday (I’ll spare […]

Threatening thunderstorms hung in the air. The sound of frisbees buzzed past us. Cheers and laughter could be heard in the distance. Pioneer park was booming with early summer life. Dog walkers went around us as Olivia posed on the path with her light floral dress spinning around her. As I lowered my camera I […]

Dear Teaching Career, I’m just going to come out and say it. It’s time for a break. I know it’s not easy for either of us, but it’s the right decision. The last two years have been hard, and we’ve been growing apart. You must’ve felt it too. To be honest, I thought we were […]

The fog was finally lifting as we drove to the Yellowstone River. The grass was still wet from the low morning fog. It soaked our feet as we tromped through it. Geese waddled away in our search for the yellow wildflower field. We reached a no trespassing sign, and stoped there. Fleetwood mac played through […]

Smiles filled the faces of those in the room. A tear was wiped away from the loving eyes of Emma Kate’s grandfather. The whole church raised their right hands and gave a hearty “Amen.” Joy filled both Jackson and Hannah as they looked out among their friends and family who were promising to support them […]

I was able to photography this Billings senior session of Sally who started her year off and running! Literally, she’s spending her fall running on the cross country team at Billings West High School. Between all the practices we were able to schedule her senior session right in her own backyard. I couldn’t have asked […]

The sound of quiet children coloring filled the pauses. The coral and sage floral baby shower decor gave life to the room. Kerry spoke of her love for her niece, Hannah, in all of her momentous life events. From Hannah’s first breath to now, as she expects her 3rd baby girl. The room was fixated […]

The forecast called for rain all day. The rain broke just in time for our Swords Park family session. It left everything feeling fresh and made the colors of the sandstone rock formations pop. Still cloudy when we started, but the smiles from this family lit up the photos anyway. Just when everyone was warming […]

The sun was setting over the cottonwood trees for our Laurel maternity session, creating a dreamy light that was encircling my already glowing friend Bethany. Her hair was framing her face perfectly and the details of her dress were catching the light beautifully. That’s when I heard them. The sound started almost in my ear […]

The sun was setting, casting a beautiful glow on the rims. Everyone was out enjoying the views and taking in the perfect weather. Eyes followed Emily and Jake as we walked by. Smiles and shouts of “Congratulations!” could be heard every few minutes. We hiked through the grass, down the dirt hills, over the rocks. […]

Katie Hudgins

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Serving the greater Billings, MT area