I was fortunate to be invited into the emotions of each family to hear the stories of pride, heartache, hardships and love. I was moved and amazed by their sense of honor and dignity. Several times I broke down and cried hearing about the sacrifices each militiary member and the families that stand behind them made. These are amazing people who serve our country selflessly, who protect our country and make us strong.

So, today and every day, let’s think about how lucky we are for those who gave, and give, their lives for us.

Click on Photo Projects above or click the link to read more about this project (scroll down a bit).

You can see my photography at the Artists’ reception is this Saturday, May 14, from 6pm to 8pm. There will be Live Music & Snacks and a No-Host Donation Bar.

You can also visit the Gallery tomorrow for the First Fridays’ walk through Bixby Knolls.

Please visit and support our local arts.

The Dahm Triplets, whom I was fortunate enough to create fantastic pregnancy photography last year, were on The Rachael Ray Show talking about their new workout video for new moms called “321 Get Your Body Back”. My pregnancy photography appears around 1:30 minutes in. They also loved my pregnancy photography so much that they put my images on their workout video website. I sure could have used this video after my twins were born.

Being a pregnancy photographer, I can tell you that it’s such a rarity to photograph pregnant sisters together, much less triplet sisters, that I jumped on the chance to work with The Dahm Triplets and their husbands. And it was so much fun, whimsical and creative that it was so difficult choose the images from the portrait session.

For the first time ever, I am offering a series of online seminars to you, aspiring, beginning, and seasoned professional photographers. These will be taped for you to learn. We begin production in a few weeks. However, if you sign up now, for a very short while I am reducing the fee for the six seminars, AND, here’s this big one: you can be a part of it by asking questions in advance. I will answer all reasonable questions.

Here’s your chance. Please go to this webpage to sign up with your Paypal account: http://www.linnealenkus.com/seminars/

Let’s start the new year off right by connecting. Please go right now to my Twitter page and my Facebook page and add your name to my list.

If you’re a photographer, especially, you’ll want to stay tuned. I have something to announce soon.

This Mother’s Day is such a special one for me. I just returned from a glorious vacation in Italy with my husband and three wonderful children. My husband wanted to celebrate my recent birthday in style by taking me to my favorite places. I was in bliss as we showed our youngsters how wonderful that country is as it is full of history, art and beauty.

My three children were such troopers as we walked for miles, and seeing the world through their eyes was something that I always treasure. Having three towheads in Italy is also a treat as the wonderful citizens of that country took notice of my kids.

I tried to be a photographer less on this trip. Although I did take several hundred images, which is low for me, I tried to force myself to put the camera down so that I could enjoy my family. Sometimes we mothers need to be reminded that life is happening all around us and to breathe it in. I wish that I had a professional photographer to follow me around so that I could not try to grab those moments myself, but BE IN those moments.

To all mothers, have a day to reflect about how lucky you are. Be grateful for these moments with these humans who make us grow ourselves. Today is a day that I feel the luckiest.

While I always love seeing you and chatting on the phone, I realize that most of you live very busy lives and I do not always have the opportunity share with you as much as I would like…. so I promise to be more diligent with sharing all of the amazing things happening with the portrait studio via Linnea’s blog! And, for those of you reading this whom I have not met, my name is Megan, and I have the pleasure of being Linnea’s studio manager.

So, one story I would like to share with you is my recent first experience being photographed by Linnea. She created this beautiful family portrait of my son and me.

On a daily basis, I encourage parents and loved ones to slow down and take the time to document these beautiful and fleeting moments in life with portrait photography. Being a proud mother, I see, first hand, how quickly children grow and how easy it is to let the craziness of life distract you from enjoying these times. Working for Linnea and watching how she sees life and love, I have truly come to see why family portraits are such an irreplaceable treasure…yet it took her months of reminding me to actually step in front of her lens myself!

I came up with all the excuses in the book to avoid being photographed, “I need to get my hair done, tone up a bit, etc…” But I realized my son was growing too fast for me to keep making excuses and finally asked her to photograph the two of us together.

I literally see Linnea’s work everyday and I am impressed everyday, yet I was still floored when I saw the results of our session. They weren’t just photographs of us; she really captured our relationship and how we feel about each other. When I look at these wonderful family portraits of my son and I now hanging in my home I don’t see a “photo”, but that sweet moment in time between my son and I that I will always have to cherish….even when he becomes a rebellious teenager! So, I wanted to share one of these moments will all of you out there…it is my favorite portrait of my son, Logan, and myself. It is, in itself, Art!

Here’s a link to “The Doctors” video that featured the maternity photography that I created for them.

Congratulations to the Dahm Triplets and your husbands for your little girls and the new lives you’ll be leading. The only thing that tops being pregnant is holding your little one in your arms.

I chose to submit a fine art nude series of three art pieces which feature a woman posing nude on a dance pole. In the images, I captured her in a sophisticated way performing erotic “pole dancing” moves which she does regularly as part of her fitness regimen. The fitness phenomenon which incorporates yoga, Pilates and other strength building moves helps women build their self-confidence by giving them the freedom to be their naturally sexy and erotic selves without social restraints. The series of images captures the beauty, joy and strength of a woman empowered by her own sexuality, and I love that she exhibits grace and strength through what has historically been perceived as a demeaning and degrading activity.

Art Gallery Show dates are from March 1st – April 17th, 2009

Come join me at the

Special reception:
Thursday, March 5th from 5pm-10pm during San Pedro’s first Thursday art walk.

and Formal reception:
Saturday, March 21, 2008, 5pm-10pm
Light hors d’ouvres, wine and music by DJ CEE-BO.

at Gallery Azul
731 S. Pacific Ave.
San Pedro, CA 90731
310-831-2116

See more nude photography which has a elegant, sophisticated edge on my website www.LinneaLenkus.com or my new nude website at www.FineArtNudePortraits.com

I have so much to be grateful for and so I want to say thank you to all of my wonderful clients and to the people who are on my team. Being a photographer means I get to be a part of so many families and I love knowing that I can create something that reminds you of your love for them. Each moment is priceless and we all need to stop once in a while to capture those moments for posterity to remind us what adds true meaning to our lives.

I recently received the sweetest Thank You card from one of my favorite people, Brooke Burke. She sure warmed my heart by writing in her note: “The Photography Book you made for my family is Incredibly Beautiful! And Priceless! It has become a Ritual during story time. The Kids call it our Family Book. What a generous gift that we all enjoy!”

Thank you Brooke. Thank you to all of the wonderful people in my life. Here’s to a new year and a new era. Here’s to creating beauty and love everywhere.

I’m a photographer and my photography website is at LinneaLenkus.com