MONTANA PHOTOGRAPHER – THE BIG SKY AT NIGHT

Montana is an amazing place, and as impressive as the big sky is in the day, it’s even more magical at night. I recently made a huge road trip to Alaska, and despite seeing so many beautiful places in Alaska, Yukon Territories and British Columbia, Montana was still impressive when we returned home. After watching the sun go down outside of Glacier National Park, we stopped near Belt Montana to view the Milky Way and make a few pictures. We really wanted to make some star photos on our trip but it became more and more difficult the further North we went, because the sun doesn’t really go down very far in the summer and there is too much light in the sky to see the stars. But Montana saved the day on our last night of the road trip and gave us a spectacular view of the Milky Way practically from the highway. Wow, it’s awesome to call Montana home!

Tips for photographers: Photographing the night sky is fun and it’s something every photographer should go out and do sometime. There is a lot written about astrophotography and you can get the impression that it’s difficult, or requires special gear and techniques. I found it pretty easy, even using pretty bad glass for night photography. I made this photo with a Canon 17-40 f/4 L lens and Sony A7ii camera body. A faster lens, f/2.8 or wider, would be ideal for night photography, but I was able to make do with f/4 because the sky was especially bright in Montana. The best tip I can give is to use a really heavy duty tripod that won’t blow around in the wind during 5-15 second exposures and is easy to operate in the dark. It helps a lot if your tripod is really tall too, so you can see what you’re doing without bending over all night. More than anything, just go out and try it with whatever gear you have, it’s a lot of fun!

I am Montana wedding photographer Paul Bellinger and I love to travel for weddings. I go anywhere and do anything for our clients. There is no wedding too big or too small, and no wedding destination that is too remote or extreme for us. My studio is located in downtown Billings Montana and it would be my honor to photograph your Montana wedding or destination wedding anywhere in the world. Visit www.paulbellinger.com for dramatic, fine art wedding photography as epic as your love story.

BILLINGS MONTANA PHOTOGRAPHER – BILLINGS FOR BILLINGS’ SAKE

I love Billings Montana. No it’s not my hometown, which will always be Omaha Nebraska, but Billings is my home now, and I couldn’t be more grateful to live in this beautiful place.  Billings doesn’t get enough credit.  It’s often overlooked as merely a place to fly into, or gear up before heading off to Western Montana where all of the mountains and beautiful national parks and forests are located. Even the city slogan “Montana’s Trailhead” implies that Billings is just a convenient starting point and not the final destination.  Granted, few places on earth can stand out from the long shadows cast by Yellowstone and Glacier national parks, and being relatively close to those places is what attracted my wife and I to Billings in the first place. But Billings is it’s own place, and has it’s own charm that goes beyond it’s proximity to beautiful places. 

Billings the biggest city in Montana and it’s the only city in Montana that really feels like a city and not a college town or resort community. It actually has a city culture, complete with all the hustle and bustle that Montana can offer. It has a real downtown, where business goes down, and not just shopping like some of the more touristy downtowns of Montana. It’s a beer town.  Downtown Billings has 6 micro-breweries and two distilleries, with more popping up across the city.  There is a great food culture to go with all of our beer too, with everything from artisan fine dining, to street food, and a massive seasonal farmer’s market.  There are several ethnic restaurants, including Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, Thai and Montana’s only Indian restaurant.

Beyond food and commerce, the natural geography of Billings is quite pretty too.  In this photo you can see downtown Billings and the Yellowstone river valley behind it, followed by the Pryor Mountains even further in the distance.  To the West we have a view of the Beartooth Mountains, while the North and East are encircled by the cliffs of the Billings Rims.  The weather is mild, sitting in a bowl that borders on arid prairie and badlands to the East and the Rocky Mountains on the West, we’re sheltered from the extremes.  For all of these reasons and more, it’s no wonder that the population of Billings is growing fast, attracting over twice as many newcomers per year than any other city in Montana.  I was sold on Billings right away just because of the proximity to the Beartooth Mountains, Yellowstone, Glacier, and all of the mountain wilderness of the West.  But the city of Billings has grown on me too and I don’t think there’s any other place I’d rather live in Montana.  www.paulbellinger.com

MONTANA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER - FANTASY ARTWORK

Fantasy artwork for a fantasy wedding love story.  Colleen and Jonovan’s wedding was like a beautiful dream.  It was filled with huge floral arrangements and set in an ivy covered and green hedged venue that was perfectly groomed for their day.  I wanted to created a work of art that matched the dream like setting of their fantasy love story.  Aren’t they gorgeous?

MONTANA PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER - OUR HERO

Meet TJ, the animal control officer that helped us find Sala when he was missing for 48 hours.  TJ connected the dots between a phone call reporting a strange dog in our neighbor’s backyard and a missing dog flyer I hand delivered to him at the Nacogdoches Animal Shelter.  After seeing the flyer, TJ tracked down the number of the caller from the previous day, called them back a few times until getting them on the phone, then waited for the caller to return home before calling again to see if the dog was still there.

MONTANA PET PHOTOGRAPHER - NACOGDOCHES ANIMAL SHELTER ADOPTABLE DOGS

A quick collage of the recent adoptable dog photos I’ve made for the Nacogdoches Animal Shelter.  The people at the Nac Animal Shelter helped us find Sala before it was too late and I’m forever in debt to them.  Unfortunately I was only able to make a small handful of photos for them before leaving Texas for good this weekend.  I’ll continue to volunteer photography for the Billings area shelters once we are settled.  It has been a very rewarding experience.

MONTANA PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER - HOW DO YOU DREAM OF BEING PHOTOGRAPHED?

A before and after of the beautiful Nini.  Every portrait couture commission comes with professionally styled hair and makeup to bring out the beauty of every woman.  Bring a friend and make it a girls day out, or a fun mother and daughter session.  Be sure to make plans to go out afterwards because you will look amazing!

How do you dream of being photographed?  Billings Montana portrait photographer Paul Bellinger specializes in dramatic fine art portrait photography that is as unique as you are.  Paul has cultivated an artistic vision for portrait photography that is both modern and timeless, ensuring your precious memories will be preserved for generations to come.  Contact Paul Bellinger for all of your Billings Montana portrait photography needs, from maternity to seniors, to glamorous portrait couture that will make any woman feel as special as she is.  www.paulbellinger.com

MONTANA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER - MR. BADASS

Yes, we can make guys look good too!  Well in this case Hector was already looking good, I just made him look like a badass!  I set up the lights for an end of the night cigar smoking celebration, and a few of the groomsmen wanted individual portraits.  Guys always like the look of this lighting because it’s what’s in all of the sports magazines.  I had a blast with these groomsmen, they really know how to have a good time!  Thank you Hector, Randy, Raul and the groom Jonovan, for letting me hang with you!

MONTANA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER - IT'S A RING THING!

My favorite wedding detail to shoot is the wedding rings.  I stacked Rachel's engagement ring and wedding ring on top of Ryan's wedding ring and placed them all on a rose petal from one of their reception tables.  Then I placed a pearl laden photo frame in the background to create a sparkling backdrop fit for wedding rings.  I took these wedding detail photos while the the bride and groom are eating their wedding dinner so that they can eat in privacy.  It's important to give the bride and groom some time alone throughout their wedding day so they can enjoy their own company and create their own private memories of their day.

MONTANA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER - BRIGHT FUTURE!

Lindsay and Kevin have a bright future to look forward to.  After the ceremony was over and everyone headed for the reception, Lindsay and Kevin finally had a few moments to themselves to look out at the ocean and contemplate their new life together.  And Sarah and I were there to capture the moments that makeup their love story.  What an awesome job we have!

Montana wedding photography by Billings Montana wedding photographer Paul Bellinger.  An artistic vision for dramatic fine art photography as unique as your love story.  How do you dream of being photographed?  Contact PaulBellinger Billings Montana wedding photographer for any wedding destination.  www.paulbellinger.com

MONTANA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER - RING BLING!

This photo really shows you how awesome and fun Emily is!  Even though the setting isn’t that pretty, she makes it look good!  We saw the graffiti diamond on the bricks and just had to get a quick cute pose.  We had so much fun with Emily for her bridals and the wedding day was even better!

MONTANA PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER - A MOTHER'S LOVE

My beautiful Aunt Meghna and her pride and joy Samarveer.  I love this photo!  I got to hang out with two awesome moms last weekend and it’s always inspiring to see a mother's love up close.  Emotion can be difficult to convey with a photograph, or words, but it’s easy when love is overflowing.  Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of photographing moments like these.

How do you dream of being photographed?  Billings Montana portrait photographer Paul Bellinger specializes in dramatic fine art portrait photography that is as unique as you are.  Paul has cultivated an artistic vision for portrait photography that is both modern and timeless, ensuring your precious memories will be preserved for generations to come.  Contact Paul Bellinger for all of your Billings Montana portrait photography needs, from maternity to seniors, to glamorous beauty portraits that will make any woman feel as special as she is.  www.paulbellinger.com  

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! - BILLINGS MONTANA WEDDING AND PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER

It's July 4th and I'm on vacation back in Omaha Nebraska hanging with my awesome family for the holiday.  Last year Nini and I were sitting on the dock of the bay watching the fireworks with my family in Bayview Texas.  We made the trip from Columbia Missouri down to Texas to find a place to live in Nacogdoches Texas, where we were hired at Stephen F. Austin State University.  One year later and I'm in Omaha while Nini stays at home with our injured and recovering pup Sala.  I'll be in Omaha for a few days before heading up to Billings Montana to once again find a place to live!  We're moving to Billings Montana and plan to stay for a long long time.  I've always wanted to live in Montana, my favorite place for summer adventures ever since I was a young kid standing in awe of Glacier National Park.  So when Nini got an offer at Montana State University Billings, we jumped.  And I jumped at the opportunity to leave academia behind to follow my passion as a fine art wedding and portrait photographer.  Now we couldn't be more excited to be moving in just a few weeks, and Paul Bellinger Montana wedding photographer is about to hit the ground running!

MONTANA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER - HIGH HEELS!

Most brides love a good photo of their heels and Lindsey was no exception.  When we saw the chandelier we just couldn’t resist!  The amazing Sarah Williams and I had lots of fun hanging as many bridal details as we could from this chandelier and even thought about hanging the dress from it!  In the end, we were too scared to break the chandelier.

So far this is my favorite wedding detail shot.  It’s important to capture all of the little details that brides care about, like the rings, the dress, and the heels, but it can be difficult to stay creative with it.  That’s why I like working with Sarah, because we are always pushing each other to get more creative.  It keeps us fresh and the clients love it!

Montana wedding photography by Montana wedding photographer Paul Bellinger.  www.paulbellinger.com

MONTANA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY - EMILY AND DALTON'S FANTASY WEDDING

Emily and Dalton exchanging the rings!  We had a good old fashion country hoedown right after this.  It was an awesome night and I’m very thankful to Emily and Dalton for sharing their time with me.

I’m sticking with the vintage look for Emily’s photos, but I’ve been using very different techniques for each.  Each photo is a work of art and each artist signature edit is delicately crafted for a distinct look, ensuring that your love story is told in a unique voice, and that every couple receives one of a kind artwork for their home.

Contact Paul Bellinger Montana wedding photographer for all of your Montana wedding photography needs.  Paul is available for any Billings montana wedding, any wedding in montana, or any other wedding destination around the world.  
www.paulbellinger.com

MONTANA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY - RACHEL AND RYAN'S WEDDING DAY IS FINALLY HERE!

Rachel and Ryan have a fantasy love story that can only be told with fantasy engagement artwork from Paul Bellinger Montana wedding photographer!  Thank you Rachel and Ryan for sharing your fantasy with me!  Today is your big day and I wish you the best as you take on the world together.  More engagement and wedding photos from this fantasy wedding to come.
www.paulbellinger.com

MONTANA PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER - LITTLE SIS

My little sis right after crushing a header for the camera.  Click through the photo to see full resolution details, such as flying sweat.  It’s really cool how flash can freeze action.  Normally I think she’d be somewhat out of focus due to how fast she was moving, even at 125th of a second.  But the super short flash duration freezes the action even without a fast shutter.  It’s fun to play with.

For this photo I used the Joel Grimes three light technique.  You can see the lights pretty clearly in this one!  Search for Joel Grimes on google for more info.

Montana portrait photography by Montana portrait photographer Paul Bellinger.