The Eyes Tell All

In the last few weeks since I posted my first blog these eyes have cried many tears. Some of them have been happy.. but I must be honest.. most have been tears of sadness and worry. The happy tears started when I spoke with one of my new best friends, Kara Lanier. For those of you that read my previous blog you know that it is because of her that I met a second new best friend, her husband Jason. If you want the full details, please read the previous blog because this one would never end if I told the whole story again.

After working with Jason on Pensacola Beach he asked me, "Leslie, would you ever be interested in traveling with me to shoot weddings??" Well of course I said yes but to be honest I had my doubts. Why would this AWESOME photographer want me to shoot with him? I told him to call me if he ever needed someone, that I would love to and we parted for the night... me excited over the wonderful shoot we just had but sad because I never really thought he would call. Boy was I TOTALLY wrong! That’s what I get for doubting myself! About a week later I get a phone call from Jason asking me if I was busy on the 22nd. I was totally shocked and excited BUT.. I already had a shoot booked that day.. as I told him this he said well what about the next weekend.. are you booked then? OMG.. this dude is serious.. he really does want me to work with him! I had nothing booked the 28th so after talking with Andy we decided that it was a great opportunity to gain more experience with wedding photography. I called Jason back and everything was set to go.


Then, a tragedy occurred the Tuesday before my wedding on the 22nd. My camera fell into the ocean from my tripod during a beach shoot. Christy, I’m so glad I saved your pictures!
I cried SO hard about this! I had a wedding less than a week away and my camera was not working to say the least. Luckily I knew that I had a backup camera, my grandfather has one, but I have to learn a WHOLE new language of camera because its not the same as mine. Not to fret.. better to teach myself that than to have to call a bride and say, "I'm sorry you have no photographer for your wedding." So I got my new camera ordered and sent mine to be repaired (yes.. they can fix it!) but this "tragedy" still put a damper on things so my spirits were very low. Then after having a sinus infection for 2 months I finally got better only to get a virus last week that cause me to run a fever of 101.7+ for 16 hours last Tuesday. Andy said, "What are you going to do about New Jersey?" I looked at him from the bed and said, "I don't care if I am bleeding to death, I'm going to New Jersey!" Luckily by Friday I was in tip-top shape excited about the weekend. I took the picture of me in the hotel room waiting Jason to call me to leave for the wedding. The New Jersey shoot was fantastic! For a few sneak peek pictures go to www.jasonlanier.com and look at his blog. If I didn't know the number of shots we took at this wedding I honestly would have said we laughed more than we worked but I know that is not the case! We just click like old friends and of course talking with Kara on the phone after the wedding made it feel even more as if we were all old friends!

Now for the news that I have told some of you was coming... Over the next few weeks I will be transitioning to become the newest employee of Jason Lanier Photography!!!! Don't worry.. I am keeping my business.. I love you and your children SO much there is NO way I could give that up! I am still going to be doing weddings with my business as well so if you know someone who is getting married make sure you send them my link! I am super excited about this experience and I know that it is the right thing for me to do! This just means that if you would like to book an appointment that you will need to book it sooner rather than later. As a side note, now is the perfect time for beach pictures! I can also do custom Christmas cards for you to send out!!! So, these eyes have been through alot. I'm really am very blessed for things to have worked out so well. Andy told me the other night that I got "lucky" in meeting Jason and Kara but.. I know it was God all along! He obviously has a plan for me that is greater than anything I ever could have expected! I give him all the praise. I think that my camera falling in the ocean was his way of putting my feet back on the ground before I was floating in the clouds! Check back because I plan on updating my blog more often than I have been!