by Natascha | Jan 10, 2016 | Dancers, Dancers Dreamers & Make Believers, Denver, Featured Post, Model Call, Yoga
fabulous light filled studio?
Specifically looking for a yoga teachers (male or female yoga teachers / yoga practitioners) for a photo shoot in Jan/Feb in my Denver studio. Age range 21 – 101, very fit and flexible, and with a unique look – could be short spiky hair, or long purple hair, or dreads, or lots of tattoos, or even just a peaceful beauty that shines through their eyes! See below for some images from my last yoga shoot.
And see here and here to read what my yoga models thought of the fun, fabulous experience.
If interested, pls email two recent photos (one face, and one full body) to: YogaModelCall @ NataschaLeeStudios.com (spaces added to email to make it a bit more difficult on the spam bots! Boo spam bots!)
Thanks!
Denver Dance and Yoga Photographer
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by Natascha | Oct 26, 2015 | Cherry Creek, Cherry Hills Village, Clothing, Colorado Family Portraits, Denver, Denver Colorado Family Portraits, Denver Headshots, Denver Model Photographer, Denver Photographer, Downtown Denver, Featured Post, Headshots, Highschool Senior Portraits, Model, Modeling Porfolio, Mother and Child, Outdoors, Raves, Siblings, Sisters, Smiles, Style, Summer, Teen, Testimonial, Urban, Urban Portraits, What to wear
I love love love the people I get to meet as a professional photographer. I think it’s fascinating to learn people’s story, little snippets that tell you more about them. For example, I have done modeling headshots and portfolios for over 100 child and teen models this year. Crazy, right? And each one of those 100+ families has their own interesting story. Starting today, I’m so excited to feature a few of my favorite models – not only because they are so photogenic, but because they are such wonderful interesting people.
Take this family here; How many 11 years old dream of riding an elephant, taking a hot air balloon ride, and also dancing in NYC? How many 15 year olds read almost an entire NON-Fiction novel a day? Wow! I barely read a non-fiction novel a year! These girls, Anna Scott and Lila are so interesting. And so is their mother, Liz…..I wish I had a photograph of Liz, the beautiful yogini; when you meet her, she looks like the quintessential yogini – natural, beautiful, strong, graceful, peaceful and happy. See the end for a special illustration I had done of her, as her superhero of choice.
Read on to learn more about these lovely ladies:
Q: Tell us about Lila:
Lila is 15 and loves the arts including playing piano, the guitar, and acting. Musicals are her favorite, both participating and attending! She is on the school’s A-team for Mock Trail and is quite good at debate. Lila also enjoys sports including Field Hockey, skiing, trail running, and tennis. She is an avid reader, downing almost a novel a day – usually non-fiction! Lila gladly welcomes adventure and likes to see the world. She is a Harry Potter fan and movie addict. She studies Spanish and would like her next trip to be to Cuba. But her big dream would take her even further; After seeing The Martian, she wants to go to space!
Q: Tell us about Anna Scott:
Anna Scott is 11. She loves ballet and the highlight of the season is dancing in the Nutcracker at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. She is also an avid sports-girl with a passion for Field Hockey, Lacrosse, tennis, and downhill skiing. She likes to go fast! She is quite artistic and loves to decorate her room, draw, and create fashions. Anna Scott has a big sense of adventure and likes to travel, rock climb, and do ropes courses. She takes French and would like to spend a summer in the country to learn more about the culture. She wants to ride an elephant, take a ride in a hot air balloon, and dance in NYC.
Q: What things do you all do together?
Guy, my husband, is such a hands-on father and really enjoys his time with the girls. We hike together, including tackling a few 14ers…Anna Scott’s first climb, Mt. Bierstadt, was at the age of 6. We love to ski together and travel and play tennis. We tend to be pretty active and love to explore. With the girls’ interest in acting, we frequently hit the theater for both movies and plays. The Kings speech, Unbroken and the Martian would be our top three picks. Guy is the exclusive parent who plays golf and lacrosse with the girls. He is a patient and responsive coach.
Q: Tell us about your yoga practice:
My foundational practice is hot-yoga, which is a routine set of 26 postures and allows for a meditative focus during my time on the mat. I have also been inspired by Para Yoga, Vinyasana, and Ashtanga. I believe variation in everything is important for overall mental and physical strength.
Q: What else do you like to do?
I am quite active in volunteer roles in the community and in particular at the girls’s schools. During my not-so-frequent down time, I enjoy reading, gardening, and doing puzzles like 5 star Suduko, 1000 piece traditional puzzles, etc. I enjoy giving my brain a workout, which is how I discovered yoga. I like to get outside my comfort zone each year and learn something new. Going from the business world of consulting to motherhood and yoga was a huge stretch for me. Now that I am in these roles, I would not change a thing.
Q: What are people surprised to learn about you?
My friends often tell me they are surprised at my sense of humor, quest for fun, and love of a good prank. I can come across as efficient, focused, and driven, so when people get to know the mischievous/playfulness side to me, they are taken off guard. People are also often surprised at the “risks” I take with my girls. Of course, I never would lead them to activities or places that are unsafe, but I do believe exposure to cultures and communities that are different than their own, pushing them outside their perceived physical barriers, and guiding them to experience levels of sacrifice creates an internal strength, empathy, understanding and compassion.
Q: Your children’s interest in modeling has been entirely self-driven. How did it start?
The girls’ interest in modeling was really driven by Lila’s interest in acting. Lila was at a sleep away summer camp in third grade and landed a lead role in The Music Man. From there, she started self-advocating and self-enrolling in various children’s theater programs in Denver. Anna Scott was encouraged to tag along as the little sister, and now has her own self-motivated interest. Starting with America’s Most Wanted, the girls have thoroughly loved every filming experience despite hours in the cold, hours of retakes, and hours waiting for their 1 minute of screen time. The auditioning and filming experiences have truly taught my girls the lessons of hard work, how to deal with disappointment, and how to lean on tenacity and perseverance. They fully appreciate how passion coupled with dedication can lead to open doors.
Q. Why did you pick Natascha Lee Studios for your modeling headshots?
Natascha’s portfolio reflects an ease with the time behind the camera and captures the understated beauty of her subjects. Her sets are minimalistic, modern and edgy. From the onset. Ms. Lee was incredibly accommodating to our girls’s busy sports schedules and exuded a calm in her working style. Ms. Lee was responsive and personal, making our decision for a photographer quit simple.
Q.Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?
Natascha provided a thorough list of clothing items, accessories, and props to support many different looks, and let us know she would have an assistant on hand to help with styling, so we were quite confident in her capability to produce the types of photographs that the entertainment industry expects.
Q. How did the actual photo session go? What was your favorite part of your session?
Natascha made the girls feel very welcome, special, and understood the minute we showed up. She has an artistic eye that brought out the true individual beauty of my girls, nothing was fabricated or false. Natasha let my girls be themselves. She let them have input on their looks based on their interests and personality. Natascha also let me, as a parent, have a say in a picture. She clearly wants to please her clients while capturing the best of her subjects. Our favorite part of the session was when she took my daughter up to the roof top of her building for an urban/warehouse shoot. The colors were amazing and the natural winds and sun enhanced a very unique photo. My daughter’s expression in that photo matched the cool excitement of the setting.
Q.Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?
I absolutely recommend following the guidelines and suggestions Ms. Lee provides. There is no need for extreme make-up hair, etc. Ms. Lee’s professional camera work and use of setting and light best accents the subject.
Also, plan to be a bit early so your child is not nervous or scattered. Take time to plan out the looks you bring and make sure the looks are those that make your child feel comfortable. I could see in my daughter’s eyes when I was forcing a dress on her she did not like or that did not fit. My daughter brought her point shoes that were one size too small, so check the sizes of everything you bring.
Beyond that, just have fun. I felt Natascha is a photographer I could trust to really capture my girls’ personalities.
Q.How did you feel/what did you think when saw your final images?
We were so pleased with the final pictures and edits, and so were my girls, including my teenager! The girls posted their pictures to Instagram, printed them out for grandparents, and I am using them for my holiday cards. Natascha was wonderful about passing on digital files for our personal use and the quality of the digital files is superior.
Q. If you could have any superpower, which one would it be and why?
I would want to be EarthWoman, with the ability to harness clouds to bring water for children who are thirsty and to their crops that need rain. As EarthWoman, I would manipulate all of Earth’s resources to take care of all children’s basic needs for shelter, food, water, and safety, carving homes out of mountains for shelter or using lightning-struck trees in the forest to turn in to safe homes. I would then call in sister superpower EducationGirl to begin that process. Wow.
[caption id="attachment_5669" align="aligncenter" width="966"]
I commissioned my favorite Italian Illustrator Electra to draw “EarthWoman” for Liz. Here she is![/caption]]]>
by Natascha | Oct 10, 2015 | Boulder Headshots, Corporate Portraits, Denver Headshots, Featured Post, Headshots, Modeling Porfolio, Photography, Portfolio, Portraits, Urban Portraits
family portraits, I specialize in creating headshots and marketing photos that convey your unique personality. That’s why I call them Headshots with Personality(SM). There are four types of headshot services that I offer:
1) Team Headshots where I come to your location, or you come to my studio and I photograph all members of your management or executive team individually and/or as a team. These are for 4 or more people, where you want the images to have a cohesive look to them.
2) Marketing Session for Small Business Owners where I do a variety of images of you in different poses, different expressions, different backgrounds. These are great because just one headshot is never quite enough; it will rarely meet all the needs you have as a business owner. Sometimes you are presenting at a serious conference and you want a conservative, semi-traditional image. Other times, you may be participating in a charity and want a more light-hearted fun headshot. Or you may be trying to reach a new customer group and you want an image that is more edgy and creative. The Headshot Marketing Session gives you several different images to meet these needs, and keep your website/social media/marketing materials fresh and interesting. The photos at the bottom of this post are from a Marketing Session.
3) Model Portfolio Sessions for child, teen and adult models, actors, dancers and performers. These are held @ my Studio and include three outfits, a headshot, 3/4 length and full body in each outfit, and printable files that you can give your agency.
4) Marketing Session + Product/Service Images, which are ideal for small business owners delivering a service in person (like financial service or therapy) or who deliver something tangible (like jewelry, cookies or food.) These include the marketing session (#2 above) as well as photos of you delivering your service or photos of your actual product. The Marketing + Product/Service Session creates a full suite of images for you to use for all your marketing needs.
I recently did a Marketing Session (type #2 above) for a local small business owner, Juliana Vergaray. Juliana is a therapist specializing in helping children with trauma. She wanted some photos that reflected her yoga/breathing/meditation part of her practice, and some that reflected the “meeting with you in my office” part, and also some edgy, outdoor images for when she is working with teens (we shot those on the rooftop of my studio.) She wanted her images to have a variety of feelings (quite, meditative, inquisitive, fun, happy, etc.) – but always warm and caring.
I am in LOVE with how her images turned out (and so is she!) Check out her amazing images below, and then read her interview tomorrow.
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by Natascha | Sep 28, 2015 | Broomfield Colorado Family Photography, Broomfield Community Spotlight, Community Spotlight, Dancers Dreamers & Make Believers, Featured Post, Philanthrophy, Photography
Community Series where we focused on locally-owned small businesses. I’m thrilled to expand that to include organizations that exist to better the lives of those around us. Now, that technically applies to all businesses – we are all trying to provide a service or product of value to improve the lives of others. But charitable and philanthropic organizations have that service-to-others as their main raison e’tre. Today I’m interviewing Desiree Jewell, a fabulous local Broomfield woman involved in a great local charity. And, she happens to have one of the cutest little redhead girls. Check it out:
I know, right? So very very cute! She was one of my models for a Little Ballerina photo shoot I did a while back. You can never have too too much tutu and tulle! Or glitter and sequins!
Desiree volunteers with a wonderful organization called , Denver Urban Scholars (DUS).
DUS provides a life of opportunity for high risk students in the Denver area. Their mission places tremendous value on fostering positive social and academic settings, increasing graduation rates, and ultimately creating individual pathways to college and career success. The long and short of it, they give local students the tools, time and attention they need to succeed in life.
Read on to learn more about Desiree, what she would do on a day off in Boulder and Lousiville (yes, it involves hiking, a small deli called Salvaggios, and ice cream!), more about how you can help DUS and most importantly, what superhero power she would pick. (BTW, the superhero power she picked is one that no one has ever selected before – and I’ve been asking the “What would be your superhero power” question for YEARS!)
And, don’t miss the YouTube video she mentions at the end of her interview – you could get to be a human foosball table. How cool is that!????
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Desiree, tell us about yourself and your family:
My name is Desiree Jewell and I live in Broomfield, Colorado with my wonderful husband, Todd, and our eight year old daughter, Eden. I am the Director of Marketing for Online & Blended Learning with Pearson North America. Each day I am able to combine my love for teaching/learning with my passion for marketing – there is never a dull moment and I know I am positively impacting the learning experience for someone each and every day!
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If you had a day off work and a $250 budget to spend in your town, what would you do and where would you go?
Wow! This is a tough one. Given the seasons are changing, I would head into Boulder and walk around Pearl Street, while taking in the gorgeous views throughout the area. I absolutely love the CU campus this time of year and it requires zero dollars, so money well spent! There are so many fantastic restaurants in Boulder, but our “go to” is a small deli named Salvaggios. They have the most amazing rolls and you can get the best prime rib sandwich for under $7. I might grab my kiddo on the way home and have a nice “girls day” getting our nails done somewhere around town. A pretty simple day honestly! I would definitely have to cap the day with some delicious ice cream from our favorite shop in Louisville, Sweet Cow. Any remaining funds would go to charity!
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How do you know Natascha Lee Studios?
We have known Natascha for years and have always loved her work! We had the pleasure of working with Natascha Lee Studios for a super fun dance model shoot and the pictures came out amazing. She and her team did a wonderful job of making the day extra fun for the girls, while still ensuring the work was professional and in line with their overall vision. Some of my favorite shots were totally candid and really captured the personalities of all of the girls – it takes a special gift to draw out the true spirit of your clients and Natascha nails it!
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Tell us about the charity you are involved in – what do they do, what makes them special.
For the last twenty years, Denver Urban Scholars (DUS) has been dedicated to providing a life of opportunity for high risk students in the Denver area. Their mission places tremendous value on fostering positive social and academic settings, increasing graduation rates, and ultimately creating individual pathways to college and career success. The long and short of it, they give local students the tools, time and attention they need to succeed in life.
DUS is incredibly special because the organization follows students from middle school into early college/career and empowers them via mentoring, case management and academic support. I have never seen an organization arm their students with so many resources, across so many areas of their life, for so many years. They truly provide the long-term stability these students need and are honestly some of the most generous, passionate, inspiring people I have ever met!
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How did you get involved with this charity? What do you do with them now?
I was introduced to the organization via a friend and the fit was instant. I have been working closely with DUS for the last year and currently serve on their Board of Directors, as well as Chair their Marketing Committee. It has been such a pleasure to get to know all of their amazing staff and volunteers.
One of my biggest goals this year is to build awareness around the great work happening within this organization, so I am very appreciative of this opportunity to share a bit about DUS with the Natascha Lee Studios audience!
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Where can someone go to learn more?
www.denverurbanscholars.org has a wealth of information about the organization! You can also follow the team @DenverScho via twitter or Denver Urban Scholars on Facebook.
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You have a special event coming up….
Yes, we are celebrating our 20th Anniversary this year and have a fantastic fundraising gala, The Class Act Dinner, planned Saturday, November 7 at the Seawell Ballroom within the Denver Performing Arts Center. Tickets and full tables are available for purchase and everyone is invited to attend! If you are unable to make the event, but would like to give in another way, we are actively seeking silent auction donation items, as well as volunteers to help with the evening events. The theme is “Hollywood Glam”, so I assure you it will be a night full of fun – you can learn more here.
You can also give to Denver Urban Scholars at any time via their website, or during Colorado Gives Day this December 8.
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If we can’t make the event, how else can people contribute and/or help out?
Financial assistance is always appreciated; however, we are also actively looking for new mentors to pair with our growing student list! If you or someone you may know is interested in learning more about our mentor opportunities, click here.
You can also plan ahead for our “Summer Games” in June 2016 (date TBD) which is the most incredibly fun, “adult” field day you will find in the Denver area! If you like videos, this YouTube video will give you a great overview of the event.
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And the most important question of all – if you could have any superpower, what would it be?
The power to heal!
Thanks Desiree – it was great to learn more about you and about Denver Urban Scholars!
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by Natascha | Sep 21, 2015
ABOUT ME Welcome ! I create artistic portraits that WOW you! I’m known for putting people at ease, bringing tons of positive energy to your shoot, and delivering a WOW experience for you! I would love to work with you – just fill out the contact form below. Contact...
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