I love creating with my friends and their businesses! I passed through Omaha on my current band tour and did some shots for Beansmith Coffee, a cozy coffee shop full of great window light in Old Market.

Anna Lee is a Los Angeles-based music and wedding photographer.
Website: www.annaleemedia.com
Facebook: Anna Lee Photography
Instagram: @annaleemedia
Twitter: @annaleemedia

For years The Spy has been OKC’s best indie alternative station, so I was very excited to come on their “State of the Art” segment and talk with host (and long-time friend from high school), Ryan Drake. But his name is actually Rayke. Let’s be real. I was also able select three current fave songs, so listen for those tracks between the interview segments!

For some more detailed information about how I ended up in music photography, check out my FAQ blog post here.

Listen in the player below, or on Soundcloud. My segment starts at the 12:25 min mark.

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My best friend Cassie Neahring has had an amazing month! She had her brick and mortar store’s grand opening at LIVE on the Plaza– something that’s been a long time coming for her and that she’s worked so hard on. Go check out Out on a Limb! AND her sweet boyfriend Kael decided it would be the perfect opportunity to propose in front of all their friends and family. Such a great night for two of the best people I know!

Sidenote: if you’re planning on proposing, you should definitely have a photographer there. *wink*

We also had Cheesebox at the opening- a fun, fresh take on the photo booth. Check them out if you’re planning a wedding or event!

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Most of our time at WPPI was consumed with rushing around to classes and browsing the trade show, but toward the end of our trip, we had time built in to explore Las Vegas and some surrounding areas and attractions. (Unfortunately Carly had to fly home before this part.)

The Neon Boneyard Sign Museum is easily my favorite place in Las Vegas. They are an organization that rescues and sometimes restores retired neon signs. It’s an expensive endeavor, so to fund it, they give guided history tours through the sign yard. They also allow client shoots there which I’d love to have the opportunity to do- so if anyone wants book a shoot in this location, you’ll have the coolest pictures around! It would be awesome for engagements, bridals, band promos, etc. In fact, this has been a music video location for the likes of Jimmy Eat World, The Killers, and more! Contact me for destination shoot pricing! The photo of me was snapped by Catie Bartlett.








After our tour, Lisa, Catie, and I decided to hang around downtown Las Vegas and see what else we could take pictures of. It was a really cool area, and we landed in front of a wall with a fun pattern. Below are some more Lensbaby photos, as well as various shots from the day. Photo of me by Catie Bartlett.






So who all made it out to WPPI this year?? My second trip to Las Vegas, NV was my first trip to the annual WPPI Photography Convention, and I definitely plan to go back as often as possible! I expected that I would learn a mind blowing amount, and I was not disappointed. I had the privilege of sitting in on some informative lectures and demonstrations by some of the world’s A-List photogs.

Although the learning was structured more for taking notes on paper, my group and I made some time for experimenting and mini photo shoots. The talented ladies that traveled with me this year were:

Catie Bartlett: No doubt you’ve seen mention of her on my blog before as we work closely together in our day job and on photo projects. She currently specializes in family and children photography.

Lisa Lee: I’ve known Lisa for a few years now, and have loved watching her grow as an artist. She focuses on the fine art aspect of photography- taking everyday scenes an manipulating them into a completely different visual experience.

Carly Carlson: I met Carly for the first time on this trip, and I’m so blessed that I did! Throughout the week I came to see her as a mentor, and a friend. Unfortunately she lives hundreds of miles away, but since WPPI we’ve relentlessly tried to persuade each other to relocate to our respective cities. I think I’m losing however, because Carly has an established studio in Baker City, Oregon, where she specializes in some awesome High School Senior photography.

Below are some of my favorites from the week, including everything from images of our beautiful Nevada surroundings to some fashion-esque shoots of each other. We’ll just get started off sexy, with a few (G-rated) shots from our boudoir shoot experiment in the hotel:



The first night we arrived, we were ready to go! I’d brought along a new toy: my Orbis ring flash adaptor, so we trying it out for a fun shoot. The one of me on the left was snapped by Catie.


We had a great view of the Strip each day during our (very long) commute to the MGM Grand for the day’s classes. On paper, a hotel right across the street sounds great, but it took at least 20 minutes of relentless speedwalking to get there, and the trip clocked in at over a mile each way!


Here’s a few shots of some of the neat and diverse hotel styles and features. Left: New York, New York / Right: Caesar’s Palace.


I had the opportunity to learn from some super A-List photographers at WPPI, but only happened to take my camera along to one class. (Like I said, it was a long walk! Extra baggage gets heavy.) I grabbed a picture of Jasmine Star, who is known for her high end wedding photography. She is sweet, down to earth, and hilarious! She graciously hung around after her class to answer every question of the hundreds of people who lined up to meet her, including me.


The four of us set aside an afternoon to explore the Strip and practice some of the shooting techniques we had been picking up in our classes. We found some gorgeous lighting. Here’s a few that I snapped of the other girls:



We also made it out during dark hours for some artificial light practice. The one on the right was lit with the Orbis.


Finally, a few more photos from around the Strip. I used my new Lensbaby lens on a few of these- can you tell which ones? (Okay, it was all of them.) It’s a specialty lens that has really neat, in-camera, blurring effects. The first set is from the Bellagio hotel fountains, and inside under the Chihuly glass ceiling in the lobby. It felt like home in a way, since the OKC Museum of Art is home to a great Chihuly collection, which I’ve seen so many times. The second set of photos are from other hotels on the strip, and I found shooting a backlit, clear glass chandelier with my Lensbaby to have the coolest effect yet!


I have a few more days worth of photos to share, but I will save those for the next post. We got to shoot at some incredible locations, so I will be covering those more in depth. Check back soon!

Hey 2013 High School Seniors!

Would you like model for Anna Lee Media? Do you enjoy being in front of the camera and have an outgoing personality? Then this opportunity might be for you!

What is a Senior Rep?

A Senior Rep is essentially a model and spokesperson for Anna Lee Media, who will represent my photography to their senior class at their high school. I will select Senior Rep from schools in Oklahoma City and the immediately surrounding areas (Edmond, Yukon, Mustang, Norman, etc). Remember, you must be a 2013 senior, meaning you are a junior right now.

What’s in it for you?

If you are selected, you’ll get a free photo shoot with me ($250 value). Those photos will be used to promote to other 2013 seniors. You’ll also receive Senior Rep Referral Cards (kinda like business cards) featuring photos from your shoot, that you can pass out to friends and classmates as advertisement for senior sessions. But the freebies don’t stop there!

For every person that books a senior session with me (for this summer or or the 2012/2013 school year) based on your referral, you’ll receive a $100 print credit toward the purchase of photos from your shoot. Whichever rep refers the most bookings, will receive another FREE session next year to serve as their own senior photo shoot.

Finally, any and all Senior Reps who’s referrals lead to 10+ bookings for a 2012/2013 senior session will receive a BRAND NEW iPAD 2!



What’s in it for me?

I will have a good-lookin’ 2013 senior showing off my work to their classmates, and generating word-of-mouth buzz!

I want to be a 2013 Senior Rep! Now what?

Good for you! Applying is easy. Just fill out the form below, attach a recent photo of yourself, and hit send! Due to Spring Break, the deadline for applying has been pushed back to April 8th at midnight. Selected reps will be notified by April 10th. The free promo shoots will also take place in April. Can’t wait to hear from you!

What if I’m not a 2013 senior, but know someone who would be perfect for it?

The best way to share this opportunity is directing people to this blog post! Copy the link and share it through Facebook, Twitter, etc.

2013 SENIOR REP APPLICATION:

[contact-form-7 id=”697″ title=”ALM 2012 High School Senior Rep Application”]

Yukon photographer Catie Bartlett is a friend and co-worker of mine. This weekend I tagged along on a the promo shoot for her fun Valentine’s Day giveaway. She did a 1950’s themed shoot at a local diner, modeled by my roommate Katie and her boyfriend Steven. They were naturals! Get details for the giveaway on her blog:

http://www.catiebartlett.com/1226/catie-bartlett-photography-valentines-day-giveaway/ 



Brass Bell Studio is a fairly new art gallery and bike shop in NW OKC. This month they’re displaying bike-related works for the first Annual Group Show. The opening took place on Monday, January 2nd, but work will remain up through the month of January. You can make an appointment to view or purchase.

Check out their pages for news on upcoming shows! Openings are on first Mondays. I will be having a show there later this year to present a personal project I’ve been working on for some time, but for now, it’s still hush hush. ; )

http://www.facebook.com/BrassBellStudios 

My contribution is this piece on the far left. Still available for purchase- $50! Just contact me!

My roommates and I spent New Year’s Eve and Day with a group of our friends in our second-favorite city: Austin! Not too far of a drive to go for an occasional weekend, Austin has awesome weather, artsy people, and fun stores! We’ve made a tradition out of visiting Mount Bonnell- a ridge that overlooks Lake Austin, where you can see the Austin City skyline clearly in the distance. We also tried out Mayfield Park, a park home to tons of free-range peacocks. Of course, this was a personal favorite of mine!

Lake Austin view from Mount Bonnell:


Peacocks in Mayfield Park:


Our group:

My sister-in-law hand-makes these awesome soy candles, and I got one for Christmas! The scent of these candles easily fill a room, and they’re yummy!

I recently designed the product logo for her new labels! Check her out here.