BOZEMAN — Growing up near the plains of Billings and the peaks of the Beartooths, Andy Austin stuck to his corner of the Treasure State growing up.
“Growing up in Montana, obviously this is a photographer's dream," says Austin. “I lived in a little bit of a bubble of Billings. And it wasn't until I started doing this that I got to experience how much I love the whole state.”
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Growing up, football was Austin’s main focus, becoming an offensive lineman for the Montana State Bobcats from 2009 to 2013.
“I never, ever thought that it would be a career path. Like, it was never an idea,” says Austin.
But it was a gift of a camera that changed his trajectory.
“It became kind of an escape from this very regimented life of football and school. And everything was scheduled to a tee,” says Austin.
In those 10 years, photography has taken Austin to every corner of Montana.
“It’s so unique because you learn that for such a big state, we're so diverse,” says Austin. “It’s indescribable because for me, it's more than just the landscapes. It's the culture. It's the people.”
Now Austin is releasing MONTANA: Photographs from the Last Best Place—a one-of-a-kind photo book showcasing the Treasure State through his lens.
“It was a big dream of mine to put together a book that represents to me all of Montana,” says Austin.
Ten years of photos, from Fort Peck to Kootenai Falls to the rodeos in Miles City, each corner of the state is showcased.
“This book to me is kind of a love letter to Montana,” says Austin.
But there are still more than 147,000 square miles of Big Sky Country to explore.
“Honestly, I could spend the rest of my life exploring Montana and still never hit all the mountain ranges, all the lakes and all the rivers,” says Austin.
You can learn more and find out how to get a copy of Austin's book at montanaphotographybook.com.
