BILLINGS — From the moment Andy Austin picked up a hand-me-down camera to photograph his friends, he was on the run from life's guardrails.
“It was there that I kind of used photography as an escape from this very regimented life,” said Austin. “Between school and football, I was constantly told where to stand, where to be, what to eat, when to eat.”
That early instinct—to seek freedom beyond structure—has led him down backroads, beyond the guidebooks.
Sunday, 406 Day of all days, Austin is announcing the pre-order of his new photo book.
View this profile on Instagram
Andy Austin | Montana 🏔 and Travel ✈️ (@andyaustinphoto) • Instagram photos and videos
“It’s been a dream of mine to share my passion for these kind of lesser known places in Montana and share my passion for Montana as a whole," said Austin.
The book is not just centered around Montana's iconic postcard scenes, though they’ll make an appearance through Austin's eyes.
“Trying to find authenticity in a place like Glacier National Park or Yellowstone National Park, that have been photographed a million times, is tough. Which is why I prefer some of these lesser explored places," said Austin.
The photographer veers away from tourist traps and top ten lists. Instead, he leans into Motnana's quiet magic—the kind of beauty that whispers instead of shouts.
"That’s the common thing you’ll hear from people, ‘oh, eastern Montana is all flat and boring.’ Well, you go hike 10 miles and tell me it’s flat, ‘cause it’s definitely not flat," said Austin.
Putting everything on the line—financially and creatively—he is self publishing the book.
“I have to empty all of my bank accounts to pay for this book," said Austin. "That’s the reason why today I launched a Kickstarter to help kind of pre-order some of the books, help with some of that funding.”
The book is a love letter to the lives and landscapes that most travelers pass by.
“You have to slow down to enjoy those places,” said Austin. “You can’t just drive through it, and drive I-90 and all of the sudden you’re like, ‘oh yeah, I shot it,’ Or 94, and you’re like, ‘oh yeah, I drove through Terry once.’ Did you go into Terry? Did you go to Prairie Unique Gift Shop and meet Dale and Kathy? Did you go to the Terry Badlands?”
