Wake Up With The Rain

Came across these photos from last Fall.
They're nothing extra special really, but they remind me of a really great day with some of my favorite people.
It was rainy and wet but nonetheless beautiful.
A Norah Jones on repeat kind of day.
A knitting in the car kind of day.
A almost too chilly to not have a scarf but not quite chilly enough to have one kind of day.
One of my favorite kind of days.



Life According To Instagram

This week I...

-Shared some beautiful words that have spoken to me lately
-Had several successful photo shoots, including a bridal, wedding and styled shoot that I'm exceptionally excited about!
-Went to see The Great Gatsby. It was amazing. I'm already planning on seeing it again when it comes to The Byrd! If you haven't seen it yet, you need to! I'm this close to re-reading the book again. I'm obsessed I tell you.
-Talked about how I love shooting at night 
-Felt like traveling again (then again, when do I not?)
-Shared some photos of a beautiful lady on a beach
-Spent some good time with good friends
-Talked about how I, as a photographer, see the world
-Posted one of my favorite engagement sessions to date!
-Was thankful for the rain that came when I wished for it last week
-Celebrated my beautiful and amazing Mother, who is incomparable. I love her dearly. 


Follow me on Instagram at @agirlnamedleney

Night Scenes

The Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel
Shot with 35mm film/ Minolta x-700

"I'm in love with the way you're in love with the night"

I love shooting at night.
I don't do it very often but when I do there's always some sort of romanticism about it that makes me automatically love whatever images I capture.

Ej & Eliza

Meet E.j. and Eliza.
Have you seen a cuter couple?
I know.
They're adorable.
Not to mention such troopers!
You might not be able to tell, but the day we took these photos was freezing.
I didn't hear one complaint out of either of them the whole time though!
They were fabulous.
I really loved doing this engagement session.
In fact you long time readers might recognize the location from this photoshoot!
Yorktown is such a fun place to visit. I love that it's on the water, and it really is such a cute little homey town.
But anyway, I had a lovely time with these two, they were natural models and just downright drop dead gorgeous together so they made my job super easy. ;)
Enjoy!

 
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Interested in getting some portraits of your own done?
Email me for more info: by.leney@gmail.com


The Perfect Love

Photo Cred: Meagan Abell

A friend of mine recently shared the following words with me, and I felt pressed to share them here.
I think they are so wholly beautiful and amazing.
I don't know the original source of these words, but I think I need to keep them in a place where I can read them often because their message is one I don't want to easily forget.


Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone- to have a deep soul relationship with another- to be loved thoroughly and exclusively.
But God, to a Christian, says:
 "No, not until you are satisfied, fulfilled, and content with being loved by me alone- with giving yourself totally and unrservedly to me- with having an intently and uniquely personal relationship with me alone, discovering that only in Me is your satisfaction to be found, will you be capable of the perfect human relationship that I have planned for you.
You will never be united to another until you are united with Me... exclusively of anyone or anything else, Exclusive of any other desires or longings.
I want you to stop planning,
stop wishing,
and allow me to give you the most thrilling plan existing- one that you cannot imagine. I want you to have the best. Please allow me to give it to you. You just keep watching Me, expecting the greatest things- keep experiencing the satisfaction that I Am.
Keep listening and learning the things I tell you.
You just wait.
That's all.

Don't be anxious...
Don't worry.
Don't look around at the things others have gotten or that I've given them.
Don't look at the things you think you want.
You just keep looking off and away up at Me, or you'll miss what I want to show you.

And then when you're ready,
I'll surprise you with a love far more wonderful then any you would dream of.
You see, until you are ready and until the one I have for you is ready (I am working at this moment to have both of you ready at the same time), until you are both satisfied exclusively with Me, and the life I have prepared for you, you won't be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with Me, and this is the perfect love."




My heart is so full with how incredible God really is.


Traveled

Image via my Instagram

I have wanderlust something fierce lately.
I just want to go explore and discover new places and see new things.
For now I will have to be satisfied in doing so with a good book I suppose.
Which is almost just as good.
Almost.


Mind Like A Lens

Photo credit: Meagan Abell

Eyes like a shutter mind like a lens

I find that this phrase is especially true for me.
I don't really know when it started, I've honestly been doing it for so long I can't really remember how it began.
But I look at everything as if it were a photograph.
Everything.

I look at landscapes and buildings and door ways and imagine how I'd pose people in them.
I look at random inanimate objects and immediately start thinking about focal lengths and apertures and lighting.
I see beautiful people, unique people, happy people, sad people, and I think about how I would capture the parts of them that stick out to me. 
Their emotions and personalities and what it is I see that makes them who they are to me.

It's like I look at something with my eyes and then re-imagine how I'd make it look if I could capture it in a photograph. 
Even when I don't have a camera in my hand to do so, it's like my mind does it for me anyway.

There are times when I have a camera in my hand and a photograph in my head and I can't always get them to match up. 
But I've learned to be okay with that.
Because I'm still learning and getting better at making the images I see in my head come to life, as well as show others what it is exactly I see in these things that I photograph and what it is I want to say with my photos.

And even if I can't always make people see the things I do, in the way that I do, that's okay too.
Because it's not really for them most of the time anyway.

It's not for me either.

1 Peter 4:10-11
1 Corinthians 10:31
Colossians 3:17

Life According To Instagram

This week I...

-Went to the VMFA a few times
-Shared a country engagement session
-Had an out of town adventure or two
-Drank the biggest cup of coffee I've ever seen (it was more of a bowl really)
-Started my summer reading list (I get excited about these things ok?)
-Took lots of photos at lots of photoshoots which I am super excited about and can hardly wait to edit
-Wished for rain to wash away all the pollen 
-Introduced a new feature for the blog
-Began the count down for The Great Gatsby (four days in case you were wondering...) 


Follow me at @agirlnamedleney

Dandelion

Reedited photo from this photoshoot

"Dandelion, A million little wishes float across the sky. But it's a waste of breath and it's a waste of time"

On a Kacey Musgraves kick over here.
I always turn into a little bit of a country girl come the warmer months.
How can you not be, with nature looking so gosh darn gorgeous out there?
Well, despite the pollen...
I'm ready for all the stuff to be washed away.

Have a few photo shoots this weekend I'm looking forward to as well as a date with a good book or two. Hoping to catch up on some work as well. 
But we shall see....

What are you up to this weekend?