Lee-Anne's event photography work is some of the most beautiful I've seen. She captures delicate little moments between her models, whether they be a couple headed down the alter, or out for a fall walk, or a tender moment between parent and child. And while she's created some beautiful photos and moments, my favourite works by her are her newborn portraits. She mixes fine art photography with newborn photography to create dreamy sets and delicate little worlds to feature her precious models in. She has such a fine-tuned mind to the little details of photography, and this is just the beginning of her career.
Who are you and what sort of art do you create?
I'm Lee-Anne Walker and I own LeeAnne Rose Photography which is based in Courtice, Ontario. I cover portraits from weddings to newborns.
How and when did you first get into photography?
I got my first camera, my very own camera, when I was 12 or 13 years old and I'd go through a roll of film every couple of days. The film would consist of anything and everything I came across, especially the people I met while out in the world. Some days I would just use a roll of film and shoot random things, some days it was a certain colour (I would spend a whole day shooting things that were only blue, for example). I ended up putting down the camera in my late teens, and fell back in love with it again in my early 20's when I had kids of my own and wanted to photograph those important moments and memories to keep with me forever.
What normally inspires or motivates your work? Where do you get your ideas for creating the images that you do?
I don't have just one thing I get inspiration from or that motivates me. I typically find inspiration in the various people I meet, different locations I find, and just from my everyday mood. When I get inspired to do something I start by drawing a sketch of the idea in a sketchbook I keep, and just keep adding to the drawing and idea until I know how I want to shoot that image, and what material or props I'll need. Currently I have a few personal ideas things I'm working on. When I'm shooting clients, I get most of my inspiration from them and try to work it into the photos.
What sort of gear do you use?
I am a Canon girl thanks to school. I currently have:
-Canon wm iii
-85 1.2 lens
-24-70 2.8 lens
-70-700 2.8 lens
-50 1.4 lens
-Canon TSE 90mm (which I am currently in love with!)
I also use my external flash and lighting kit for studio work.
What kind of tools do you use for post-production?
Photoshop and Lightroom are my go to post-production tools. All my work is imported into Lightroom and editing starts there. If something needs more of a kick of heavy editing then I send it to Photoshop to work on the image even more.
What is your favourite image that you have taken, or what was one of your more memorable shoots and why?
I don't think I have just one single image that I love more than any others. Over time, I have seen myself grow as a photographer and have watched my work change. Something I was in love with last year, might no longer capture me as it once did. However, being a parent, all the photos I've taken of my kids are the most cherished to me.
What artists or works do you admire and inspire you?
Alicia D'Amico, Pure Emotions Photography. I love her work! She does a lot of underwater shots that are just beautiful. And her editing is gorgeous. I also like Kirsty Mitchell and Brooke Shaden.
Are you currently working on any personal projects?
Yes. I am currently planning out a personal project that I've been working on for a while. I am using dancers as my subject. It had been put on the back burner a couple times already, since I am starting to get busy (that always happens with the summer). I am hoping to start shooting that series in the fall!
How do you make your clients comfortable to capture such stunning images?
Being confident in what I am doing and knowing what I'm doing helps a lot. When I first started out it was always a little awkward trying to get them to pose when I wasn't fully sure how to pose them myself. Now they probably think I'm crazy, but I always promise them that the outcome of the photos will be amazing.
What's your favourite movie and why?
Hmm... This one is a hard one for me to answer! I am not sure if I have just one favourite movie or one that I'm just in love with... When it comes to movies and genres I'm all over the place and love an assortment of different types of films.
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