I grew up on a cattle ranch in Northern California and moved out to KS in 2018. I originally came out here for school, but ended up falling in love with a boy & my job, built my photography business from the ground up, and never wanted to leave KS sunsets (not in that order). My fiance and I live in a little town in North Central Kansas where he works fulltime on the family farm & ranch and I spend my days as a full time Livestock Production Extension Agent for K-State (go cats!) and part time photographer! We love back road drives with our three fur babies, wine nights watching survivor, a night out to do some swing dancin, and anything that includes spending time with our family.
The cowgirl with a camera bag.
Howdy, im justine!
The 'Open Triangle' brand originally belonged to my great-great-grandfather Charlie, who was one of the first brand inspectors in the state of Colorado in the late 1800’s. It is now one of the few brands that is registered for life in Colorado and has been passed down on my mothers side of the family for generations. The Open Triangle name and brand is something I hold near and dear to my heart and is accompanied by a legacy I plan to pass down to the generations that come after me.
I love being able to carry on tradition, and am beyond proud to represent agriculture as a 5th generation rancher. That is what the “Open Triangle” Photography name represents to me- agriculture, ranching, the western way of life, culture, tradition, hard work, cattle, cowponies, cow dogs, and the cowboys and cowgirls that keep it alive. All that has made me who I am and given me a life I wouldn’t trade for any other. So here I am, trying my best to tell its' story. I hope you like it as much as I love it.
The OTP Brand
I get a lot of questions about where the name Open Triangle Photography comes from. At first, my answer was short, and to the point. But as time goes on, my answer has become more of a story and frankly my favorite one to tell...
I am a 5th generation rancher on my mom's side of my family. I grew up living and breathing the 'traditional ranching' lifestyle and it's no doubt one of the things I am most proud of. I grew up on commercial cattle ranches in Northern California and Southern Oregon and wouldn't trade this way of life for anything.
There is a saying that goes around about ranchers cattleman/cattlewomen, and cowboys/cowgirls that says they are "the last of a dying breed". Which essentially trying to insinuate that we are the last of our kind, that our industry is dying, and that our culture and community will be no more some day. Now, if you ask me, I think a statement like that couldn't be more wrong. We are not dying, we are developing. We are not irrelevant, we are infinite. We are not losing, we are carrying on the legacy. We are all these things because each of us play our own part in it. I just use a camera to play mine.
The OTP Legacy
Now, I never really expected to fall in love with Wedding Photography like I did, but isn’t that how all the best love stories start?
Would you believe me if I said I swore up and down when I started my photography career that I wasn't going to shoot weddings? Cause I did. However, the western wedding industry called my name not 6 months into my career. One wedding for a friend turned into another, and before I knew it, I was shooting 10 weddings a year and loving every minute of it.