Lia Lee

A portrait session to celebrate a new chapter!

Savannah - Surf Portrait Session

Finding myself enjoying portraits more than ever before. Must be something in the water here. Truly grateful every day I decided to move to Vista, CA.

Women's Surf Photographer Carlsbad, CA

I was laying on my deck today. I was prompted to find stillness and started asking myself questions in my head. Is surf photographer my soul’s purpose? I heard YES. There was no hesitation. Just a loud yes. It is no coincidence I met Maddy and Megan at the Leucadia Farmer’s Market upon moving to this area. They both surf and invited me to the beach with them the same afternoon I met them. I asked if I could take their portraits and they happily agreed. Up next, I’ll be buying an underwater housing for my camera. If you’re a surfer and want photos, please reach out!

South Ponto Beach Family Photos

Some of the main reasons I moved from Olympia, WA to the Carlsbad, California area at the end of 2020 was for sunshine, proximity to the ocean and warmer temperatures! Combining my love of the ocean with family photography lands super high on my list of favorite ways to spend my time! Thank you to the incredible Bardouche family for this beautiful evening together!

Leucadia Family Photos

I met this amazing family at the Leucadia Farmer’s Market and was so excited when I found out Sarah wanted photos in a field of yellow flowers. Luckily, I knew just the spot and we enjoyed every second of that sunset together. I moved to this area in December of 2020 and I’m so excited to relocate my business from the PNW to So-Cal! Please reach out if you’re a So-Cal local and you want a family session. I can’t wait to meet you and make memories with you!

First Blog Post in 16 Months...

Are people still blogging? I have devoted all my time to Instagram and ever since they opened up the “show 10 photos at a time” feature, it felt like there wasn’t any point to keeping this blog up when I was provided a much easier platform to post multiple images. However, here I am. I just finished adding a gallery to my website entitled Porch Portraits. A photo documentary of families here in Olympia during the COVID-19 pandemic. I thought, "While I’m at it…might as well blog something too!” As an artist, I love to explore photography in as many ways as I can. From portraits to architecture and product photography to nature prints, I’ve honestly found so much joy in every niche! Last fall I participated in Olympia Arts Walk. In a show I titled, “ONE” I photographed extreme close ups of people’s eyes and photoshopped their corneas onto a night sky photo I took. I wanted to explore how we’re all unique beings, sharing a human experience through our vastly different eyes. Here are a few of my favorites from this photography exploration.

Salty LBC

During winter in the PNW it feels like we’ll be in cold, wet cloud forever. There isn’t much daylight to work with and I’m craving warm sunshine on my skin. What a perfect time to post this rad shoot lifestyle shoot I did in Long Beach, California for Salty! I’m transporting myself back into these moments and anxiously awaiting my next trip to California in March. I’d love to go once a quarter to shoot! My Dad is from southern California and I grew up frequently visiting family in Carlsbad and Burbank. I love the smells, the food and the beach! I’m just putting this out into the universe. More work in California in 2019 would make me the happiest!

Sayler is part of a weekly surf school. Her parents and younger brother go to the beach with her every Sunday to surf, play and enjoy their time together as a family. I love traditions, especially ones that involve the ocean! I’m so grateful to the Gillet family and their business, Salty, to capture these images for their social media and home.

Lapis

It’s New Year’s Eve, Eve and I can’t help but reflect back on what a years it’s been! One of my favorite new clients of 2018 has been Lapis - a curated collection of fine gifts and artisan jewelry featuring unique engagement rings, statement pieces and everyday classics. Every artist she features is hand picked, wildly talented and is a dream to photograph. I’ve been lucky enough to photograph multiple shoots for their Instagram and website and I LOVE visiting and shopping from their gorgeous Proctor District location. (Hello, best Christmas shopping ever!) I hope you’ll go visit soon! My favorite designer she offers is Communion by Joy. It’s just all so dreamy! Go treat yo’ self!

Chelsea Oyster Bar

Olympia has a gem and it’s Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar! I’ve had the pleasure of photographing for this local favorite over the past couple years and even better, I’ve had the pleasure of dining there often! As well as photographing at their restaurant, I’ve captured images at their inspiring farm. I’m so impressed with the passion everything this fantastic team creates and love seeing my photos on their beautiful website. Check out their website HERE. So incredibly proud to share these images from our most recent photo shoot!

Moon Cycle Bakery

Fall. It’s a time for change, warm colors and shorter days. Luckily for us Moon Cycle Bakery has brilliantly highlighted this time of year with their mission and treats. For this gorgeous social media content shoot we played with cozy feels, individual ingredients, and as many fall leaves as possible. Have you tried Moon Cycle Bakery yet? I’d love to hear what your favorite treat is?! Mine is the chocolate cup, sweetened with honey and ginger. OMG. It’s heaven in a bite.

Camryn - Senior Photos

When you’re about to leave the nest, there is a palpable energy to be captured. Camryn, thank you for being such a light in the world. I absolutely loved our session and am so excited to share my favorites!

If you’re interested in booking your senior photos for summer 2019, I’m now reserving dates. Sessions are available at sunrise and sunset - Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.

Seabrook Washington's Beach Town

From the first time we stayed in Seabrook, WA back in 2013, I’ve been dreaming of shooting for this amazing beach town! I grew up visiting these magical beaches, breathing in the salty air and beach combing until my heart’s content. It’s wonderful to see how Seabrook has provided a space for people near and far to enjoy everything this area has to offer on a regular basis! I love all of the amazing homes available for rent and the beautiful downtown area. It really is just the cutest and most relaxing beach town!

I was lucky enough to be contacted my their marketing team this year and jumped at the chance to photograph for them. I helped find our models (dear clients of mine), photographed their shot list alongside one of their marketing team members and am anxiously awaiting seeing these photos put into action! These are some of their selections they picked from our shoot. When working with local businesses, I send a gallery of images after our shoot and then they pick the images they want to purchase. This gives my clients the final say on their vision and budget. Every image is shot with passion, intent and love for my clients. There is nothing sweeter than when my clients tell me an image of mine has lead to a sale or brought a new customer in. Best feeling ever! Thank you Seabrook for the amazing opportunity and I look forward to working together in the future!

Fade Into the Abstract

With a name like, Fade Into The Abstract, I knew I wanted to work with Kristen. Kristen is the genius behind this gorgeous modern bohemian jewelry line and I love, love, love every single piece! Do you know what the best part is? SHE IS SUCH A RAD HUMAN! We’d talked on the phone one time prior to our shoot at GRLS Studio and we instantly hit it off. At the shoot it felt like we were old pals and in between getting these super stunning shots, we were all goofing around and laughing.

Helping small businesses sell their goods through photography is my absolute favorite and I can’t thank Kristen enough for booking with me.

Special thanks to our BEAUTIFUL model, Ashley. She’s just amazing!

Devon + Brian // Paradise, Mt. Rainier

Finally!!! I’m back! It’s been dead quiet on my blog for eight months because my business exploded this year and if I wasn’t with a camera in hand, or editing, I was sleeping. ;) Holy moly!!! What an incredible time of growth and creativity! I’ll be sharing some of my favorite shoots I’ve photographed lately and had to kick it off with this amazing anniversary session I shot back in August of 2018. Because…seriously…it’s one of my favorite couple sessions I’ve ever photographed.

It’s really hard for me to put into words how special Devon and Brian are to me. Within 1.5 years time we’ve developed the most beautiful friendship and we’ve truly helped each other grow personally and professionally! I pushed myself throughout this whole shoot to switch it up, capture their love in every way I could think of and highlight the unreal scenery of Paradise at Mt. Rainier National Park. I’m beyond happy with how these turned out and am very, very excited to be transitioning to a more balanced pace of life. 2019 will hold a lot of changes for Poppi Photography but my passion for this work is constant!

Harts & Pearls

Have you ever had one of THOSE mornings, when you feel like everything is about to unravel? I believe we've all been there at some point — a late alarm, traffic, forgot something at home, etc. Sometimes, it can feel seriously hard to turn those days around.

Upon arriving at the studio in Seattle, Desiree expressed she was experiencing one rough morning. I deeply empathized with her and knew this was my opportunity to bring a little extra sunshine on a gloomy day.

For me, that little extra sunshine comes in the form of music and dance. I instantly started playing music on my phone (thank you Spotify for creating a playlist called, "Have a Great Day"!) and could feel the energy start to shift. "Don't Worry, Be Happy" lyrics starting filling up the room and we started smiling and doing silly things to make Desiree laugh! Her sister Traci was there for the shoot and joined in the fun, as well. We were on a roll, creating fun images for her marketing material and then to our surprise, Lauren Foster from South Sound Magazine arrived! She was there to interview Desiree about the successful company she's built from the ground up. In the span of 30 minutes, a rough morning became a dance party full of empowered women.

Harts & Pearls started when Desiree wanted to make sweet accessories for her daughter. Everytime her and her daughter would step out in public, she would receive compliments for her creations. It was then that she realized its potential and the rest is history.

I started shooting for Harts & Pearls many years ago when they first began and it's been so awesome to see how much they have grown! This shoot was truly special and I'm still feeling that happy buzz, high-vibrations from that day! Upon my exit, Desiree took a moment to tell me how much I made a difference in her day and that she really appreciated me keeping such a positive outlook. I'm a firm believer that kindness and love always win! Thank you Harts and Pearls for another great shoot — this Poppi Girl Session was one of my favs!!

Kata + Jim

What better day than this rainy January afternoon to blog about one of the sunniest days of my life last May? That's the great thing about images, you can be transported in time and season (and feeling)! I'm anxiously awaiting longer days and pretty pink petals, and reflecting back on this wedding was exactly what I needed to lift my spirits — there is SO MUCH JOY woven throughout this day.

I was lucky enough to be referred to Kata and Jim by the lovely ladies of Fleurae (who are looking stunning in one of the pictures in this post!) Prior to officially being hired, Kata contacted me and I drove up to Seattle for a coffee date to meet her and talk wedding details. Ten minutes into our conversation, I had my fingers and toes crossed she'd book me for her wedding. I just loved her energy, her relaxed presence and her style! We talked about how she wanted to have all greens and no flowers at her wedding. I like brides who throw tradition out the window — it's your wedding, do whatever you want! She told me the story of how Jim proposed to her, which is hands down my favorite proposal story to date.

"We'd walk around our neighborhood often and there was always this one cat who would come out and greet us. We'd pet the cat every time, then be on our way. One day, as we both knelt down to pet the cat, I looked over at Jim and he was holding a ring,” Kata said.

I love animals. I love people who love animals. And I also was very obsessed with cats when I was little, so this proposal melted my romantic, kitty loving heart.

Their wedding day was so fantastic. Their vows were the true definition of heart touching. I cried, I laughed, I honestly was so moved by their enthusiasm to marry each other that I felt transported, like I was witnessing something not of this world. During the ceremony Kata was so nervous and excited at one point, she joked about needed to vomit. Without skipping a beat, Jim held out his hands in a cupping shape — we all died laughing!

These two are not short of love, humor, loyalty and excitement for being alive. They ended the ceremony with a motto for living that they created together — “I’m scared. Let’s do it anyway.” Beyond being so genuine, intimate and FULL of devotion, this motto also resonated with me as I love trying new things and being adventurous. It made my heart so warm to see a couple who celebrates loving life together. 

Thank you Kata + Jim for a day I will never forget!!

I still have Spring and Summer dates available for small and intimate weddings and would love nothing more than to capture your goofy grins, gorgeous moments and all the LOVE! Head here to learn more. 

Monica the Marvelous

Monica reached out to me because she needed a simple headshot for her medical residency program, but we all know that “simple headshot” in Poppi land means some headshots, a lot of laughs and a mandatory dance party. 

Monica was also about to move to Atlanta for work and wanted her photo shoot to have a feel of celebration, joy and movement, which I found very fitting as she skipped into the next chapter of her life. 

I loved spending this time together because it was truly was so happy and light and it was deeply inspiring. It’s always filled my heart to watch others chase their dreams and pursue their career goals. The feeling of satisfaction, confidence and self-love that comes from new jobs, new cities and new things to say “yes” to is such a remarkable feeling I hope everyone gets to experience.

I created the Poppi Girl and Poppi Guy package to remind people just how stinkin’ beautiful they are. This includes people of all genders, sizes, races and ages!! The Poppi Girl + Guy session can be for the little ones, too! Hello cute baby clothes, chubby cheeks and bright, toothy smiles!!

To learn more about updated Poppi packages and pricing, head to the booking page. I can’t wait to schedule your dream session in 2018!!

Artisans Group: The One with the Baby Blue Door

"Thoughtful, well-crafted care from napkin sketch dreams through finishing touches and the years that follow - this is The Artisans Group experience.  With projects ranging from large custom residential remodels, through highly efficient custom Passive Houses and commercial Tenant Improvements, your aspirations + our experience = something worth talking about" - Artisans Group

It’s true what they say about stepping outside of your comfort zone and trusting in yourself and the magic that brings you there in the first place. 

I wasn’t sure what I would learn when starting to photograph houses and honestly, what I’ve learned is not always what I expected.

I really thought that photographing beings — both people and animals! — was as intimate as it got; seeing their smile, hearing the laughter (or puppy noises!), capturing their essence. But then I started to photograph houses and I found myself in another dimension of intimacy and soul.

What I've realized is when you photograph homes, it's intimate on a deeper level because you're greeted by the person and you enter into their world. You can see the parts of their lives that they’ve collected over the years; the hanging bell, the painting behind their bed, the knick-knacks on their dresser. It’s a beautiful ode to humans in all their passions and the little sentiments that bring them joy. It’s like learning someone’s favorite color for the first time or their go-to flower. 

It’s also taught me to value, honor and respect people and their space with an even deeper appreciation. Whenever we ask the owners if we can move something around for the shot, I can see how appreciative they are that we asked. These are their memories and they’re sacred. I’m honored to not only be able to capture the gorgeous reality they’ve created for each other, themselves, or their families, but I also feel so lucky to work with a company that really puts their love and soul into every house they design. They work hard to tell a story with their work and in that respect, add richness to the world. 

This particular home is my favorite that I’ve photographed for Artisans Group because of the gorgeous natural night, tall ceilings and that stinkin’ cute baby blue front door. Plus, that view! Holy moly!!

This year, I invested in a brand new carbon fiber tripod and wide angle lens and I am so giddy to use them. I truly look forward to each shoot that I can implement what I'm learning and keep following this adventure that keeps beautifully unfolding before me.

To learn more about Artisans Group and their beautiful, green supportive designs, head here. 

Jon, Ngam and Kailey

Jon, Ngam, baby Kailey and I gathered one morning while the wildfires were roaring and met that hazy, whimsical, rosy sky that felt as magical as it did ominous — a reminder of the balances in life. 

We chose Alki Beach and ended up in Golden Gardens Park with the last stop at the most delicious and sweet (pun intended!) donut shop, General Porpoise Donuts in Capitol Hill. Those shots were so fun to capture. There is nothing better than baby hands up against a glass window!!

I was instantly impressed with Jon and Ngam as parents. They were so proud and madly in love with their baby girl and it made my heart warm. They also had the best sense of humor and "go with the flow" attitude, something that is seriously important when hanging out with and taking photos of babes!

Their bright outfits matched their bright interiors and I loved the contrast up against the soft skies and neutral urban tones. Both Ngam and I were also super excited to be able to catch the adorable ears on Kailey's hooded sweater! We had the best time putting the hood up and down and catching Kailey in her adorable element (and speaking of adorable element, holy leg rolls and full head of hair!! I was in baby heaven). 

At the end of the shoot, Ngam explained to me that our day together had been a highlight of their year and that they had so much fun. I was so grateful to have given them that and so honored — it was the icing on the cake (or donut).