Who You Will Be When You Can't Help It

Shot with Minolta x-700 and Kodak 100 film

"What you read when you don't have to determines who you will be when you can't help it"
 -Oscar Wilde

Getting back into reading this week.
I'm in the middle of four different books... so I'm working on being less ADD and finishing at least two before I start a new one. 

What have you been reading this week?

Amber Bridal Portraits

I had so much fun shooting this beautiful ladies bridal portraits last month. 
I was also honored to be the photographer for her wedding as well actually.
Which will also be up on the blog soon, so make sure you keep an eye out for that!
But in the meantime, take a look at how gorgeous this girl is.
She was equally as stunning on her wedding day.
And I have to say, all the smiles and laughter you see in the photos: 100% genuine.
I didn't have to tell her to laugh or smile once. She couldn't keep a straight face the entire time actually.
  I loved it.
After all, during your wedding festivities, isn't that how it should be?
Such an overflow of love and happiness that it just can't help but shine through 24/7?
I think so. 

......................
Breathtaking.
Isn't she?

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


Life According To Instagram

This week I...

-Got some rolls of film developed! I'm still smitten with them. As you can see herehere and here
-Shared my summer reading list. Make sure you share what's on yours! I love new book recommendations
-Went for a bike ride. A first in quite sometime. Funny how easily things like that come back to you
-Posted some sailing photos
-Had a lot of work to do in the forum of photoshoots and editing. And more editing. And more editing. All of which is awesome! I'm definitely thankful for the work. It pays the bills after all. But it's left little time for instagramming and other various silly updates. I've been one busy bee

Follow me on Instagram at @agirlnamedleney

The Best Remedy

 Shot with Minolta x-700 and Kodak 100 film

“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As longs as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.” --Anne Frank


Experienced this today.


Summer Reading


I always have an extremely long list of books I want to read.
So if I made a list of all of them, if that's even possible, it would take forever and you would probably not even bother to read it when it was all said and done, because it would look so overwhelmingly long and endless!
However, here are a few I'm hoping to get to this summer...

To Read

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn
Anne Frank: The Diary of A Young Girl
The People of The Abyss
This Side of Paradise
My Life In France
Judy Garland: A Biography
Half Broke Horses
The Paris Wife
The Silver Star

To Re-read

Alice In Wonderland
The Glass Castle
Pride and Prejudice
The Help
Lord of The Flies
........................

What about you? 
What are you hoping to read in the upcoming months?

Life According To Instagram

This week I...

-Had a nice little mini vacation at the beach
-Went to see Best Coast. Can't stop listening to their new record. No really, I listened to it no less than six times the morning after the concert. And that was just the morning.
-Have been learning a few new things
-Went to the first annual RVA Bacon Festival! It was pretty fabulous. As is obviously expected with anything involving bacon. I may or may not have eaten a bacon s'more. To give you some idea of what it was like.
-Got my NEW CAMERA. Pretty excited about it. To say the least. My heart wouldn't stop pounding for a good ten minutes after I opened it. Can't wait to have a proper first shoot with it!!!!!
-Announced the giveaway winner!
-Shared some thoughts about knowing which way to go when you come to that fork in the road
-Posted photos of one of the cutest couples you will ever see


Follow me on Instagram at @agirlnamedleney


Lessons Learned Of Late

Photo Cred: Meagan Abell

Around this time last year I did a post about some things that I was learning at the time.
I always enjoy looking back at where I've been in various points in my life and seeing what I was learning/going through at the time, and comparing it to where I am now.
I've actually had this post saved as a draft since last week, so today I thought I would finally get around to sharing it.
Without further ado, a few things I've been learning as of late:
.......................

Never be afraid to go on adventures alone.
Because they often become the best adventures you've ever had.

"A good writer admires his heroes, a great writer wants to beat them."
A friend recently shared this paraphrased quote and I really liked it.
(I can't seem to find the original source, so if you know, please share!)
I'm trying to have this mentality with my own endeavors.

You should share what you know with others.
Because you get nowhere keeping all your knowledge and experience (however limited/great it might be) to yourself. So many people have helped me get to where I am, so I should help others when I'm able to with what I've learned from those before me.

Music is sometimes just better on vinyl.
Not because of the sound or anything about it's old schoolness, but simply because you have to make more effort to listen to it that way. You can't easily skip a track, you always have to flip it over half way through, there's more than just a button to push to make a song play.
You're forced to slow down a bit and really appreciate what you're hearing.

You have to take things one day at a time.
Over planning and over thinking rarely ends up benefiting you in the end.
Deal with today, today.
Deal with tomorrow, tomorrow.

Mushrooms, if fresh and uncooked, are actually kind of delicious.

Sometimes it's okay to take the morning off from work.
To slow down, read a book, and just do something for yourself.
It's better to tackle a full work load refreshed and rejuvenated "late" than stressed and overwhelmed "on time".
You will end up accomplishing more in the end.

Things will look better after a good nights sleep.
Always.

On that note:
4 hours of sleep really is not sufficient.
Go to bed at a decent hour.
Or at least stay up late on a day you can sleep in...