Hi there! My name is Marlee, and my photography journey started when I was in middle school. My mom had just bought her first digital camera, and let me tell you, that thing was big, bulky, and a piece of work! Still though, I loved it! While babysitting my younger siblings, I would grab a sheet from the bed, hang it up in the living room, and pose my little brothers and sister in front of it and take their photos to my heart’s content. I’d use flashlights for extra lighting and recruit my other sister to hold up props. Even though they aren’t the best, those photos are still some of my favorite photos, because they hold beautiful memories of my first experience with photography.
A few years later, I saved up about $500 and bought my first camera - a Canon PowerShot. That camera came with me everywhere. I would take pictures of my family, friends, our vacations, and send those pictures to everyone. Soon, some friends of mine asked me to do their senior photos. It was my first paid photography job.
Around that same time, my grandpa was getting ready to get remarried. It was a small, intimate ceremony with only family, and he asked me to be the photographer. I was so nervous, but so excited at the same time! It was then that I fell in love with wedding photography and I decided that I wanted to be a wedding photographer!
I love photographing engagements and weddings because it’s so beautiful to see the love that two people share for each other. It’s a joy for me to document that love and give clients photos that take that devotion and freeze it in time - a symbol of their unending love for one another.
One of my favorite engagement shoots was with Virginia and Adam. They were so in love and weren’t afraid to show it. I’d give them funny instructions like, “Sniff each other!” or “Whisper your favorite vegetable in your sexiest voice” and their reactions and the way they interacted with one another brought out their joy and love and made beautiful memories I had the honor of capturing.
If you’d like to see more of my work or contact me, visit my website at www.marleekayphotos.com or follow me on instagram at www.instagram.com/marleekay_photos!