Photographers – Linnea Lenkus Fine Art Portrait Studios

Some people are confused. Yes, I know. I have THREE websites. Why? Because they are for different artwork that I do. So for the record, here are my photography websites:

Linnea Lenkus Fine Art Portraits: for my maternity photography, baby photography, children photography, family photography and pet photography

Linnea Lenkus Fine Art Nude Portraits: for my commissioned nude photography

Linnea Lenkus Fine Art: for my nature photography and nude photography for art galleries and museums

I’m so glad that I can explain it to you.

Happy 2011 Everyone. If you’re reading this you might have landed here through any number of pages.

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.

My gosh! Have we been busy. You know, they always say, “Never take a vacation,” because when you get back you need another one. Well, since I got back from Italy in May, I hit the ground running. The portrait studios have been wild. We added three new wonderful members to our crew and a larger office. I truly meant to blog a bit more this year, but it is a chore for me to switch from my visual awareness to verbal awareness. I prefer to express myself through my photography instead of in words.

I notice that there are a ton of photography teachers out there who are assigning papers to their students to interview a favorite photographer, and I’ve gotten many, many students who have picked me to interview. I really appreciate the admiration and I hate to be rude, but I just don’t have the time right now. I have so many photo projects going on, as well as servicing my clients, that my time is super limited. However, stay tuned, I have a project coming up that will most likely be of interest to photography students and other professional photographers.

Many people call our studio and assume that they will be working with a photographer who works for me, but No! If you book a session at my studio, I will be your photographer. It’s funny, many people are shocked that Linnea Lenkus is a person. Many have professed to thinking it was two last names. No, it’s just me. So, my time is pretty limited for other things.

This year, especially, I have realized how truly short our time on Earth is, and I am making a concerted effort to be a major influence to three of the most important people in the world to me: my children. And that takes quality time, effort and attention. My children are at that age where valuable lessons are taught and I want to be the one to be there to teach them. My family is truly important to me, as I’m sure, is yours.

I hope that your family brings you joy and warmth this year. Happy Holidays.

I photograph many, many families in all stages of their lives. Today I created family photography for a wonderful family whose children were all grown and moved away, but today was the only day that we could come up with where everyone was in one place.

Quite often, many family members, friends and even co-workers will call before or after a portrait session and request that they be able to cover part of the bill for that person they love. We understand. Many times my clients’ orders are covered as a result of a baby shower gift or a wedding shower gift, or simply a gift of appreciation. Now, to make this process simpler, I have created the “Gift Registry” to help those exact people.

Now, if you would like to be generous to someone who is, or will be, my client, Click on our Gift Registry to give them a great gift of memories. Click on that link to get gift certificates as well.

Happy Mother’s Day to every mother. We earned this day and I am enjoying it the most this year.

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.

On the subject of creativity and how I think about photography, I compiled some of my favorite quotes by famous photographers that express how I also feel.

Please click on Photographers to see some photographers’ quotes.

What is creativity?

I think that this is an important question to ask somebody who calls themself a photographer. I have been a creative photographer for 20 years and I’ve seen many photographers come and go. Photographers email me daily from around the world and usually say that my work is inspiring. I am very flattered and I appreciate those comments. I work hard at trying to interpret the moment and interpret the person standing in front of me. I attempt always to create something new and powerful. I hope you can see that in my work.

What is not creativity? That’s an even more important question. Creativity is NOT copying someone else’s website, or buying “cheat” cards that explain pose 21 or pose 28. It is not copying at all. It is listening and communicating via your medium.

When photographers ask me how to do something, I always suggest that they stop looking around for ideas and come up with those ideas on their own and look at the person, really look at the person in front of them. THAT is creativity.

So, creative photographers, stop looking around and start looking within. You will do yourselves a favor and do your clients a bigger favor.

I created some nude photography with a wonderful couple this month. They were very hip and understood what I am trying to achieve. With an open mind we created some amazing nudes. Many people have some big misconceptions about nude photography and I’d like to set you straight.

We get calls. Many calls and emails about nude photography. If you have trouble saying what you want, that is a fine art nude, then don’t go there. If it’s uncomfortable or you are exploring some perversion, then just don’t call us. But if you want to create something beautiful, something elegant, something that will be put in art galleries and museums, then I’m interested in photographing your nude portraits.

This month and this month only I am extending an invitation to fit couples and shapely or muscular women. I am getting ready for an art show and I want to include those people who have an interest in art. We will have a special, with no sitting fee and reduced rates. Call or email us ASAP.

I am a photographer who proudly photographs nude photography.

Hello out there to all of our great friends and clients!

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!

One of my art pieces was accepted and is currently on display at a juried exhibition of photographers at The 2nd City Council Art Gallery at 435 Alamitos Avenue in Long Beach.

The photography that is on display is a portrait I photographed last year for the Healing project entitled “In Good Hands”. There is a fine art photographers’ reception at the photo gallery this Saturday, February 27th, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and I plan to be there.

Please join us.