Christine Lee Photography

Ashlie and Joe’s Fort Desoto Wedding

December 13, 2017

Last month I had the pleasure of photographing one of my friend’s wedding…which also happens to be my first! I was so nervous and excited. Nervous because everything that I usually photograph can be retaken if it doesn’t come out perfect. Weddings can not be retaken and that scares me to death. BUT I was excited to be doing something out of my comfort zone and because weddings are just always so beautiful.

I knew right away that I wanted to photograph the bride getting ready for her big day…and I’m so glad I did! It captures her emotions perfectly.

I won’t make this post too lengthy with words…I think I’ll just let the photos speak for themselves.

Let me just chime in here to say HOW FREAKING ADORABLE are these two??? I can’t take it…their happiness and love is truly infectious.

I wish them nothing but love and happiness for the rest of their lives. I can not wait to see what the future has in store for these 2 newlyweds!

Christmas Mini Session, Lakeland FL

December 11, 2017

This season has been so busy for me! I couldn’t be more thankful for all of it. I try to update every week but between holiday sessions, Christmas shopping, planning my son’s 3rd birthday party and celebrating my 10 year wedding anniversary it has been insane! I’m finally able to start catching up now. And why not start with this adorable mini session???

This little girl is SO funny. When we first started the session she would not smile for me, even though she knows me and she usually poses for me right off the bat. Thankfully she warmed up to the idea of taking pictures and her faces were PRICELESS.

Of course I absolutely love this family. They are one of the families who have been so supportive of me during this journey into photography. Megan is always happy and thankful, she’s very encouraging and I can’t say enough good things about her. (And if you’re interested in LulaRoe you should check out LulaRoe by Megan and Ashley .)

Last but not least can I just say how adorable is their little dog??? I love pet sessions…animals are 100% part of the family and I hope more of my clients include them in their future sessions!

Family of 3 Christmas Mini Session, Tampa FL

November 25, 2017

One of the best parts of being a photographer is the sweet families I get to meet. I’ve always considered myself to be shy and reserved…but there is something about the camera that makes that part of me disappear. I feel so in my element and conversation just happens naturally; thankfully! If anyone knows me I can be pretty awkward at times.

I think it also has to do with the fact that my clients are amazing; I had never met this family before but when we spoke on the phone before their session it was literally like talking to an old friend. I can give thanks to Melissa for that because she was so welcoming and just easy to talk to.

I also love that she sent me a picture of their Christmas cards using these portraits…which I LOVED. They picked the perfect pictures and the perfect design.

This image is definitely because of her mommy! I could not get her to smile for me…I wasn’t winning her over; even with cookies! But Melissa was able to get her to giggle and I was all over it and it was so worth it!

Phillips Christmas Mini Session Lakeland, FL

November 19, 2017

Christmas is my favorite time of year; it always has been. When I was younger it was for the obvious reasons of gifts. As I grew up it became more about spending time with family; less about receiving gifts and more about giving them. I truly enjoy gift giving, I love that it can make someone happy even if only because of the thought.

My son’s birth only added to my favorite season since he was born 2 days before Christmas. So because the holidays are so important to me, personally, for family reasons…I absolutely LOVE that as a photographer I get to capture Christmas memories!

This has to be the best part about being a photographer…seeing so many families and their happiness around the holidays.

There is also something about children and Christmas…it amplifies the wonder, excitement, and innocence in them and their parents. I love it all, honestly. Plus the outfits are usually so freaking cute! Be prepared for an overload of Christmas portraits…but they are so worth seeing. 🙂

Family Session Lakeland, FL

November 12, 2017

I had planned on posting a session last Sunday…but then I heard about the Texas church shooting. I suppose you could say that I’m an “empath”. I feel things deeply; even when it doesn’t directly affect me. I mourn people I don’t know. Mass shootings are always horrible…but when children are involved it just breaks me. I needed time to myself; “step away and pray”. It could be very easy for me to fall into a dark, sad place filled with fear and worry thinking that this is our world now. But I know that for all of the darkness there is so much more light. So instead of letting the darkness consume me I’m letting the light fill me. I’m focusing on the good in this world; not the bad. I’m focusing on the beauty, not the ugly.
So it’s perfect that the session I’m posting tonight is of this family. They are sweet, genuine, good people.

There is also a funny story behind this session (which also proves how good natured they are). When we first got to Lake Mirror it started sprinkling so the girls went to find shelter and the guys stayed where they were. A bird was resting on the wall and it did not seem fazed by them. The bird let them touch him and hold him…for a moment. Then when he tried to fly away from them he ended up in the lake. That is when we realized that he was hurt. He was flapping his wings trying to get out of the water but he couldn’t. Two large swans started towards him aggressively; he desperately tried to fly up but just could not. We were all starting to freak out because after all, it was our fault he was in this situation. So Chase climbed over the wall and into the lake to save him. It seemed very dramatic until we realized the water was only one foot deep. Once the bird was safely back on the wall he started hauling butt away from us. I couldn’t even get a picture with Chase and the bird after he was rescued. He was over us.

This was my first session with all adults…I’m mostly used to families with toddlers or babies. So it was definitely a different experience for me. It made me realize I need to focus on actual poses. I lean towards natural moments but I should be able to guide them into those natural positions. That is something that I am learning.

I’m so thankful they trusted me with their family portraits. It was definitely a memorable session for me!

LuLaRoe by Megan and Ashley, Lakeland FL

October 30, 2017

Can I just say I LOVE taking pictures of these two! I’ve known Ashley since high school and she’s always been such an amazing person. It’s so funny to me because we both started our own business ventures this year…mine with photography and hers with LuLaRoe.

I love that we both started our business around the same time because personally, she has been such a huge support for me. She has reassured me when I needed it; she has referred her friends and family to have sessions with me; she’s given me advice or guidance whenever I’ve needed it. Her sister, Megan, has been a huge blessing as well. I had never really known her prior to this year but she is so easy to talk to and she has lifted me up when I’ve been doubtful about my photography skills. Megan has also left stunning reviews for me and also referred her friends and family. These two girls are just such amazing people.

I’m not necessarily a leggings type of girl…but I did buy 1 pair from them (Minnie Mouse with a camera of course) and they are super soft. Plus I love the customer service these girls give and the fact that if there are ever any issues, tearing or holes that pop up; they refund you or give you store credit. I seriously just can’t say enough good things about these two!

Anthony’s 1st Birthday Cake Smash Session, Plant City FL

October 21, 2017

Today is this little man’s 1st birthday party and I just wanted to share a few words about his mama and him.

When I look back on some of the darkest moments of my life; I see mostly my family as my strength…but there was a light in those dark days that didn’t come from just my family. It came from one of my best friends…she was there beside me through so many painful moments; she was like a ray of sunshine in the middle of the storm. She taught me so much about myself, about friendship, and about life. So when I found out she was going to be a mother I was SO incredibly happy because I knew she HAD to pass that light on; this world needs it more than ever.

Today, her perfect, adorable, amazing little boy turns one and I am so proud of the bright, beautiful soul she is raising. Everyone who meets him loves him, everyone who sees him sees the pure joy that he naturally has. I hope he knows how loved and appreciated he is; today and everyday. Happy birthday little man!

Plant City, FL Newborn Photography

October 14, 2017

Can I just say how adorable this sweet baby is??? She was wide awake for 90% of her session so the few sleeping poses I was able to capture were so precious to me. She was so alert and aware of everything going on around her; which I honestly didn’t mind because she’s just so cute!

Her little brother is about the same age as my son so it was adorable to watch him interact with his baby sister. He was so good with her and kept wanting to give her little kisses; the cuteness was definitely through the roof with this session! The love he already has for his sister is so obvious and heartwarming.

On top of the fact that this session was an overload of cuteness…the family was SO easy to talk to. I love when I meet clients and it’s like I already know them. The conversation flows easily and naturally…those are my favorite. These two were genuinely just sweet and easy going. I’m so thankful that they picked me to capture these darling moments.

Adult Cake Smash, Plant City FL

October 8, 2017

I’m not sure who came up with the idea of an adult cake smash session but it is pure genius! This was seriously so much fun to do.

One of the cutest things to me was the chalkboard sign I had made from Etsy (Click Here to Continue to Etsy Listing) . I’ve always loved the signs when celebrating a little one’s first birthday but how cool is it to be able to answer the same questions as an adult? Plus it really is just too cute.

The funny thing about this session is that Jennifer thought she was just going to pose with the cake. Towards the end, once I had taken plenty pictures of her being pretty and celebrating her birthday, I told her “You know you’re going to have to actually smash the cake right?” She looked at me shocked and said “Say what?” I laughed and told her “It’s a cake smash session…you have to do it! It won’t be the same without the smashing!” And so she did and it turned out adorable!

And I will end this post saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY GORGEOUS!!! Oh and also…this is my new favorite picture of her : )

Family Portraits

October 1, 2017

Tonight I want to take the spot light off of me as a photographer and shine it on the amazing photographer that I’ve used for the past 2 years. I also want to take this time to get a little more personal on who I am as a person; not just a photographer.

I’m starting with my husband’s favorite picture of us. This one is what I call our “model faces”. I feel like it looks like a picture out of a magazine thanks to our incredible photographer. Her name is Lindsey Cassidy (Lindsey Cassidy Photography) and she is based out of Bartow, FL; so if you’re in that area I 100% recommend her!

One of my favorite things about our photographer is that she captures genuine moments, when we are truly laughing and joking, even if we’re making fun of ourselves. She captures who we really are as a family and that is such an inspiration to me. I absolutely love her work!

You see that picture right above here? The one of my husband and I smiling? That’s his favorite one of us and I knew it would be. I’m genuinely smiling/laughing and that is not something I usually like pictures of. I’ve been insecure about my smile my whole entire life. Even now, at 31 years old, I find myself covering up my mouth when I laugh too hard. Why? Because I’ve always felt that I show too much gum or that my teeth were too small…one of the two. But my husband of 10 years loves it. He loves it because it’s the real me, my real smile; not my posed smile. It’s taken me a long time but for the most part (because like I said I still catch myself covering my mouth) I’ve accepted that this is who I am; gummy smile and all.

My husband and I are actually celebrating our 10 year anniversary this November. I don’t think a lot of people know just how out of the ordinary this feat is for us. It’s a long story really so I’ll use bullets to try to keep it simple:

We met through our ex’s sister (blood sister to my ex, sister-in-law to his) Not just any exes either…our first loves.
We started talking while he was in Iraq; he was 19 and I was 20.
We became a “couple” after 4 months of talking, even though we didn’t physically meet each other until 1 month after that when he came back from his deployment
2 weeks after he was back in the US I moved to NC to live with him. 1 week after that he proposed to me. 2 weeks after the proposal we eloped at a juvenile court. (He was 20 and I was 21).
We had our “wedding ceremony” a year later but the only ones who knew we were already married were our moms.

So there’s a little background on our marriage. It hasn’t always been easy, of course. That first year honestly was the hardest on us but we made it. We’ve been lucky to grow with each other instead of apart. I pray that it continues that way for the rest of our life.

I’ve already shared my husband’s favorite photo of us so now I’m going to share my two; because of course I can’t just have one!

I absolutely LOVE these. My reasoning is simple: look how HAPPY we are! Just looking at these two pictures make me smile and feel that happiness. I’m so happy and grateful to have these moments captured forever. THIS is why family photography is so extremely important for me.

There are a few other aspects of my life that make me cherish family photography even more. There was a time that I wasn’t sure if I would ever have a family other than my husband. I had 2 miscarriages, 6 months apart, when we were trying to conceive. My doctor recommended I have testing done to see if I could even sustain a pregnancy. With the second miscarriage I had to have a D&C; 2 days after that I was in the hospital in excruciating pain. It turns out it had nothing to do with the procedure but instead it was my appendix. My appendix had ruptured and due to the location of the infection from it the doctors were not sure if I would be able to get pregnant again on my own. I was told this as I was recovering in the hospital; I’m laying in the hospital bed when one of my OBGYNS informed me of this and I can’t even express how broken I felt in that moment. I felt like an absolute failure as a woman. All I could DO was GET pregnant, but now I might not even be able to do THAT. My doctors advised me to wait 6 months to check my tubes and see if they were blocked from the infection. Give my body time to rest and recover. Well, if anyone knows me they know I’m a planner. I plan ahead…way ahead all the time. So to me there was no way I could wait. I had to know so I could start planning how I was going to handle this if I could not carry my own child. If you want to read more on that I actually have a blog called Boots and Baby Bottles that I started 2 years ago (I haven’t kept up with it at all really).

So I went in 2 months after I got home from the hospital; only my right tube near my appendix was slightly blocked and they pushed the dye through to clear it. 1 month later I was pregnant. And then 1 year to the exact date that I was hospitalized for my appendix…my son was born. I survived my ruptured appendix, I survived gangrene that had settled in my abdomen from it; I truly believe that God was giving me a second chance on life and 1 year later he showed me why.

So when I see our family portraits and we all look so unbelievably happy…it just makes my heart overwhelmingly full. I am beyond aware of how lucky and blessed I am. I know how common miscarriages are, I know how common infertility is, so I KNOW that there are so many other mamas out there who feel what I feel when they look at their family. That is what inspires me and pushes me as a photographer…giving families those overwhelmingly happy moments captured forever. Having those constant reminders that there is ALWAYS something to be thankful for.

If you’ve made it this far into my post thank you; I hope it wasn’t too much information and hopefully at the very least you were able to enjoy Lindsey Cassidy’s amazing photography skills! 🙂