liana's bananas (early 2006)

this BLOG is moving :)

2006-05-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

The NEW, fresh LIANA'S BANANAS is here!!!

***CLICK HERE FOR NEW BLOG***
(bookmark it!!)

Please bookmark the new blog because that's where all the new posts will be from now on . We'll be doing some re-arranging here soon so that this will be moved and replaced so stay tuned!

Reason: blogger was not banana-compatible and since everyone who knows me understands how much I love my Mac (yes, I know the I love my Mac Song by heart!!) it was not a difficult choice making the switch to iBlog :) Thanks Jess for helping me set it up!

***Here is the new RSS feed***

reporting from mexico...

2006-05-09T22:29:00.001-07:00

Ahhh... it's GORGEOUS here!!

It's been soooo insane the past few weeks I just realized I neglected to blog pics from the wedding I shot with Matt Adcock a bit ago ... :)

Pure Fashion Show

2006-05-01T07:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to join my OSP friends Ben, Nathan, and Amber in photographing a really awesome event... Pure Fashion Show. I woke up utterly exhausted after a very long week and shooting a wedding all day Saturday (pics coming soon) so it was difficult getting there but once I did I was soooo glad that I had the chance to be there. The entire event was phenominal and even better is the message Pure Fashion promotes.

The national founder of Pure Fashion chats with David Foster.

David is the artistic genious behind a HUGE line-up of some of the most celebrated music artists. I was floored to find out the diversity of artist he backs....everyone from Celine Dion, Josh Groban, and Andrea Bocelli, to Barbara Steisand and Beyonce. He's won I think 14 grammy awards... and composed one of the best soundtracks in history - the Bodyguard. He even scouted talent from the fashion models and asked a 15-year old girl to perform (which she did, bringing many to tears!!). Wow - this guy's got talent and knows talent!!

David and Nita Whitaker performing together.

Rebecca St.James also performed

And the kids sang along to some of the performances

Hundreds of little ones lined the catwalk, watching the performers and models in awe.

One of the dancers during a performance to one of Andrea Bocelli's songs that David played for.

Amber and me having some fun with the fisheye and swirly-technique.

Ben Vigil, Nathan and Amber Holritz and me.

It took a lot of volunteers to pull this off. A view from back-stage.

The grand finale with streamers :)

one week later

2006-04-29T06:49:00.000-07:00

Here are a few from last weekend...

Gorgeous bride

Reactions when they see the bride...

...before she walks down the aisle.

During the service

How cute is this - him holding her train :)

The newlyweds

The groom and his guys

It was raining on and off all day, and then gorgeous and sunny in-between. Somehow the bride and groom managed to get in front of us on the ride from the church to the reception site. It was raining then and I pulled up so Marie could jump out and follow them in. This is one of my favorite shots of the day that Marie English shot:

First dance

The kids were so cute...they all crowded around the table during the cake cutting in anticipation of grabing a piece as soon as possible. This one is of a few of the darling triplets that were there.

I was reunited again with one of my all-time favorite wedding vendor buddies. Greg Tish is probably the best DJ I've ever worked with...and we've worked a lot of weddings together from back in the days I lived in Tally and assisted with wedding planning. He's got the best music, and really plays and orchestrates whatever the couple wants. Such a blast!!

The guests had so much character

The light in the reception hall was magical that afternoon and was constantly changing with the weather. Here, the mother of the bride stopped to chat as she was on her way to go take more of the yummy cake to family.

bluegrass thursday

2006-04-28T17:22:00.000-07:00

Living in Atlanta, it's easy to forget you're in the South. It's like any other major US city - a melting pot of cultures and people who are mostly from other areas originally. Except everyone's just a little sweeter, like the tea (okay, maybe a LOT sweeter).

Last night was a great reminder that we ARE in the South as we finally got most of our sm group together for some Bluegrass fun. I'd never been to hear Bluegrass before and it was a blast... I kept wanting to get up and start a big dance party when they got all crazy on the violin. Hehe.

And some swirly pics from the MiniCam in night-mode.

catherine and will

2006-04-26T20:26:00.000-07:00

Check out Catherine and Will's wedding from this past Saturday in Florida. PRESS PLAY below to start the slideshow...

It was such a gorgeous wedding and what made it even more special is how excited Catherine and Will were to finally tie the knot. I don't know how many times I heard "at last" and "I'm soooo excited"!!!

Marie English came down with me to shoot and got some AWESOME shots (I'll post some of hers and more of mine later).

Thank you having us be a part of this amazing experience!

Vote for my future clients for NBC show ;)

2006-04-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

This summer, I will be photographing a wedding for one lucky Atlanta couple for "Going to the Chapel" which is aired in conjunction with NBC's Atlanta & Company.

The VIEWERS get to decide on all the details (which dress, type of reception, menu, bridesmaids dresses, ring, honeymoon, which engagment photos, music, etc) by voting online... kind of American-Idol-ish I guess. We'll be shooting their engagement pics sometime next month and then going live on the show in June to chat about the shoot and let the audience see which photos they get to pick from to have shown at the reception. Each week the audience votes on a new thing until the wedding (in August) then they have a big finale show.

Yesterday was the premier where they introduced the two couples in the running:

Stephanie & Matthew's INTERVIEW VIDEO

Terri and Chris' INTERVIEW VIDEO

Then you can register real quick to vote for your favorite couple...

*** VOTE HERE ***

This is gonna be sooooo much fun :) I can't wait to see who wins!

panic mode, jalapeno, and the crazy frog

2006-04-23T19:42:00.000-07:00

I am finally up and about after an INSANE 48 hours.

This weekend, I returned to Tallahassee, FL for the first time since I moved from there (over 2 years ago) to photography Catherine and Will's wedding on Saturday. (More on this soon...)

Everything that could go wrong seemed to on the way out of town and I was in the car from around Noon until Midnight on Friday, between traffic in ATL and the long drive.

Needless to say, it was a mostly-enjoyable trip because I had Marie (from South GA) with me second-shooting and it was a blast getting to know her better on the trip. We decided to leave last night rather than staying an extra day and made it to her place around 12:30am.

By 1:45am I was nearing Atlanta but my eyelids were growing heavier by the minute. I knew I would need a quick cat-nap and pulled off the exit. I could tell I wasn't the only one with this idea as the car next to me seemed to be occupied with slumbering road-warriors as well. I locked the doors and zonked out, waking an hour later ready to hit the road again. I decided to use the ladies room first and reached for the door...

As soon as I hit the unlock button, a screaming siren let loose accompanied by a series of honks and beeps and screeches. My car was in panic mode and I had NO idea why or how to turn it off. Lights started going on in the cars around me, people peering out the windows groggy and not so happy with the noise. After 5 minutes of scrambling to try to turn it off, it went off on it's own. I was completely embarrassed and pulled out as fast as I could, squirming in my seat. I would go to a gas station down the road and use their restroom. No such luck. Again, I was greeted with the asinine scream of the panic as soon as I tried to unlock my doors to get out. A large man with grease on his face pawed at my window instructing me with broken english to press my keys. I fumbled around pressing every button then finally I was locked in again, but in silence. I give up!

I speed off, only 50 miles from home, praying I could stay awake and get to a bathroom (and out of my car without setting off alarms) on time. Luckily, I had a can of VERY HOT and SPICY jalapeno pringles to wake me up.

As added measure, I tuned my stereo to the Crazy Frog song. For some reason, this song is unbelievably hilarious to me and has one of those chaotic dance beats that will get your blood racing. The tricks worked.

Finally, at about 4:30am I was home safe and could finally hit the sack :)

Zion Farms Wedding

2006-04-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

The day before Easter, I had the pleasure of joining the wonderful Matt Adcock in shooting Scarlett and Brian's wedding in Rome, GA. It all took place on this horse farm and the reception was actually above the stables ...the place was chaulk-full of character and it was a super fun group!

The bride was gorgeous

There were tons of handsome lads around

And my FAVORITE animals

(methinks mr. meowser was bored...or maybe just sleepy)

The father of the groom

More stairs

The happy couple

what happened in Vegas

2006-04-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

Mom: "So did you get to go to a lot of seminars?"
Liana: "Not really"
Mom: "Well then, what did you do the whole time you were in Vegas?"
Liana: "Ate"
Mom: "And then what?"
Liana: "Ate some more."
Mom: "What else did you do besides that?"
Liana: "Talked, went to parties, helped out, had meetings."
Mom: "I'm glad it was productive."
Liana: "Yeah, I don't think I need to eat for weeks."

Phewww... I am still... almost a week later, mentally and physically exhausted from all the chaos that is called WPPI and DWF in Las Vegas. I'm afraid I'd have to write a book to cover everything that happened, so here's a quick view...

(and thanks Shy and Tobi for all the pics!!)

The trip started with a VERY long and bumpy flight two Fridays ago but I opened the Paris hotel room door to be greeted by three gorgeous friendly faces - Jasmine, Shyla, and Kristen - so it was a great start after all.

Me and my Vegas roomies with Mike

Me and Jazzy in the elevator

Seriously, this trip wouldn't have been half as fun without this crew!
Mike and Julie were CONSTANTLY cracking us up

Sunday was AWESOME. Jazzy and I had a laid-back yummy dinner with Regis and Fletcher which was a nice change of pace...

Then we rushed over to the "Champaign Shootout" to help Mike battle the ugly pea-green projector, studio-lights, and the craziest rainbow background you'd ever seen (sooooooo not Mike).

We ended up taking the models down off the stage and used the audience to simulate a "first dance" look.

Mike ended up with killer shots (here's the one they printed and displayed the next day):

As soon as we were done with the shoot-out, we rushed back to Paris where the OSP-party was well under way. The group from OSPMC had decided about a month ago to surprise DJ with custom-made "It's an Addiction" OSP t-shirts so when he showed up we were already wearing them!

DJ, Jessica, and I got up bright and early on Monday to join Jeff Kent for breakfast. It was great to finally put a face with the name - in person :)

Monday started the non-stop-eating trend. After breakfast, we hit the tradeshow floor for a few minutes before heading over to the Fabulous Female Photographer's French Luncheon. (sorry, no pics of this... top secret! j/k...I'll have to get some pics here eventually...)

After a long lunch, headed over to the Pictage Partner Party, then straight to dinner with the fabulous Leather Craftsmen Crew, Andy and Brian Marcus, John Solano, Jay Goldman, DJ, and Jess.

Andy, Liana, and Brian

Self-portrait with John

Monday night was the only night I made it out dancing... check out the view from the Foundation Room.

Tuesday was rough having to be up bright and early for mentoring sessions that Davina put together last minute with the help of OSPers and Jeff Jochum to benefit Thirst Relief International but it was such an awesome time.

Immediatly following, I rushed over to the tradeshow to do a quick 1-hour stint for Pictage.

When that all wrapped, I realized I haden't eaten yet that day so I joined the gals and Mike for a very late lunch with Gary and Melissa. That was 3pm.

At 4pm, I met up with fellow WeddingELITE friends, Kevin Kramer and David Beckstead for dinner #1.

The Becksteads and Kramers

At 6pm, I met up with Mike and the gang to head BACK over to Nine (where we'd eaten the night before...yummy!) for dinner #2 with the Pictage clan. By then, my stomache was fuller than full but I'm like a fish and don't know when to stop

.... so I kinda sat there with my eyes glossed over feeling full while Mike entertained us with his creative photo-taking.

Trip to the Forums and FAO Schwarz later that night

And to join up with the Regis-birthday crowd (isn't Rege a stud?? you can't even see him in all us girls!)

Ice cream was involved later but I was too full to partake or even take pictures to document.

Wednesday, we headed over to DWF to cheer on Jess and Susan during their seminar, then Jess and I had a lovely afternoon of errand-running and french-dinning for xtreme!

Finally, we headed to Beckers for the big finale Wednesday PM - the 6th Annual [b] Party in Vegas.

(This is actually from Sat PM but [b] has tons on his blog)

Okay, so that was anything but short... and I'm not sure what the moral of the story is except thank you everyone for such an amazing experience and I can't wait to fast for two weeks ahead of time so I can do it all again next year!!! ;)

Featured in Professional Photographer Magazine: White Hot

2006-04-17T20:45:00.000-07:00

"It's a new age in wedding photography and it's luring a new generation.... Wanting to explore the minds of the new generation Professional Photographer sought out three younger statesmen of professional photography who are making waves, and not just in the kiddie pool...." read the article

I remember back six or seven years ago when I was starting out in photography and how different things were back then. Wedding photography (the traditional form of it at least) was not the least bit appealing to me, photographers guarded their business practices and scoffed at the idea of sharing ideas and knowledge. Boy oh boy times have changed!

Last month, I was SUPER excited to see my friend David Jay's photography on the front cover of Professional Photographer Magazine... in which he, Jessica Claire, and I were featured.

In the past week alone, I had the opportunity to break bread and share in conversation with the same folks (Marcus, Fong, Reggie, etc) that are mentioned in the intro of this article... photographers that revolutionized the industry and made it appealing to people like myself. Last night over Easter dinner, we chatted with Denis about what it was like for him when he decided to break from the norm and introduced photojournalism into the realm of wedding photography. People laughed at it...thought it was crazy at first! Now it is the high-priced caviar of the business. It's an intersting thing to see that what's considered crazy now may in fact be the norm in the years to come.

So thanks guys for paving the way... and making this such an interesting business to be in now!!

wppi - vegas, baby!

2006-04-15T10:23:00.000-07:00

Last week, I had the amazing opportunity of joining thousands of other photographers in Las Vegas for the biggest convention in the industry - WPPI.

I'm about to run out the door to shoot a wedding, and will post MUCH more upon my return, but here's a sneak-peak slideshow of all the fun!

(click play)
ps...thanks Shy and Tobi for all the additional pics!!!

First Atlanta PUG Meeting

2006-04-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

Last fall, my lab asked me if I'd be willing to help them out in hosting regular meetings that enable a local network of photographers to get together to share ideas, learn, and get to know eachother. It was huge rat-race trying to find a location that could host us regularly that is convenient to most and somewhere close to an after-event type place too. I was very excited to FINALLY find the perfect location for both!

Althought the official launch of the Atlanta Pictage User Group (PUG) was the night before the Pictage Partner Conference East, we had our first 'real' meeting April 5th and it was awesome to see how many came out and to hear how enthusiastic the group is about meeting.

Our focus was on GOALS for the first meeting; both on an individual level and as a group. I'm super excited to see where this group goes and some of us have already made plans to shoot together this spring - fun stuff! After the meeting, we all headed over to Hand in Hand for some grub and great conversation.

We'll keep this page updated on the logistics until we can get an official site/forum started for the Atlanta group so be sure to check back. Hope to see you all out there again on May 3rd!!

xtreme!

2006-03-30T21:01:00.000-08:00

i'm sooo excited for MANY reasons to introduce to you the xtreme! seminar NYC06.

CHECK OUT THE XTREME SEMINAR

Jessica Claire and I finally decided, after the number of requests we got, to team up and put on an intense three-day seminar this fall in the heart of NYC.

This isn't the kind of seminar where you'll be sitting in lecture and copying powerpoint all day... but rather a get-your-hands-dirty and actually produce some amazing changes and improvements in your photography and business experience.

Spots are filling up fast already so if you're thinking of joining, we'd recommend signing up before WPPI ;)

Can't wait! It's gonna be a wild fun time!

Simple Photo Minute: Xtreme Vintage OC

2006-03-29T06:18:00.000-08:00

My friend Dane Sanders, an amazing photographer, professor, entrepreneur, and now father of FOUR adorable little-ones (among many other things) had this vision months ago of making our lives simpler and better through sharing ideas and tips for making our lives better, simpler. What became of this vision is now an addiction for all of us photographers (and even non-photographers) to tune into every week..

Back in February, Nam and I were the first guest hosts of the now very popular Simple Photo Minute, which is broadcasted on Simple Photo Life every Wednesday and is also available as an iTunes Vodcast. In my first SPM (OC Motel) we talked about using lighting, composition, and concept to show you that "you don't have to be at the beach to get beautiful pictures."

Last month, while a bunch of us were out in Laguna Beach California, Jessica and I recorded this week's SPM while photographing the sweet and wonderful Nathan and Amber and Anne and Mike. This time, we're showing you how to take people that aren't normally in front of the camera and making them totally FABULOUS vintage icons for a day!

Click here to see this week's episode of Simple Photo Minute
featuring Liana Lehman and Jessica Claire.

subway walls and steel divides

2006-03-27T04:25:00.000-08:00

I got one of those forwards the other day; one of the cute ones adorned with puppies, babies, and cool quotes.

One of the quotes said:

"The truly blessed do not necessarily have the best of everything; they are the ones who make the most with what they are given."

I've been part of big collaborative photo projects before and witnessed photographers that would refuse to shoot in less-than-ideal scenes (no ocean present or gorgeous landscaped backdrops, etc) and it always baffled me why they were this way. Some of my favorite work is from places that are demolished, deprived, or in need of some serious care and repair. Like Luisa's Bridals and our OC Motel shoot.

Yesterday was another prime testament to this theory that "you don't have to be at the beach to get beautiful pics." (It sure does help when you've got awesome models like she is though!) Check out the other looks we did:

Subway walls

Down the sidewalk at the subway station. LUV the hat!! (and it was chillllly out so she needed it!)

More station walls

Steel Divides

Thank you again Keya and team-Pam for the awesome styling you pulled off last-minute!!

blossom

2006-03-27T04:17:00.000-08:00

More from our shoot yesterday...

I love Atlanta in March. They've got these gorgeous trees everywhere, in blossom.

ProQuotes and SPS

2006-03-26T19:06:00.000-08:00

Part II of V:

I remember back to when I was plowing thru those 1650 hours of photography school...in the lab, studio, and classroom ...picking up publications like Rangefinder, Professional Photographer Magazine, and other popular pro photographer magazines... wondering how to move into that world of photography.

What's completely AMAZING to me is that now there's an organization and resource dedicated to students specifically: Student Photographic Society (SPS). Looking through this site, I really wish I had a resource available like this back then!! In fact, it's well worth the membership in perks and great info for anyone in photography!

This past month, David Jay, Jessica Claire, and I were featured in a column called Pro Quotes: Top Notch Tips from Practicing Pros on SPS.

In this series, we cull the ranks of the photo world for tidbits of useful advice from well-respected pros. These are folks whose experience speaks volumes. Take a gander and see if you can pick up something to aid you in your upcoming career...

Complete Story

Brittney Spears' little sister

2006-03-26T14:07:00.000-08:00

Check her out...

Okay, so it's not ACTUALLY brittney's sister... but when we were shooting Lauren today and the icy breeze blew her hair in her face and the sun was washing it out... that's the first thing that came to mind (for both me AND the make-up artist!!)

MUCH more where this came from... I was just excited to get a preview of little-brit up first...

Stylista, on the Other Side

2006-03-21T19:34:00.000-08:00

Pam and I started working together last November - first at OSPS, then for a TON of fashion and fashion-bridals this past January, such as Luisa's Thriller Bridals. She's got a keen eye and we work well together coming up with concepts and seeing them through - this girl can shop (yes, she's a wardrobe stylist!)

Well, today the tables were turned on her. We did a VERY quick last-minute shoot as the sun was setting and the wind picked up, turning Atlanta chilly all over again. H&M is looking to start using her as a catalogue model and needed some swimsuit tests. Nothing like shooting in the half-dark 40-degree weather in a swimsuit! Check it out though ...she's a natural!!

Pick-me-up Publix: It Happened to Me!

2006-03-20T21:09:00.000-08:00

On the last page of Professional Photographer Magazine (March Issue '06) you'll find the story of what happened when Dawn and Brett and two other friends and I ventured to the college pick-up-spot (yes, our closest Publix grocery store) so that I could complete an assignment for the newspaper ....

CLICK HERE FOR THE COMPLETE STORY

What's more...the story of how Dawn and Brett first met is completely adorable and hilarious. We were roomates my first summer of college and our other roomate Molly (also featured in the story) dragged her and her boyfriend out to shoot some pool one night. Dawn REALLY did not want to go but went anyways and about an hour into being there headed towards the ladies room. On her way to the restroom, she spotted Brett sitting up against the wall and in her own words: "I don't know what came over me... I was drawn to him... I went right up and took him by the chin and said 'blue eyes and blond hair like the father of my children is going to have' and then - realizing what I'd just done - walked straight into the mens room on accident!!"

Well, it was meant to be because she and boyfriend-at-the-time parted ways weeks later and Brett and Dawn went out on their first date with Molly and Ross (all pictured in the story). Last April, I was a bridesmaid in Dawn and Brett's wedding. This April, I'm hoping a framed copy of this makes it there in time for their 1-year anniversary. Congrats Dawn & Brett - and thanks for the awesome stories, laughs, and memories!!

Featured x5

2006-03-20T21:00:00.000-08:00

Wowser.... things have been COMPLETELY insane this year thus far but I'm super excited that all the craziness is coming to a peak soon with WPPI around the corner and the launch of some new things just on the horizon.

But first, without further adu, I give you the first of FIVE spottings you'll see of lianaPHOTOGRAPHY in the press (well, that we know of...) lol. I'm super excited because the first one I've got uploaded and ready to share features one of my best friends in the whole world and her hubby. It's a cute/funny story that will make the peeeerrrrfect 1-year anniversary gift to hang on the wall in their new home. Fun! Okay... stay tuned...

Kiss Me, I'm Irish

2006-03-18T16:25:00.000-08:00

...okay, so I'm only a smidget Irish (yep, I'm a "european mutt" as we fondly call our lineage that dates back to the Mayflower days...part Irish, and a LOT of other things mixed in... can you guess what else!?!)... but that didn't stop me from hanging with the REAL Irish in honor of St.Patty's day yesterday.

In fact, it's a true Irish gentlemen (dual citizen) that is partially responsible for me living in Atlanta now... long story short, I was able to move here because he and some others hired me to work with them doing business development. He's got some interesting stories but the funniest one has to be about getting arrested once in Ireland because they thought he was a fraud due to his VERY deep southern drawl...how could an Irish man talk like that!?! LOL.

But that isn't the first time the Irish have had an influence in my life. Growing up with parents that traveled for a living gave me the opportunity to experience some REALLY awesome places starting young... and also enjoy the company of nanny Christina when they were away. My mom spoke to Christina before picking her up from the airport the first time and asked "how will we know it's you?" at which Christina replied "I'll be wearing a red berry." My parents were thouroughly confused at that point and asked her to repeat that ...same thing a "red berry." Everything made sense though when the beautiful Christina showed up wearing a red baret!! Years after she parted ways to return home, she mailed us some photos of her - she had been crowned Miss Ireland!! Soooo cool! She kind of reminds me of Princess Diana in this shot.

I also got some tips on the next place I MUST visit in Ireland... if you've never been you MUST go. I've only been to Dublin and the outlying countryside, but the people there are unbelievably friendly and welcoming and they've got some of the best food I've ever eaten. Oh, and my absolute Favorite pair of jeans are from there. Too bad they don't deliver outside the UK. And last, be sure to stay in a B&B. Quite the experience!

Sláinte!

OSPMC-theVideo

2006-03-17T06:29:00.000-08:00

...managed to condense 10 days of FUN from OSPMC into one 7-minute, 17MB video....

I'm soooooo grateful to have all of you in my life and miss you all terribly!! Can't wait for Vegas in a few weeks!!! :)

Note: You must have quicktime downloaded to your computer for this video to work. Please be patient as it loads - this one is a BIG one!!:)

Note#2: It MAY be easier to just download it by right clicking this link and "save as"

Note#3: You can ALSO get this thru iTunes by searching for "liana tv" or "OSPMC" in the music store :)

Bucket Stamps - FUN!!

2006-03-17T06:10:00.000-08:00

Wow... this is sooooo cool! In order to easily post photos online and link them to my blog and online forums easily, I've subscribed to Photobucket which allows me to do so without having to FTP anything or write code. It's sooooo easy to use and I actually went over my free account bandwidth limit so I had to get a paid subscription (sooo worth it!). The awesome thing is you can now create all these neat "bucketstamps" and "bucketstrips" by just checking a few boxes of the pics you already have uploaded. Check it out:

Now I'm going to want to make a million of these :)

PartnerCon in Atlanta

2006-03-14T19:55:00.000-08:00

When looking back to when I first picked up a camera and started shooting professionally over six years ago, I would have been floored to see where the photography industry has come in this short of a time!

Perhaps it was that I lived in Florida where everything is a little slower to catch on... but one thing is for sure... a new age in wedding photography is here for sure!!

People often ask me "how do you do it" ...and among other things, I have to credit Pictage to taking a LOT of my hands so that I am free to do what I love - communications, planning, travel, teaching, learning, and TAKING pics!!

Last fall I was honored to speak at the First Annual Pictage Partner Conference in Los Angeles - it was such an amazing experience meeting so many amazing people and getting inspired by their work and business practices.

So I was SUPER excited last week when the 2nd Conference came to the East Coast. It was a smaller crowd, but it was so great meeting some more local and regional folks and reuniting with friends.

Sara showed us her cool twirly-round-in-circles-with-a-point-and-shoot-camera-trick:

I soooo need to get pics from everyone else...I've been a slacker with my point-and-shoot, but here are a few more:

CLICK HERE FOR SLIDESHOW

David Triangle :)

2006-03-14T17:45:00.000-08:00

Okay, am I a lucky gal or what??

I was super excited to join Davide Greene from Canada, David Jay from California, and David Salomone from New York this past Wednesday for a speaking/presenters training right here in Atlanta. It was just the three of us there all day learning from the best of the best in marketing in this business... Jeff Jochum, VP of Marketing for Pictage. WOW - this guy is one smart cookie! I've been to a number of similiar trainings before but he's got some unique insights and experiences that he shared with us. The super cool thing is that he used to be in showbiz and so we could relate with our previous song-and-dance type experiences. LOL. Gosh I miss that stuff sometimes!

And what's a day spent with three Davids without pics??

David Triangle!

David Sandwiches!!

3 WPJA Winter Wins!

2006-03-05T18:10:00.000-08:00

I was super surprised and excited last week when we were sitting in class and Garrett turned his laptop towards me to show me the WPJA Winter 2005 Contest results. Thank you again Leslie for being the subject of one of these and to Stefania and her little cousin for being such dolls!!

Getting Ready

Kids

Light

goodbye OC, we'll miss you!

2006-03-05T17:30:00.000-08:00

Wow... the week flew by so fast! Thank you everyone for such an amazing adventure:)

the happiest place on earth

2006-03-05T17:00:00.000-08:00

Can u guess where we went on our last day of the 10-day OSPMC adventure??

DISNEYLAND!!!

It was be-au-tiful out that day and had warmed up a bit from earlier that week. It was soooo much fun hanging out with everyone being TOTAL photo-geeks in line taking pics and on the rides too!

Photos mostly copyright everyone else ;)

Part of the group (Mike's got a reeeeeaaallly long arm)

I got to "drive" the jeep thru the Indian Jones ride. They kept yelling for me to drive better for some reason. LOL.

Look, Mike and Shyla chimping while I "drive"

Crystal, Liana, and Jasmine on the Teacup

We had to sneak Sarah and Crystal on some of the rides because they didn't quite reach the height limit (just kiddin'!!)

Finally, we got our trademark MickeyMoney shot in. Do we look 12 or 15 years old there??

OSPMC Party Thursday

2006-03-05T06:47:00.000-08:00

We all celebrated in style Thursday of OSPMC week with a soiree at the Mansion. LOTS of our local photographer friends were able to meet up and hang out then too. Good times!

Sadly, I didn't take any pics that night except the shorty ones so these are all compliments of other OSPMCers - thanks ya all!!

Crystal, Sarah, Liana, and Jessica playing "dress up"

Becker, Jessica, Liana, and DJ

Last but certainly not least, Mike determined he was Crystal's height when standing on his knees!! We call this series "get shorty"... how fun are they?!!

last day of class

2006-03-03T06:36:00.000-08:00

Jasmine and Jesus were AWESOME:

Some pics from my point-and-shoot:
Mike and the class posed and ready to shoot...

Hollywood Wednesday

2006-03-03T06:27:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday, after we did two sunrise photoshoots then three other shoots - all with fellow Photographers as our "models", we headed up to Los Angeles to meet up with the class and shoot some downtown.

Here are some pics from Hollywood:

Lisa and her man:

There were lots of scary goons out to get us on the streets:

Diem and her man:

Mike shooting Amber, Diem, and Lisa:

Mike and Ann

2006-03-02T22:07:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday, we got up after only 3 hours sleep to snap some pics of our photographer friends at Sunrise. Here are some of Mike & Ann:

jasmine

2006-02-23T08:54:00.000-08:00

Here are the pics of the bride from the beach shoot who is also our sweet OSP friend... she was a natural...

Her "Marilyn" look

Check out the bird!

Pretty dress!

Jasmine's a photographer too!

Tuesday shoot

2006-02-23T08:49:00.000-08:00

All of us in the Mike Colon workshop headed out to the beach on Tuesday to shoot some wedding and bridal photos. It was crazy with so many photographers there but so much fun and so awesome to be out on the beach.

The bride and groom

All of us

amigos in the OC

2006-02-21T19:14:00.000-08:00

OSPMC FEBRUARY 19 - 20: SLIDESHOW CLICK HERE

We had some time to chill out at the Mansion Sunday afternoon.

Crystal Goss, Liana, and Sarah Barlow

Liana, David Jay, and Jessica Claire

Liana & Jessica Claire

Liana, Dane Sanders, and Jessica Claire

Liana & David Jay

Crystal looking cool on the rooftop!

Liana with the "forum forefathers" (Dane Sanders and David Jay) and respective T-shirts.

Then a bunch of us went to the Rebecca St.James / BarlowGirl concert and Sarah Barlow hooked us up with getting back stage after to meet her cousins!!

Shopping for Mexican Night :)

kiddies

2006-02-20T23:04:00.000-08:00

The dozen kiddies at this wedding were sooooo hilarious...

destination, beautiful wedding

2006-02-20T16:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Crystal and I joined Jessica Claire shooting this gorgeous quaint wedding overlooking the Pacific. The bride and groom were so laid back and great sports; it started pooring rain right before she walked down the aisle and they didn't even blink an eye when everything got moved inside!

Life in the OC

2006-02-20T00:32:00.000-08:00

We're heeeeeeere!!

2006-02-18T12:43:00.000-08:00

It is SOOOOOOOO unbelievably beeeeeuuuuutiful here!

View from the drive - we're on our way to shoot a wedding with Jessica Claire this afternoon...

me stuck in the old-fashioned elevator...

This week is going to be amazing...

Desert Cruisin'

2006-02-18T12:41:00.000-08:00

Vegas to Cali...

to Vegas and the OC...

2006-02-15T07:30:00.000-08:00

It's difficult to put into words the adventure I'm about to partake on so check out the post below for a glimpse of what is to come.

I'll be out for a full ten days but check back here as it is likely we'll have TONS of footage to post ;)

15-17: Los Vegas, NV
17-18: Los Angeles, CA
18-25: Laguna Beach, CA

Can't wait to see some of you soon!!!!!!!!

What happens with 14 Professional Wedding Photographers live under ONE roof?

2006-02-15T07:03:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE!!!

Atlanta, GA – February 15, 2006 – On February 17 and 18 over twenty of the nation’s hottest wedding photographers and rising stars will converge on the California coast for what is to be one of the most memorable weeks in the industry.

What started off as a simple 4-day-intensive seminar in Newport Beach lead by one of the nation’s best high-end wedding photojournalists, Mike Colon, has turned into a week-long celebration among a group of photographers who are making waves in their areas.

With photographers representative of every age and from all areas of the country – including New York, Atlanta, Orlando, Portland, Chicago, Little Rock, Chattanooga, New Orleans, Orange County, and Santa Barbara – the controversy has already begun. What will happen when 14 photographers move into a 4-story mansion in Laguna Beach on Saturday February 18?

The itinerary kicks off even before the week starts with photographers pairing up around the country to travel to Newport Beach. Two kick off the trip with a quick stop in Vegas and a drive over from there. The New York boys have a long six-hour drive to the airport before they head west. A trio of young female photojournalists unite in Los Angeles to shoot an intimate wedding that Saturday before moving into the Mansion. A tag-team of the NY boys, the Orlando couple, and a local Californian are covering a wedding across town at the same time.

Sunday is chalk-full of photo shoots starting at sunrise and includes real couples as well as models. A BBQ and concert are on the agenda for that afternoon and evening. Monday starts early with the first day of “class” that includes everything from business strategy and shooting techniques to discussions on post-production and branding. Each night hosts a series of portfolio evaluations and some sort of party or activity at the Mansion or out and about. Mexican night spouting homemade chimichangas by Mike, margaritas by Liana, Jim’s Guacamole and Garrett’s salsa is going to be one to remember with KKs “rap-opera” performances and tunes on the baby-grand by Nathan.

Thursday concludes the 4-day intensive with a massive poker-tournament and dinner. Friday morning, the group heads to Disneyland for a “field trip” and is joined by dozens of other photographers including more local celebrity wedding photojournalists.

Parting ways on the 24-26 is going to be difficult to swallow but plans for future rendezvous are likely.

February 18-25 is sure to be one of the most memorable, educational, emotionally-charged, exhilarating, and hilarious weeks for these friends and strangers and for the industry as a whole as lives are changed, friendships made, and in celebration of all the unforgettable moments.

bored doe

2006-02-14T06:17:00.000-08:00

Sorry - the label of this vino still cracks me up!! How cute is that!?!?!

Why reserve chocolates and BIG reds for today when you can enjoy them paired year-round?? A bit overdue, here are some shots from the latest and greatest from the world of Brady Lowe, founder of the Taste Network, sommelier, and artist of all things paired with wine.

Over the past year, I've experience some UNBELIEVABLE pairings from all over the world... wines that changed body and flavor with the right cheese and food pairings.

For this last one, we added boutique chocolates to the mix of artisan bleu cheeses and "big" reds. Now I'm not particularly fond of reds, and especially not bleu cheese, but all together - WOW!!! Photos and words do not do it justice so go check out one of his tastings!

cultural

2006-02-03T06:40:00.000-08:00

Simple Photo Minute: OC Motel

2006-02-02T06:42:00.000-08:00

Liana and Nam featured on SIMPLEPHOTOLIFE.com!!!

three's a charm!

2006-02-01T04:16:00.000-08:00

It's been a while but do not fear...the new lianalehman.com is here !!!

In addition, our news blog has been updated and moved to lianasbananas.com (RIGHT HERE) so be sure to check back at this site for future posts.

Last, we are excited to introduce our new resource and FUN site liana.tv! This site will be updated frequently with new slideshows, videos, behind-the-scenes footage, wedding and fashion resources, information on new cool products, links, and much more! Check back for the official LAUNCH of this site later this week !!

introducing Nam!

2006-01-29T07:27:00.000-08:00

I'm sooooooo excited to introduce Nam Nguyen, the newest member of the l i a n a PHOTOGRAPHY team!!

Nam comes to us by means of Texas and has already been thrown into the mix in a matter of days - you'll see how soon!

Feel free to welcome Nam directly (he's not shy!!) nam@lianalehman.com

Fashion Bridal

2006-01-15T17:20:00.000-08:00

Introducing Luisa in fashion bridal...

She left her own dress in Colombia after her December wedding, so the dream-styling-team whipped up some crazy 80s-vintage-style gowns and we were THrilling ourselves shooting out in the 40-degree-weather singing 80-s music in the pitch black!

Thanks Gals for ANOTHER amazingly-fun shoot!!

Touch-ups in the back of the car

The styling Dream Team!

introducing custom iPod Videos

2006-01-02T14:09:00.000-08:00

We'll be introducing some AWESOME stuff in 2006 and this is one of the coolest new products we'll be including in many of our wedding packages!!

For each series of photographs (engagment pics, bridals, rehearsal photos, wedding photos, etc) we'll create a custom iPod video for you and load it to brand new HIS and HERS video iPods! We'll also load you up with photos and a connector for you to view your proofs directly thru your TV!!

Check it out:

The custom iPod video set may also be added to any package a la carte for $1200 and remember you can start using it right away for music too!

Already have an iPod video? Ask about the one iPod or video-only options.

Liana's Bananas vControl

2006-01-01T18:55:00.000-08:00

Thanks for checking out v2 of liana's bananas.
If you're looking for an old post (2005) you're in luck because the v1 blog is still up.

CLICK HERE for the v1 Liana's Bananas from 2005