About Me
My name is Lea. I'm an army wife, mom and former professional photographer who realized that running my own business wasn't compatible with my life - at least, not the way I wanted to live it. So, I ditched the "professional" part and just went back to photographing for myself.
I truly believe that anyone can take good pictures if they're willing to put in the time and effort to learn. I do my best to help with that by putting my decade+ of experience and knowledge to good use educating and encouraging other photographers (both pro & amateur) for The Pretty Forum and through local workshops.
While I have spent years curating a professional portfolio, the images that have always meant the most to me are the ones that stem from my own life and family. That’s what I hope to share with you here.
Below, you’ll see links to a selection of places my work has been published. If you really want to see what that curated portfolio looks like, you can click on any one of them to get a little peek. Or view my now dormant business Instagram account.
My Gear
I've used a lot of gear over the years and it has taught me a very important lesson...gear is just a tool and will do whatever I tell it to. The best camera really is the one you have with you, whether it's the latest and greatest DSLR or your smartphone.
I won't bother you with a boring list of every camera and lens I've owned over the past decade, but I will say that I started out shooting with Canon gear for many years and worked with a Rebel, 40D, 5D, and 6D as well as a small complement of lenses. During that time, I also picked up a couple of film cameras (Canon AE-1, Canon EOS 3) to use for personal projects.
Since 2015 I have used Fujifilm gear for all digital work (X-T1, X100F) and have found that the smaller size and lighter weight is a much better fit for my style and such a joy to use. I love being able to easily toss a camera in my bag and carry it everywhere. I find I take more pictures this way.
I encourage everyone looking to pursue photography - either professionally or as a hobby - to invest in the gear you enjoy using. Because if you enjoy it, you'll use it more. And after all, isn't that the point?