This piece of land has been a lot of things. My first memory of it was when it was an aging strip mall with a huge parking lot and the best taco bus. I’m sure there are locals who remember when the building was new, or under construction, or even what the land was before that.

Situated in Bozeman, MT on the corner of Huffine and Babcock and bordered by local businesses such as Jiffy Lube, Pizza Hut, and a residential area, its present state is an empty lot, with the exception of the remaining rubble from the demolition of the previously mentioned parking lot.

While this ground has hosted a lot of things, I would venture to guess that it has not hosted a photo shoot. Until now.

It was the perfect location for our “Extraordinary Beauty in Ordinary Places” project! I started this project several years ago as a way to grow creatively as an artist. Instead of only taking photos in stunning locations, what if I could provide beautiful portraits in the most ordinary locations? 

So that’s what I did! I started searching for the mundane. The ordinary. The not-so-beautiful. The unattractive scenery and landscapes. 

Then, a few brave models joined me in making this dream a reality. I am forever grateful for each and every model that signs up to be a part of this project! Thank you for your support and for constantly sharing these shoots so that other models can join. 

On this particular day, we were delighted to be working with Trista for the second time! Even in the middle of her wedding week – that’s right…she’s getting married just 3 days after this shoot! – she chose to spend time this morning meeting us in an abandoned, demolished lot to take photos beside the lamp posts, traffic, Jiffy Lube, and even a discarded couch cushion. Despite all of the challenging objects at this location, we were able to capture all of these stunning portraits.

A note to our model – Trista, words cannot even express the gratitude we have for you and your willingness to join this project and take photos with us in all kinds of places. Your smile and joy are contagious and we have enjoyed every minute of our shoots together.