What’s just as important as our experiences in life? Immortalizing those experiences through photographs. I was living in Australia when I turned 21 and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate that milestone than feeling the rush of skydiving. We climbed to 14,000 feet as we gracefully skimmed the coast of Torquay Beach. When they opened the door and the wind whipped across my face, the thrill of it all suddenly hit. Leaving all sanity behind, we leapt from the plane plummeting towards the earth below. I thought I was going to have to forcibly keep my eyes open, but to my surprise I couldn’t close my eyes as I laughed and screamed hysterically the whole way down. Today I am able to look at my photos from that day and my heart still skips a beat thinking of the pure rush that was skydiving. That ability to relive that moment every time I look at the photos is one of the reasons I love photography so much. I want to give that gift to all those I capture on film (uh, or compact flash cards as it were these days!). Whether it’s remembering a rush, a heartfelt moment, or always being able to look back and see what your babies looked like when they were first born. To me, that is the magic of photography.

Want to know a little bit about me? I love to eat. Seriously. Especially little Amaretto cookies from Vaccaro’s in Baltimore. I feel like I should advertise for them…oh wait, I just did! My dance moves are what legends are made of….good or bad, the jury is still out. Even living on the west coast I remain an avid Broad Street Bullies fan. GO FLYERS! After four years of college ball, I still play soccer. Albeit, much slower these days. I am a third generation Italian-American who is still working on perfecting my version of the family’s signature summer dish, spaghetti and crabs.

If you like my style, I'd love to talk with you about your big day!

www.leahvalentine.com

leah@leahvalentine.com

805-364-0204