Sound of Silence

These are very personal photos and I was hesitant to put them on the internet at first. A little ashamed, embarrassed. But then I thought what is shameful about depression? Battles? The hardship of life. If I am willing to share beautiful photos, whimsical photos, dreamy photos I also want to share the nightmare. I think that is someone that everyone can relate to. I for one struggle very much with the duality of life. I feel fear. Sadness, But shame? I should no longer feel shame. So here you go.

Last Night

I went to sleep in Nevada and woke up in Narnia.

Instagram Callieleel

 Outside my bedroom window

The Creative Life

And another..

from last night.

What to do on a Friday night...?

Take a self portrait of course :)

Obsessions

This week has gone by so fast! I've been keeping really busy getting ready for a little photo shoot this weekend. Getting my studio ready, making props. The absolute hardest thing for me is getting my most creative ideas in my head to become a reality in my camera. It can be a very daunting, discouraging challenge at times but I just remind myself that I photograph for myself. Because I am absolutely in love with it. I've never really had something I've done just for me before and I am embracing it with my whole heart and soul and mind and spirit. (I just can't wait until my technical skills match my imagination!)

This week I have been obsessing over:

this amazing post by The Drifter and the Gypsy. So simple. So springlike. Just gorgeous. I can't stop staring.

This portrait by Marionette. Oh my. My jaw just dropped when I saw it.

I recently discovered Lookbook and I just love it. One of my major goals for this year is to start really loving myself and confident in my own style and my taste. Such a huge part of that is wearing whatever I love, even if it's risky and may draw some stares from boring people! ;) There are so many inspiring people on lookbook.

What's inspiring you this week?

Love,
Callie Lee

Dream or Nightmare

Sometimes there is a fine line between a dream and a nightmare.

Life is Art

I am trying to live my life as art in every possible way. Create every day in every way.

Weekend

I had an absolutely amazing weekend spent with this boy right here.

Isn't my sweetheart ridiculously handsome? He is a Marine stationed in 29 Palms and we have been together long-distance (including a 7 month deployment to Afghanistan last year) for almost two years now. Every moment we get to spend together is truly a blessing. We met halfway between Twentynine and Reno in Bishop, CA. An absolutely beautiful town on 395. We celebrated Valentine's Day, ate a bunch some insanely good meals, took a little road trip to Mammoth, and got caught up on our sleep. It was perfect. 

Here's another little iphone snapshot for you tonight! Anybody else on instagram? I am so addicted to it! Callieleel is my username!

 Edited with Camera+ and FilterMania

Studio

Yesterday I spent the afternoon creating a studio at home! Some fabric, a new reflector and I think I have an okay start. Unfortunately, I didn't have a model so I snapped a few self-portraits. Next on my list is definitely some lights eventually!

Anyone else make their own at home studio? Any tips for me?

Still Life

Film

Tonight I had the sudden urge to rummage through my mom's old camera drawer and take a good look at her old film camera. It's a 35 mm EOS 650- the very first of the EOS cameras released by Canon. It took me a good half hour to fill out how to put in a new battery (no, I'm not exaggerating) but I am pretty excited about it! I found a bunch of rolls of expired color film and I am dying to play around with it! Does anybody have any good advice/tips/hints for film? The last time I shot a film camera was my Polaroid so I am in the dark friends!

<3 Callie

Obsessions

Whoa! Sorry about the laps in blog posts lately! I have been so busy with school and errands and..okay I lied! I've just been slacking! And doing way too much online shopping! Forgive me! :) ((My new white fur headband below is one of my purchases!)

I would like to start a weekly post about my current inspirations that I find week to week. For the past week of February this is what I have been obsessing over!

Rainbow Eyes!

I am just dying, DYING I tell you, to do a photo shoot with beautiful, intense rainbow eye makeup!

Valentine's Shoot from Bella Sorella 

I just love this photo so much from Bella Sorella's Valentine's themed shoot. The styling, the makeup, the light is all perfectly executed. Check out more from her shoot at fabellasorella.blogspot.com!

Levitation Photos


I have recently discovered so many amazing photos that involve levitation. I can not wait to try out the technique. I have a few self-portait ideas involving it that I will be trying soon so keep posted!

This is my absolute favorite by Kristian Lynae. So creative and flawless editing. Check out more of her work at http://www.kristianlynae.com.

I hope you all have a lovely Valentine's Day!

<3 Callie

Inspiration

I recently discovered the artist Catrin Welz-Stein and I am absolutely smitten, obsessed, in love with her work.

She is a German artist currently living in Malaysia. I have never seen art like it and I am just dying for some of her prints. So beautiful, ethereal, jaw-dropping, and inspiring. Her creative process is fascinating to me. She has takes license-free images, so very old or vintage, breaks it apart and puts it back together with other images creating an entirely new piece of art.

This is photo manipulation and art work at its absolute finest and a perfect example of why I am so fascinated with graphic design. The possibilities for modern artists in this medium is truly endless and only limited by technical skill (which can always be improved upon) and imagination.

Wishes

But wishes are only granted in fairytales.

Weariness, Witherings, Tarnishings

Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindess and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings. Anais Nin.