2009 February » Brandelyn Lee Photography

Monthly Archives: February 2009

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Claire and Charlotte | part I

I finally made some time to edit the girls’ session. nevermind the bed isn’t made (so much for my facebook 25 random things #1 ). I didn’t make it yesterday or today. nevermind the girls’ hotdogs are sitting half eaten from lunch 3 hours ago. I made time to edit this session. I am going to blog it, all the while ignoring the feelings of inadequacy that rise up when I fail to perform in the domestic area of my life… I edited the session, am blogging part of it today. I shot this session with my girls so that I could create the sample session book that I added to my product line. I have a ton of gorgeous families that I could have used for the sample. But I tend to have A.D.D when it comes to my studio samples. So when I tire of this one, I can have it for keeps. Long after I need it for a sample book. so there.
this is part one of a few favorites of the girls TOGETHER! Absolutely hands down the hardest thing about shooting children’s portraits. sibling shots. but i got a few. and i love them. these are my babies.

charlotte always copies claire.

this sequence makes me smile…

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Thursday, February 26, 2009

My new Babies…

Posted in lifestyles, personal

I have this amazing session I shot 2 weeks ago of my girls. Every single time I sit down to edit this session I get distracted. So this morning I was working hard despite Charlotte pulling on my swivel chair screaming “ooh you hep me?” “mommmmyyyyy!!!! ooh you hep me?!!!” translation, “will you help me?” I still don’t know what she wanted help with. But I decided at about the same moment the doorbell rang… she needed some attention. I open the door and low and behold… my new babies, just sitting there. I blow a kiss to the UPS man. (not really, but I was tempted). I sweep them up in my arms, scavenge for the scissors. Tear open the box and *sigh*

Quickly, this became a win win. Char needed some attention. And so did my new babies. So we went outside to play in the street. I was curious to see how the new 135 handled my not so beautiful street. So I slapped it on my new 5D mark II and…. i think i am going to keep her. She did a lovely job. Her bokeh, fabulous. These are mostly straight out of camera. It was cloudy and the AWB shot them a little too cool- so I adjusted the white balance in Lightroom. Do you love her? not char, but the 135?

and here is Char posing with her new sisters. I don’t know why she is taking her pulse.

while we were taking portraits, I decided my 50mm needed some lovin’ too. Isn’t she lovely?

Now, I didn’t play with the 35mm. Mostly because I am aware of its skilz. I have been drooling over it for a long time. My new friends Todd and Jamie convinced me that I needed to go ahead and splurge for the 135 too. In blind faith, I did. And I am so very glad.

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Monday, February 23, 2009

Vegas | wppi

Posted in lifestyles

For those of you that do not know, Chad and I went to Las Vegas last week for a photographer’s conference/tradeshow called wppi. Vegas was fun, the time change was HARD. Every single night was an exercise in will power… I wanted to curl up in the bed and sleep when the clock struck 9. Being without my french coffee press was tough too. But I must say- having Starbucks in the lobby wasn’t bad either. But still… nothing like my french press. If photography fails me, I will open a gourmet coffee shop featuring only french press coffee for snobs like myself.
BUT… having said all that- wppi was great. I met some really cool photographers. Inspiring artists. Learned a few tricks of the trade and met a few rock stars. (of photography). I purchased the new Canon 5D mark II and some new L glass. Found some great new products to offer my clients. But mostly, I was inspired to really examine my business. I’ve seen some areas that need tweaking. I have some areas that need a complete overhaul. So stay tuned and in the meantime, pray for us. (us- now means Chad and I). He is officially my business partner! God gifted him in ways that he did not gift me. And I actually LOVE that. So… anyway. More later on all that.
BUT NOW!!! I want to share some shots from the week. There are a lot that I am missing– once I bought the new 5d, Daniel confiscated my old 5D and so a lot of images are on his cards. We stayed at the MGM grand. In a deep corner of the place there was a lions’ den!!! What tha??! Kinda random. But super cool. I don’t care about the lions as much as this little cutie being held up inches from the lioness’ gigantic paw… see it to the left? that is glass they are laying on. Seriously? Funny how trusting we are.

the hotels are unlike ANYTHING in the world. I haven’t been many places in the world, but I still think this is true.
the venetian is made to appear as though you are outside in the streets of Venice.

the ceiling of… something. i don’t remember… it was like 9:00! I can’t think that late.

our travel partners…this little girl found her way in my purse so we let her hang with us.

the stancils. daniel and jessica. daniel has started his photography business a few months ago and went to glean from the rockstars too! these images were shot in the foyer of the MGM.

long taxi lines. but i love how this city is sooo lit up!
the last night we had dinner at the Venetian and Daniel took this of Chad and I. Chad doesn’t really smile like that. He thinks he’s being funny.

then we paid this lady big bucks for a 10 minute gondola ride.

but it was ok. cause felipe (prononced fe-leep long “e’s”) sung us lovely ballads as we floated along the river enjoying the lights of the city.

and it enticed Daniel and Jessica to show some PDA. Ewwww.

as we went deeper into the tunnel, the lights changed. (by the way- these were shot at 12,800 ISO!!!- for you tech junkies.)

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Saturday, February 21, 2009

Our Family’s New Addition… Baby Addy

Posted in lifestyles

I know that you are wanting to see pics from Vegas, and I will get to it- but seriously- my new neice, Addy has dibs on the first blog post. Is she a doll baby or what? Born, Thursday morning 7:50. February 19, 2009. 7 pounds and .09 of an ounce. This is my brother, Jeremy, holding his first born baby girl.

gripping her grammy pammy’s hand… (i don’t think that is the offical grandmother name, but its in the running…)

she’s very intelligent. she is about to say “dude, i am trying to sleep, can you guys keep it down?”… or she was thinking it.

sleeping on mommy, Brandy (BB, we call her. Our family already had one Brandy-ME)

love them baby toes…

More of Addy to come… like next week. and then the next. and then the week after… its been a couple years since our family had a baby. we are kinda excited! I for one am VERY excited. takes the pressure off of me to have a third!

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Friday, February 13, 2009

Jeremy.Katie.Sophia | lifestyles

Posted in lifestyles

Last weekend I was invited to Jeremy and Katie’s home to photograph their nine month old DOLL BABY, Sophia. This is how she greeted me…

how could this shoot not go well?! so, we went upstairs to play in the nursery and she gave me this. I thought, its just gonna get better and better! I love me some nine month olds!

so we played in her martha stewart meets pottery barn kids meets posh tots nursery. hello! is this awesome or what? it brought back a rush of guilt over my baby’s (ahem.. 2 year old’s) room not having the paint reach quite all the way to the ceiling… we were gonna add crown molding that one day… but she decided to come into the world like… the day before that one day and hasn’t stopped wreaking all kinds of havoc every since! so… anyway… the amazing nursery:

Katie, if you have the website for this muralist, comment in the comment box and share the love!

we thought she would like to play in her bed… she wasn’t so sure.

oh yeah… there she is!

one i stole as she sat in the floor of her room. a little (or a lot) over exposed but i kinda liked it…

then we decided to go outside and share in the 70 degree weather! what tha?!! Please, dear Lord, bring Spring.

this one cracks me up. evidently, i am soooo funny. or i just look funny. something like that.

9 month olds are sooo inquisitive. love it.

you gotta love that one.

love this one of katie.

i was feeling wayyy generous this morning and blogged a ton of these! whew… hope it loaded ok for all you PC users. HA!!! didn’t mean to jawn… sorry.
ENJOY YOUR SLIDESHOW!

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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Bell Bottom Bash… out of control

Posted in lifestyles, personal

Last weekend we went to the Bell Bottom Bash put on by the Cartersville Service Leaque. Its an auction, charity event that benefits a charity– I SHOULD know which charity, but I can’t remember!!! Comment below with the link if any of you know! I gotta say, I was pretty cute in my mini dress and my white go-go boots (along with every other woman there rocking the go-go boots). We all looked so hot, I think we should try and bring ‘em back. No?

Well, no one can understand how to use my camera, so every picture i was actually IN… was focused on the wall or the shoes or SOMETHING was out of whack. So… you will never get to experience my cuteness in the go-go boots. But i did snag this one with my wide angle. All the edits are kinda ‘vintagey’… i thought it went with the theme of the night!

Me and Kelly.

the party… in action.

the band- anyone know their name? they were awesome!!! i can link to them— maybe one of my brides wanna hire them.

I am not responsible for this man. he is the one i pledged to love and cherish til death do us part… but i don’t think that meant under these circumstances…

i don’t know this person, but i like his wig.

i think this may be my favorite all night. is that farrah???! oh.. wait.. its just michelle. Seriously. love it. kinda out of focus cuz she is a dancin’ queen, movin too fast for me- but i don’t mind. and you gotta love Shay cuttin’ a rug back there!

and i am not responsible for this picture either. you guys told me to do it. sometimes my camera has a mind of its own… (michelle’s husband, Greg, by the way… no one gets to remain anonymous on here…)

while i am exposing people, Brandon Thompson here… again… sometimes my camera does things i can’t explain.

jay frazier… didn’t even know i was taking this. love the fisheye lens for that reason… just holding the thing up and looking the other way so not to scare him away… men are skittish sometimes in front of a camera.

i think that wig got passed around ALL night! there brandon is sportin’ it… and c’mon!!! KIM!!! even a hottie in a her gold pants that i don’t think ANYONE should ever be caught dead in… except Kim.

last but not least… shay and veronica smilin and michelle being a dancin’ queen again