Glitz & Glam :: {Tulsa Senior Photographer}

Do you have a senior graduating in 2012?  ARE you a senior graduating in 2012?  do you know someone who is? 

This is the deal for you and it only runs through the month of July so book early... we're almost sold out!

A World With Other Halves :: {Tulsa Family Photographer}

The first time we met we were among 150 other young freshman girls at our Alma mater... all pledging the same sorority.  Sitting in a large upper room of the sorority house, every girl went around and said who they were and where they were from.  This is your introduction into sorority life.  As an 18 year old girl, thrown into a fairly small room {when it's filled with every member of our house... around 300 girls}.  And this was our introduction to each other. 

It seems like that moment was just yesterday, but then again, seems so long ago.  It's been 8 years since we first sat in that room and introduced ourselves to one another.

I had the honor of photographing this sweet sorority sister of mine and her other half a few weeks ago.  We actually gathered the whole clan together, all 11 of them, on a nice and steamy Sunday afternoon and snapped a thousand few shots of their sweet fam together. 

Internet, meet my admirably gorgeous friend, Chesley and her sweet, sweet other halves.

Now, Chesley just stop.  You're making the rest of look bad!

I just love how the youngest one is looking at his brother like, what the heck are you doing??

Once In A Lifetime :: {Tulsa Wedding Photographer}

When you make the final decision to choose one photographer over another you ultimatly have your reasons.  You like their style.  You like their price.  You like the emotion they are able to pull out of their clients.  You ultimatly see yourself in their images and can't imagine any other person photographing your big day.  It's true. 

Now, if you know me or have met with me, you know I'm a bit of a talker.  My husband loves this about me.  But all other conversations aside, let me be serious for a minute.  Yes, price will play an important roll in determing your wedding photographer for some of you, but don't let that be the final straw.  Ten.  Fifteen years from now you won't remember what color the table linens were.  You won't have flower still laying around from your big day.  You will have pictures of the table linens.  You will have pictures of the flowers.  See where I'm going?

There are three main things you will take away with you from your wedding day.

Your memories.

Your wedding video.

Your wedding images.

Oh, and your groom, but hopefully that's a given :)

You only get married once.  You don't get wedding photography do-overs.  You get one shot at capturing your wedding day as it unfolds.

So choose wisely.  Choose them because you can't imagine anyone else photographing your wedding.

Details In The Fabric :: {Tulsa Wedding Photographer}

As a bride there are so many things that go in to making your wedding day the best it can be, but since I'm a photographer, let's talk about that for a minute.

You have most likely spent several hours looking at photographers, comparing prices and packages and possibly meeting with a select few that you are considering for your big day.  Now, with all your work there is still one thing left for you to do to ensure your images turn out the best they can possibly be.  Pay attention to details.

      Disclaimer: I did not take this photo.  Courtesy of Etsy.

Little details like the personalized hanger for your dress will take your wedding photos from awesome to (as my husband recently described it) off-the-hook.  ha! (he was joking... a little)

And in case you didn't like this idea, just wait a little bit and I'll try again!

Style Me Pretty :: {Tulsa Wedding Photographer}

As I sat in her chair, black cape draped across my body to keep the falling hair from taking up residency all along my arms, we began chatting about her upcoming wedding.  Now, starting a conversation like this normally goes something like this.  So, tell me all the details! Yeah, that was easy.  I know.

You see, Lauren isn't quite engaged yet, but for the last couple of years I've known her guys have come in and out of her life every once in awhile, but she never lets them stay.  She knows what she wants and if you aren't it then she'd rather be single.  Bravo chica!

When she invisioned her wedding she talked of trees in full-bloom, the freshly manicured back yard of her possibly future in-laws, and lots of white blankets spread out on either side of the 'isle' which would be lined in candles.  She stopped cutting for a minute, looked at me and said, does that sound strange?

And this is where I reach my point. 

Your wedding is just that.  It's yours.  Personally, I love Lauren's idea of making it personal, cozy and quaint.  You don't have to put on a party if that's not your style.  If your theme is cozy and personal, do it, and carry that theme throughout everything you do.  Put blankets on the ground, pull some vintage furniture that you may have and create sitting areas around the yard for guests at the reception, use jars for your drinking glasses, have your decor reflect your theme and make it personal to you.  After all, these are your memories and you don't want to be stuck with memories floating through your head that you don't like.

Disclaimer: I did not take these images.  Image courtesy of Style Me Pretty

Don't let your wedding reflect what everyone else wants.  Make it your own.  If you want to wear a veil - gosh darnit wear that veil - it's the only time in your life that is is acceptable for you to walk around in public with that thing on without people thinking you're crazy.  So do it!

If you want your wedding colors to be the same colors your best friend used, it's OK!  I guarantee you the only people who are even going to notice is you and your best friend, and most likely she'll be honored that you loved it enough to use it for your own as well.  After all, you're not stealing her wedding theme/ideas, just a few simple colors that you're going to go make your own.

Whatever direction you decide to go, go with what you fell in love with and carry that theme throughout every detail of your wedding.  It's the details that will pull your whole theme together.

And most importantly.  If you want blankets - spread them out proudly, just make sure and wash them beforehand.

Taking Applications :: Senior Representative Program :: {Tulsa Senior Photographer}

Schools are letting out.

The stores are filled with shorts and tanktops.

And most important?  Snow Cone Shacks are open for business!

What does all of this mean?  It means SUMMER is almost here and we've got a new class of SENIORS about to relish in all that it means to be Seniors!

So what does this mean for you all?

I'm looking for unique 2012 seniors who want to be part of my Senior Representative Program!!!

In exchange for your help promoting Allison Lee Photo to your friends, you'll receive a free senior photography session!

One male and one female student will be chosen from each of the local high schools in Tulsa and its surrounding areas:

(Bartlesville, Owasso, Jenks, Broken Arrow, Bixy, etc.)

Now for the deets...

In order to be a senior rep for ALP, you must:

Be a senior graduating in 2012

Be camera friendly (if you hate having your picture taken this probably isn't the position for you ;)

Have a fun sense of personal style, be unique... funky even!

Live in Tulsa or it's surrounding cities/suburbs

Agree to promote Allison Lee Photo to your friends and classmates

Represent ONLY ALP & use the images from your session as your senior photos

Return a photo release signed by you and your parent/guardian

If you are a part of ALP's Senior Representative Program, you'll receive the following:

A free senior photography session

Unlimited shoot time

Two sessions (a fall/winter AND spring/summer)

A proofing gallery to select your favorite images

A CD of low-res, watermarked images to be used on your social networking page (Facebook, Myspace, blog, etc.)

50 senior rep. cards.  Each card will be personalized with your name, your photos and our business information to hand to your friends and classmates.

3 mini albums of your images to be used to show your friends and classmates (and so you can give one to mom and grandma!)

An opportunity to earn print credits and print discounts for each person you refer to Allison Lee Photo

A $50 prepaid Visa gift card will be awarded to the senior rep with the highest number of rep cards returned by January 1st, 2012 (**must be at least over 10 returned cards to qualify)

Card can be spent however you like

You'll earn referral discounts for each referral you send to Allison Lee Photo:

1-3 Referrals - 10% off print order and $20 print credit

4-6 Referrals - 10% off print order and $40 print credit

7-10 Referrals - 15% off print order and $60 print credit

11+ Referrals - High-Resolution DVD of all images from your session

All senior reps must agree with the following terms and conditions:

Senior representative sessions must be scheduled and take place before August 14, 2011.  You may schedule an initial session before August 14th and a follow-up session to take place before January 1st, 2012.  This might allow you to have the fall landscape as well as the summery Oklahoma weather in your portfolio.  Rep cards will be given to the reps before September 1st, 2011.  All students will be entered into the drawing for the $50 Visa card, but only rep cards before January 1, 2012 will count towards the drawing.  Any rep cards after January 1st, 2012 will still contribute towards your print credits and discounts, but will not count towards the Visa gift card drawing.  When your referrals book a session and pay in full, you will receive credit for that referral.

Any referral that presents your card when booking their session will receive 10% off of their senior photography session.

Be sure and tell your friends about the perks of the senior rep session.... they can sign up for the 2013 season!  Your participation in the program will not only introduce you to fun & funky, personalized photography, but wlso a way to help your parents out and earn incentives towards your session for senior portraits at little or no cost!  All students must return the aplication, including the model release, before June 30, 2011.  This program is first come, first serve so be sure to act fast if you're interested.  All reps will be contacted and announced on my blog July 13, 2011.

TO ENTER:

Please send me an email to allison@allisonleephoto.com with a photo of yourself & the school you will be graduating from (for my records)!

I will send you the full application & model release.

I can't wait to work with you!!

The Test of Time :: {Tulsa Engagement Photographer}

It seems as though it's always a love story that involves a glance from across the room.  This time though, it wasn't a glance across the room that brought these two together, it was time.

He said they've known eachother for what seems like forever, but he knew it wasn't right.  He was training to be a pilot and she was a school teacher.  Two chaotic lives, that, if intertwined, would become a tornado.

Years have passed, training has ended (for the moment) and what seemed like something that would never make it's way here has finally come.

Next month these two will board a flight to Arizona with two last names, only to return, hand in hand, with one.

Internet, meet my two new friends, Kyla & Tyler.

To View Kyla & Tyler's complete session - go ahead and push that little play button below.

The Princess & The Frog :: Tulsa Engagement Photographer

I'm Baaaack!  Sorry for the absence.  I couldn't exactly move outside the perimeter of my bed the last 24 hours so writing a blog post was probably not in any our best interests.  Who knows what these little fingers would have written. 

So, since I've been MIA the last few days, who's ready for story time and a few pictures??  Great!

Once upon a time... Just kidding.

High School Sweethearts.  Everyone knows one or two of them... from storybooks, but they don't really exist in real life.  That's what I thought anyway.  They're just a fairytale.  Kinda like when the princess kissed the frog and he turned into a prince.  Yeah, right.  And honestly, what girl kisses a frog anyway.  Every female, and some males for that matter, scream and run the opposit direction the second one of those little green guys jumps their way.  I've yet to see anyone gingerly walk up to one, pick it up and give it a nice smooch .... I digress.

Leanne & David are a part of that storybook fairytale.  And not the same fairytale where David is the frog and turns into a prince.  That would be just plain awkward for Leanne.

They met in highschool several moons ago and have been inseperable ever since.  They knew in their heart of hearts they were meant for eachother, but needed to wait it out.  Needed to have the appropriate time stamp to go with the ring so that everyone didn't think they were crazy for getting married after a few short months.  Well, internet, these two love birds are happily engaged and set to get married this summer.

Leanne & David, I'm so happy for you guys.  The best part about my job is showing up to a shoot with the twinkling of a friendship lying in the balance.  Every time I leave, I leave with new friends and memories.  Especially with you two.

Thank you for choosing me.  Thank you for being awesome.  And thank you for working your shoot.  I loved every second of it.  And let's not pretend.  I'm a little in love with your images.

and I apologize for the annoying watermark in advance.  A few of my images have recently had little ant legs and been walking off to various locations.
  

To The Ends of The Earth :: Tulsa Engagement Photographer

Everyone has a story to tell. Some of those people are even lucky enough to have the kind of story we all wish we could tell.

Kamerie & Eric had no idea that buy flying halfway across the world for a mission trip one summer, they would in fact be taking the next steps towards the rest of their life.  Sounds cheesy, right?  Well, not if you're the person living it out and has the love story to tell at the end of it all.

From the moment the words hello passed across each of their lips, they were inseperable.  Eric from Arkansas and Kamerie from california; neither one would have ever imagined the path they were being guided down by taking part in a mission trip.  After all, it was just suppose to be something they did over the summer, not the one thing over the summer that would change their lives forever.

Now Eric & Kamerie are set to get married in a few short months in the beautiful mountains of Colorado.  Guys, I'm SO excited for you two.  You are perfect together and I'm absolutely certain God got it right when he put you both on those planes for a mission trip... only to end up sitting next to eachother on the flight back home.  hand in hand.

Internet, meet my new friends Kamerie & Eric.  They're two steps beyond awesome.

What Goes Around Comes Around :: Tulsa Engagement Photographer

He loved her smile but wasn't sure whether his smile did the same thing for her.  He was 16 and had a love for Alissa like she would never know.  They hung out with the same crowd, always ending up in the same places, but never taking the next step needed to let her know how much he truly cared for her.

Two years later his dreams were crushed as they walked across the stage for graduation.  Why had he waited so long?  Why couldn't he just tell her he'd liked her for years.  Why?

Well, with every good love story comes a happy ending, which is just what Dustin and Alissa received.  A few years after graduation these two ended up in the same crowds again... at the same places and are now set to tie the knot in a matter of days.

Dustin & Alissa, Congratulations!  Have so much fun getting married with your toes in the sand!!

Alissa, all I'm gonna say is... R.A.W.R.

Did someone say icing?  Well, OK then.  Here ya go!

The Best Is Yet To Come :: Tulsa Photographer

Alright, as promised I have something very exciting to share with you all.  Will this change your lives?  Probably not.  Will you get as excited as I did?  Umm... yeah, again, probably not.  BUT, because we're friends I'm sharing it with you anyway.

Yesterday, that fabulous employee sporting the solid brown ensemble with the three little letters U. P. S. arrived on my doorstep.  Little did he know that package he was holding was going to make me jump for joy and almost want to hug him!  I said almost. come on peeps.

I scribbled my signature as fast as I could and snatched up that beautiful brown box as quickly as my little hands knew how.

And what was inside?  Well.... only this!!!

Like I said, you probably aren't as excited as I was when I saw that beautiful brown truck pull up, but let's just pretend you are.  (and yes, sorry the pictures are small.  I took my own but don't have them with me at the moment.)

So there you have it internet.  A beautiful new Nikon D3s is the newest member of the Allison Lee Photo family and I couldn't be more excited!!!!!

The Piano Man :: Tulsa Engagement Photographer

His stomach was filled with nerves just minutes before the event was set to begin, but he couldn't figure out why.  He'd played at events hundreds of times, but something about this particular night made every nerve in his body twist into tiny nots.

She was excited for the wedding for the reason so many girls get excited: a pretty dress, love, flowers, love, cake, love, dancing... and love.  These are the day, that as little girls, we stand in our bedroom and pretend we are walking down an isle... with little bear in hand, of course.

The one thing neither of them realized though, was that this particular event would change the course of both of their lives, forever.  This was the night their paths were written to cross.

Now, 8 short months later Branson & Heather share a love for one another unlike anything I've seen.  I honestly believe these two could stare at one another for the rest of their lives and be prefectly content. They know what it means to love and to be truly loved by another.

Branson & Heather - you guys are a treat.  Thank you so much for allowing me to share in this special time in your lives!  Two more months guys!!  Congratulations!

Like I said, these two can stare at eachother and forget anyone else is around.

Heather, just quit it.  You are too beautiful for words.

As a part of Branson's proposal, he took Heather back to the place they met and proposed at the exact spot where he first laid eyes on his future wife: the piano.

Heather and Branson were engaged at the beautiful Harwelden Mansion so we ventured back there for a few engagement shots.

And because everyone wants ice cream with their cake, here's a look at Heather & Branson's entire engagement session.