Kelly Lee Photography

I’ve been fighting the past few days with multiple people. The problem is widespread across my sites. My website now points to the portrait portal instead of the splash page with the options for portraits, blog, or wedding. The clients proofing site is down as well.

My main concern at the moment is with the proofing site. While I can look in my file manager and still see images and folders…. They aren’t showing on the screen (nothing is actually.) We’re hopeful that when the programmers get the language straightened out that everything will be OK… however… there is a chance that it may have affected the translating of orders for fulfillment to me. IF you are waiting on an order of images, I ask that you please email me at Kelly@capturedforlifephotography.com with your order information.

Thank you for your patience at this time as I work to get everything back up.

Kelly

Alan and Megan were seriously so much fun to work with. For one, Alan’s brother happens to be a very close friend with my boyfriend… and his family is my boyfriends 2nd family. Who knew the world through google could be so small!

They are without a doubt one of the most fun couples of the season… and I think they’ll be hard to top. They held their wedding at the Chesapeake conference center on the day of a tropical storm. But, as you’ll see below, by the time they got married, the rain and wind stopped, and the streets dried up!

This little beauty has some of the most naturally brilliant and blue eyes I’ve ever seen. There was no enhancement done to those beauties!

Dawn gave me a call prior to coming into town for her friend Megan’s wedding which I was shooting. We met down at 89th street to take some family photos. It was a lot of fun getting to meet everyone before the day of the wedding and getting used to Megan’s ring bearer and his “antics”

Here’s a preview of some of the shots

I went up to Northern Virginia to shoot Cyril and Sarah’s completely wonderful wedding! I met everyone… and I mean everyone at Sarah’s family’s house…. Sarah is one of 11 siblings! Between ALL the bridesmaids and siblings… as well as nephews and more it was a full…. and VERY fun place to be! The church they got married in was such a pleasure to work with, beautiful, and full of wonderful natural light… and we had fun pretty much wherever we went! It also was one of the few times in my life that I was “short” compared to everyone… including the bride! At 5″11 that doesn’t happen often, it felt good! I need to just get to the photos, this will be another long post~

Sarah’s 17 year old sister did all the flowers! She did a VERY good job!

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Sisters

The start of I think my fave series of garter toss photos! One of Sarah’s younger brothers caught it… however… she also has a brother in the Marines. He decided his brother should have to work for it!

To be honest, I’m surprised I wasn’t kicked during this scuffle!

Of course his big bro won!

His mothers face says it all

But he was nice enough to still let him have it. What are brothers for?

Sarah (and Cyril) come from wonderful, close, loving families… Evident in this last photo Don’t you just love her little brothers face!?

Sarah and Cyril, Thank you for allowing me to tell your story. I had so much fun and loved getting to know your families. I wish you all the best and may your marriage be blessed.

THE “KODI” BEAR!!!!!

Oh gosh, have I been waiting to introduce you to my wonderful puppy, Kodi! He is an Abstract Standard poodle and I love his little “tux!”

I wish this post could be all pleasant however this poor boy has already been through a lot in his short life. I saw Kodi at the “Pet-go-round” pet store at the pembroke mall back when he was about 4 months old. The time not being right for a dog I resisted. I also don’t like pet stores. Fast forward to him being 6 months old and he was still there. My dream of having a black standard poodle was in front of me and to be honest… the price was very VERY discounted and low. He was basically priced as a rescue and that truly is what he was.

He was a “purebred” Spoo (Standard Poodle) however it wasn’t until after I got him I learned he was a product of the “hunte corporation.” One of the worst.. and largest puppy mills in the US. The fact that he survived the journey to the pet store is amazing!

Once we got him home we learned that his ear plucking which the “groomer has been doing” had never EVER been done. So, at 6 months of age, his ears had NEVER been plucked or cleaned and were now very VERY infected. At the Vet that 1st week we not only had to take care of his ear infections, but because of lack of exercise and being kept in a tiny cage for 6 months, he had severe muscle atrophy in his legs. We also had hip concerns. On top of all that he was very scared of movement, noise, and was incredibly skittish. Couldn’t walk on a leash, didn’t move at all for 2 days! (We had to carry him out of our friends house and even in public! The 35 lb puppy who couldn’t walk!)

This week our worst fears were confirmed. Kodi was diagnosed with Severe Hip Dysplasia in both hips. We are being referred to NC State’s Orthopedic Surgery program to find out what he faces and what options we truly have. While his ear infections and atrophy are a result of the poor care and neglect of “pet go round” the hips are a direct result of his puppy mill breeding by the “hunte corporation.” This is why I hate pet stores.

I wish that was the end of this horror. The day we purchased Kodi, a gentleman was in the store looking at a Great Dane puppy. Thad saw this while I was signing papers and said to the man, “Oh, the great dane! Those are wonderful dogs.” The man replied, “I know! My wife had one growing up so I got this ones brother last week for her from the Lynnhaven mall location. He died this morning and she doesn’t know as she is out of town. I don’t know what to do or how to tell her.”

Not only that but a few weeks later I found this at the store.

This poor puppy was dyed blue to advertise the dye… (The sign was on his cage “This puppy was dyed with the ___ dye which can be found in ___ aisle”) but worse than that by someone who was clearly not experienced. Not only is his sensitive puppy skin subjected to the chemicals, but you can see (albeit badly in this photo) that the dye ran through his eyes and had tinted his fur around one eye!

Virginia Beach, PLEASE do not support this store which not only harms animals, but lies to you about their health (I was assured his ears were up on cleaning and he was cleared of hip issues) and gets their puppies from the worst breeder in America!

This doesn’t just ruin 1 life (the dogs) but it ruins many. It has ruined the life of all those who know and love Kodi…

While we eagerly await our trip to NC state to learn what (if anything) we can do we are going to continue to love and play with our boy. I’ve slacked a lot with pictures of him as I’m so booked right now in wedding season but I have managed a few! Here is the amazing, loving, and fighter, Kodi Bear! (I named him “Kodi” after my favorite bear, the Kodiak

The scared pup in my car right after we bought him

Another from his first day home

Kodi and his best friend, Nixon

First Beach trip

Starting to break out of his shell

the first time we saw him “active!”

First Groom

“That” face

Ugh, awful pic of me, but he’s my baby!

Begging (Camera on a stair, on interval 4 a second for you geeks out there

The determined face

The pillow hog! He LOVES sleeping on pillows!

That’s the life of the Kodi bear! But seriously! Please take the time to research a proper breeder or rescue a dog that needs a home! Please don’t support a dangerous place like “Pet go round” or puppy mills like the hunte corporation. (who ships out over 1,500 puppies a week, btw!) Read about the horrors here http://www.petstorecruelty.org/Hunte%20Corp.htm