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.

It is very beautiful and rare for sisters to be expecting mothers together and the type of emotional moment that I love capturing. But Erica, Jaclyn, and Nicole are not just sisters; they are identical triplets! Wow! I am the mother of twins, so I have a great understanding of the unique bond that forms between these special siblings and the whirlwind that they create. And a whirlwind they are! So, needless to say, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to photograph such an unusual moment.

In December, I took maternity portraits of the three gorgeous Dahm Triplets together, who were roughly a month apart in getting pregnant, and have since photographed each of them with their husbands in individual maternity sessions at two of my portrait studios. Next, we can’t wait to get all of their beautiful daughters in the studio together for newborn portraits! Nicole delivered her daughter, Charlie, in January. Jaclyn’s little girl, Chanel, arrived last week. And, Erica’s little bundle of joy will be joining the pink party in the next few weeks!

It has been such a pleasure to work with these amazing women and watch their family grow. I am proud to be their personal photographer. Be sure to watch “The Doctors” tomorrow to hear about their experiences and see the maternity photography that I created for them!

Public Speaking has been something that has been a nerve-wracking thing for me in the past as my face would turn red, I would shake, and I would stammer and then not get to the point. I say “past” because I have been working hard this last year in my local Toastmasters on my public speaking abilities, and it is improving. I actually was able to speak to over two hundred people with a 1 minute notice at the Healing opening this last fall without making a fool of myself (or so they say).

I am very hard on myself and so my self-perception is altered by my critical nature. I see that in many of my female clients too. We women have a tendency to put our appearances down and not accept our faults, blowing them way out of proportion. I often will remind a woman when she’s pregnant that she’s supposed to be carrying extra weight. The world forgives you, but we don’t forgive ourselves.

I joined Toastmasters to overcome my shyness when the world watches me, but also to stop the self-judging. I also figured that since I have been asked to be on TV several times and to speak to several organizations, I had better get comfortable being in front of an audience. I am getting better. We photographers usually choose this profession because hiding behind a black box is very comfortable for us. When I was a model I made an effort to figure out how to look natural in front of the camera, and so I thought, I could figure out how to speak to an audience without falling apart.

I spoke to an audience in Northern California a couple of years ago, and last year a young man approached me at one of the national conventions I attended. He asked, “Are you Linnea Lenkus?” “Yes,” I replied. “I saw you speak in Oakland,” he said. I wanted to crawl in a hole at that moment. All I could think to say was, “Oh, you poor thing. I know I was horrible.” “No,” he said, “That was the most inspiring speech I’ve ever heard.” “You’re just saying that,” I said. And he went on and on to tell me that I was actually really good. Wow!

I hope to see you in San Diego this Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 at the Holiday Inn at 3805 Murphy Canyon Road. You won’t see me shake so much and I hope to be inspiring, but I can’t guarantee that.

We are bringing our pet charity project to our Long Beach/Signal Hill Studio!

When: Saturday, February 6th from 10am to 4pm,
by appointment only
call (562) 981-8900

The Dog Days of Summer pet portraits in Pasadena was such a big hit that we have had many requests to bring it to Long Beach.

So here it goes!

Call us for an appointment to have your dog photographed by Linnea.

Bring $25 and a 30+ lb. bag of pet food which we will donate to a local pet charity
and receive a free stunning 5×7 of your precious pooch!
Wear something nice and you can join in!

What began as a way to show my children the beauty of light and form in the garden as they were looking at our array of strange looking garden bugs became my creative release and obsession and now, to my surprise and delight, is being welcomed into art galleries.

I continued past the teaching phase with my children and starting going into the garden alone, amassing thousands of images from my garden, my friend’s gardens, my neighbor’s gardens and on our nature walks. My family is patient with my constant sidetracking so much that the kids now know that if mommy is not with them, I’m photographing one of the beautiful blooms that evolve over the seasons, obsessed with getting the right portrait of a flower, with the same determination that I use in my portrait sessions. So now I can say I join the minions of flower photographers, but I tend to think of my self as a flower portrait photographer.

I hope you join us tomorrow night, August 6, 2009 as my biggest showing of my flower portraits will take place. I share Gallery 741 with two other nature artists. Thank you Gallery 741 for asking me to be a part of the show.

The exhibition, titled En Plein Air, is comprised of still life and landscapes carefully selected to celebrate the beauty and form of the outdoor environment. In the tradition of the “plein air” movement, the artists have stepped out of the studio to create each piece using natural light. While the subject matter of the artwork ranges from flowers to seascapes, the unifying theme is the glory of the world around us.

Please join us for the opening reception of En Plein Air during San Pedro’s famous First Thursday Art Walks:

Thursday, August 6th, 2009
6:00PM – 9:00PM
Gallery 741
741 S. Pacific Ave, San Pedro CA 90731

I photograph lots of families. And of course, pets are a part of every growing family. For some reason dogs just love me. Maybe it’s because I’m a giant kid. Maybe because the feeling is mutual. And so, pet photography is just a natural extension of family photography. I’m really excited because of a special promotion and fundraiser that we are going to do.

The sounds of barking dogs will be bellowing from our Pasadena studio on August 8th as we hold our first “Dog Days of Summer” fundraising event for the Pasadena Humane Society. Bring in a large bag of dog or cat food and you’ll receive a free 15-minute session and 5×7 portrait of your furry friend. It’s going to be a howling good time!

WHO: Linnea Lenkus Fine Art Portrait Studios, by appointment only so PLEASE CALL

WHAT: Dog Days of Summer

WHERE: 545 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, 91105 (corner of California Blvd.)

WHEN: Saturday, August 8, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

WHY: To raise donations for the Pasadena Humane Society

By appointment only. Please call 626-744-9104. I hope to see you there!

The children who’ve stood in front of my camera have conditions including autism, Asperbeger’s syndrome, high risk infant development delay, craniofacial deformity and attention deficit disorder. I was simply blown away by the strength, determination, courage and love that these families share. Listening to their stories moved me in a way that is hard to describe, especially as a mother of three healthy children.

The fine art portrait exhibit will be on display at the final destination of the Steel Magnolia’s Home Design Tour from 11am to 4pm on May 17th, 2009. Below is more information about the Home Design Tour.

The Stramski Children’s Developmental Center, under the guidance of the Center’s Medical Director Dr. Gary Feldman, include Behavioral Neurodevelopment Programs, The Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Center, High-Risk Infant Follow-up, Sleep Disorders and the Stramski International Adoption Program.

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

And I still can’t get over what an incredibly fit body she has. I’m looking forward to having Brooke back into my Pasadena studio to photograph her whole family, especially her son who is growing so fast! I can’t wait to congratulate her. My whole staff is so excited because we all love her so much.

This is Brooke Burke just 8 months ago and look at her today!

It’s been such a joy doing pregnancy and newborn photography for Brooke and David, and I can’t wait to see her perform tonight! And remember if you want to see how Brooke got that beautiful figure after four children go to her website BabooshBaby.com where she shows you how to get a tight tummy after pregnancy.

For more Brooke Burke photos that I created of her family, go to Los Angeles Photographers.