Lizy Bee Photography

{baby dee}

2011-07-31T23:02:00.001-07:00

Wow this mom is a super woman - this baby is only 6 or 7 days old and I am in awe that she is ready to have pictures taken. All I can say is wow. More photos to come of the siblings!

Lighting up the room

2011-07-26T20:49:00.000-07:00

Taking pictures of your own kids should be easy right....hardly. I suppose it is easier for me only because I have such low expectations of my children after having seen every kind of kid their age with all sorts of attitudes towards photo shoots. The other day my middle child turned 2 and she was stomping around the house in a swimmer and some cute rain boots, I think "perfect shots" so I grabbed the camera and bam this is what she gave me.

I had this vision and these are not it, they are cute, but every time I tried to help lead and pose she would pull the face I posted on top. I let the control factor go and got these. Cute, but no boot shots worry of posting. I also seem to have less motivation to 'get the shot' when they are my own.

On a different note we are coming to the US of A for a visit in October through November and I am so excited. I also will be picking up some photography equipment to bring back over {and ease back into shoots}. I will be excited to see friend and family again.

How long would I last?

2011-03-31T21:55:00.000-07:00

I love learning about photography, taking photos, teaching others how to take better pictures basically this is my thing. Whether you like my style or not I have learned to see what I think is beautiful and edit things the way I see as striking. How long do you think I have lasted without starting to "work" again.....we almost made it 8 months! So with some serious time limitations I will only be shooting one day a month (again lets see how long that lasts). But I will be thrilled to take pictures again just for the sake of getting better at something other then motherhood (which is a never ending "I need to be better" task).

*here are some pictures snapped at a Australian Harmony Day Festival we went to.

{Waikato Wedding}

2011-02-13T21:01:00.000-08:00

This is one adorable couple. I met them just after I moved, got to know them and then found out they were getting married! I was missing taking photos so much that I actually offered my services. After their beautiful small and intimate ceremony we went to this beautiful water park. I am working on some more photos, more to come.

Robyn's shoot

2011-02-01T19:52:00.000-08:00

Just let me know when you can come and get your cd - there are lots of really cute pictures!

What I miss

2011-01-04T22:35:00.001-08:00

So I had a chance to take some pictures for a new friend of mine down here in Australia and as I was editing the pictures I found myself missing photography. As I talked to my husband about it I realized that I missed being apart of people's moments. When I first started taking pictures I was a silly college student who had taken some classes in photography and had some roommates who needed engagement pictures and I of course was free - What a great deal! And after a few shoots I started realizing I loved being apart of so much exciting emotions and being the one who got to freeze that moment in time and give it to them for a lifetime of memories. My pictures in the beginning were basic but some how I caught the "moment" and people started telling other people about me and sure enough a business was created In the Moment Photography. I had an awesome friend who helped me through setting up a site and learning all about uploading and downloading of files to a server he got me into the Online Market and things grew so much faster after that. Soon I had a competing photographer with a similar name so I started Photography by Brittany.com and it was a hit I made the site all flashy and fun and my business boomed.

So as I look back at all those years of building up my business I realize I miss it. I miss being apart of the moments. Yes I will pick up photography again and in the mean time I will learn new techniques and learning what direction I want to take my photography. I love love love wedding photography but it is not a realistic schedule to keep with my three kids.

Thank you for letting me be apart of your falling in love and getting married, welcoming new babies into the world, capturing your families as they grow up and sharing moments worth capturing.

Cute new Cut

2010-12-13T04:55:00.000-08:00

Thanks for letting me take dust off the camera again, it feels like it has been ages since I got to take some pictures....it was fun. Hope you like seeing some sneak peaks of the photos!

Picasa?

2010-12-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

There are people who only have Picasa to edit in.... how hard would that be to get anything done the way you want. Here is a photo I edited there. I miss my photoshop. I need to find it because I found an excellent hair dresser who will do exchange work for my hair and some pictures.

I have two more boxes that potentially I missed looking in. Hold your breathe....

My search for

2010-11-21T03:37:00.000-08:00

Well I am unpacking now all the boxes that were sent across the big blue sea and I have not yet found my camera gear and photoshop. For most they would be fine and say 'no worries' I on the other hand am looking and looking when ever there is a free minute. Dont worry too much everything was insured with the move, I just need to find out if it is here or if they need to get me some new stuff. Have I mentioned I now live very close to the Nikon factory in south east Asia, I am sure I will make my way there one day and come home with heaps and heaps of equipment.

A photographer on a vacation

2010-10-04T22:41:00.000-07:00

So I think it is interesting how that since I have gone on a break I have slowed down heaps with taking pictures. But now that I have had a break I am ready to take pictures again for my kids, not as a business that is. I will post some as they come in.

Shopping for cameras

2010-09-06T22:03:00.000-07:00

I suppose it isnt suprizing that I am still going to update this blog, only because some of you just keep coming back for more! So I often get asked about cameras and I usually share the same stuff so why not write it down once and get it over with, right? Right.

Cannon over Nikon....I choose Nikon. Why? Because I like how it feels, because my father gave me my first SLR and it was nikon and it won my heart. Because once you invest in the set up it is like a third arm, it is priceless. Nikon and Cannon are great competitors, they are always trying to out do each other. Some like Cannon because they launch stuff first, others like Nikon because they work out the bugs from the early launched Cannons :o) Really just decide what you want to carry and then prepare to fight to the bitter end that yours is best when someone asks if you are a Nikonian or a Cannonite. I myself will hit you with my beautiful Nikon if you disagree.

Point N shoot verses SLR.... dont ask why just know that you will never get a consistently good picture out of a point in shoot. If convinence is important to you then go for the small little compact ones but dont come complaining to me that they are not fast enough, that your pictures turn out blurry, that your battery dies too soon and that you regret spending that $150 on it when you could have applied it to a much better camera.

Once you get into the SLR camera land the sales man will happily tell you that you need the newest greatest camera available, but ask yourself two questions:
1) what will I use this for?
Are you a family wanting to have great pictures of your kids without having to go to a Studio?
Are you a hobbiest doing nature photos?
Are you a camera junkie who just likes the newest item?
2) How will you make it worth your investment?

So I have temporarily gone on a "break" from photography not necessarily because I wanted to but because I needed to. What does a "retired photographer" shoot with? I currently have the Nikon d700 with the basic kit lenses that came with it and an extra battery and a 8gb SD card. Life is simple and I love it with this camera. My hubby thinks it is too big and I think it is just right so go out there and shop around and really think about why you want a bigger and better camera and then find something in a price range that makes sense for what you will be using for.

Happy camera shopping!

Sooooo cute

2010-06-15T23:18:00.001-07:00

There are so many people I will miss when we move and this is one family of our court that we have come to love and adore. Your family is beautiful and thank you for a delicious traditional Tongan dinner, it was so delicious - well worth the trade!

Loving each other

2010-06-07T21:24:00.001-07:00

You two are cute, good luck with planning you wedding and know that I will be thinking of you on your special day. Say hi to the fam for me!

Tonya Class of 2010

2010-06-02T22:49:00.000-07:00

Here is my Tonya who I met when she was soo soo much younger as I walked in to work for her family. I loved spending time with her as we took some senior pictures, she is a sweet heart and I am so proud of all the good things she is doing. Congrats and enjoy your summer, I will come and visit with all my little ones soon!

sneak peak for Aldama

2010-05-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

brothers

2010-05-23T09:37:00.001-07:00

Here they were a year ago

Here they are from last week, I just love this shot....cute!

Little E is 8 months old....what a cutie!

2010-05-06T22:12:00.001-07:00

Well this is one of my little neighbors and he is such a cutie, he was born about 6 or 7 weeks after my second, it has been fun to be outside with all these fall/winter babies that arrived. Tami he is cute and for how grumpy he started getting he took great pictures!

Scott & Melissa Album

2010-05-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

How fun to go back and pull your wedding photos and remember your beautiful day again. Here is your proofing session, just email any changes you would like to my and we will get it finished up!

Currently Reading & listening to...

2010-03-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

So just received my order of One More River to Cross and last night I started reading it, amazing to think of what has happened in our history - good and bad. It looks like there are 3 books to this series and I will keep you posted on what I think when I finish it, feel like reading along with me?

We also go to a great group called the Genesis group on the first sunday of every month, I have never been to a place where I have felt so welcomed and am thrilled to have beautiful, strong Black brothers and sisters around my children. This is a great dvd that we have bought 4 copies of to share with family and friends. If you are interested you can borrow ours or order your own. February was Black History Month and it got me searching alot more onthe internet, I got some good finds that I am excited about!

Do I miss it?

2010-03-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

About once a week I get an email asking something like this - "I know you dont take pictures any more but..." and as I respond back that I really can not take pictures right now it got me thinking, do I miss it? Yes and no. I miss taking my camera out and interacting with amazing people, I miss learning new techniques of shooting because I was shooting so much I could try different things, I miss the paychecks :0). And no because I am exhausted with my little kiddos and a little burned out after 6 years of having no weekends, school breaks off or holidays because that is really when people have time to get married or schedule in photo shoots.
But the thing I do realize is that I miss creating, I know I work hard here at home - believe me I know I do - but i miss creating something new and using my creativity to build something that will be productive. So I have taken on some of my family members who have wanted to start businesses and offered up my skills to make logos and set up blogs. It is fun and is something different to do that gives my brain a little challenge each day other then how to not loose paitence with potty training or how to clean my house and sneak a nap in sometime in the day!
So posted here will be my new endevors of helping friends and familiy with little tasks they want done and also my voyage of learning more about photography & business so that when I do start up my business again I will be ready for the challenge! Join me wont you!

E & S are 5 years old!

2010-03-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

These 2 have had a few shoots with me and their mommy was so amazing to me during my pregnancy she would come and get my toddler so I could nap, she saved me! Also since she is a mom of multiples I feel like she is one of the only people who get my exhaustion of 2 babies 4 months apart - and I am still sure that twins is harder then "irish twins" anyday! So in exchange for her generosity we have set up trades and this is now my second birthday photo shoot with her twins, they are a hoot to be around!

Here is what you get when you tell E she can pose herself....hahaha

I just loved the biting of the lip, S was hilarious to keep focused during the shoot.

This is when their mom told them to strike their "Americas Next Top Model" pose - not too far off!

Go Utes!

2010-02-24T14:57:00.001-08:00

My sweet little neighbor needed some 9 month old pictures and I had offered her pictures when she was first born as a baby gift - I am glad that they finally took me up on my offer! She is a doll!

My Wonderful Durelli Family

2009-12-29T23:06:00.000-08:00

What can I say about this family but that I just love them! It all started at a Village Inn off of 106th So. where I met to discuss pictures for Nick and Alisha's wedding and every year since then I have met up with them for family pictures. They are the type of people who make you happy just by being with them, who love you and are loyal to you no matter what, who care when things are not going well and are thrilled when things are going great. Durelli's - I have loved every shoot you have asked me to take because I have been able to see your family grow in size and in years. You are wonderful! Please stay in contact!!

Vitor & Carol

2009-12-29T18:40:00.000-08:00

I hope that your wedding goes well in Brazil, I am sorry I can not come to be apart of it!

Fun as a family

2009-12-29T17:56:00.000-08:00

That was fun! And we are excited for our Japanese dinner with you, thank you for the card!