Film Photography, Montana State University, and the Roots of Be Authentically You

Long before “editorial” became a buzzword…
before destination sessions…
before senior portraits looked anything like they do today…

There was a 22-year-old girl in Bozeman, Montana with a brand new Hasselblad and a curiosity about people.

At Montana State University, I began photographing women in places that weren’t traditionally beautiful, textured spaces most would overlook. I was drawn to contrast: strength against grit, grace against steel. One adventure for this project even took that model and I to Butte, a mining town known far more for industry than elegance. In fact, this town still scares my kids when they think about it, which is a story for another day. 

I didn’t have language for what I was doing then. My professor hadn't even seen anything like it. Portraits just weren't created like this back then and I simply trusted my vision.

I was shooting medium format film on a camera I had just invested heavily in.
Slow. Intentional. Expensive enough that every frame mattered, plus it was the only option..