Some rings shots. Gotta love the bling

My dear friend and floral designer, Kelly, of Kelly Shannon Floral has joined in wanting to give back. Kelly has offered to do the wedding flowers for the winning couple! There is a catch however…Kelly can do the flowers if the wedding is within 2.5 hours of Orlando, Florida. Due to the sensitive nature of flowers, it simply would not be possible for flowers to survive a trip longer than 2.5 hours so if your wedding is within the 2.5 hour driving area and you are the winning couple, your photography AND your flowers are taken care of!

Get those stories in!

Good luck!

I am offering free wedding photography to a deserving couple. Completely free with one catch. They must be a DESERVING couple. Here are the details:

I am looking for a couple who has a story to tell. Perhaps it’s how they met or a hardship they’ve had to overcome or are now facing. I want to hear their story.  Make me laugh.  Make me cry.  Make me FEEL.

One chosen deserving couple will receive:

- A full day of wedding coverage by myself and a second shooter
- All edited wedding images on a DVD
- A custom-designed coffee table album
- A free engagement session, including a DVD of all edited images

The Rules:
- The couple, family member or friend submit a story via email of why they feel the couple deserves free wedding photography. If you are a family member or friend, please confirm with that couple that they would like me to shoot their wedding first!
- The submission must include a picture of the couple for use when I announce the winner.
- The couple must be getting married in 2009 and be getting married within 200 miles of zip code 34986. While I am willing to travel anywhere to shoot your big day, I simply can’t afford to pay for airfare, or travel outside of 200 miles from Port St Lucie, FL without a little help. I welcome submission from anywhere in the U.S., but with the understanding that you might have to help out with some travel expenses if you are chosen.
- Your date must be open on my calendar. I will hold all dates of submissions I receive open until a winner has been chosen.
- Please be honest. The submission must be a TRUE story. This contest IS for couples who are truly deserving of free wedding photography. This contest IS NOT for people who can afford a photographer and just want to win something free.

Please include the following in your submission:

- The bride and grooms’ first and last names
- Their story (How they met, got engaged, and why they deserve this free wedding coverage)
- Contact information for both of them
- The wedding date and location
- A digital picture of the couple measuring no less than 900 pixels in size on its longest side

- All submission must be received by midnight on October 1, 2008.
- The final three deserving couples will be announced on our blog on October 20, 2008 by midnight.
- The final couple will be announced and contacted by October 31, 2008!
- Please email your submissions to weddings@elizabethleighton.com.

I will choose the three finalists. Final decision will be made by three close friends, my husband and parents.

From time to time, I look to expand on my creative mind and try new ideas so I will post casting calls for certain models.  I have many beautiful ideas and am looking for models/parents who are open-minded to images done in good taste.  These casting call sessions are free of charge in exchange for a signed model release.  Each model/parent will receive a free 8×10 image from the session.  You are not obligated to purchase additional prints, but if you like, they can be purchased at regular print rates. 

My current casting calls are:

NEWBORNS/PARENTS
Newborn models up to 2 weeks old for black and white (with a few color) artistic newborn photography that will be featured on my website.  Parents please understand that many of these sessions will feature your little one in their birthday suit, but in extremely good taste.  Each session can last between 1-3hrs because it takes great patience to work with newborns and they need time for feedings between sessions.

In particular, I am looking for:
-1 newborn baby and muscular daddy with tattoos on arms and/or back
-1 set newborn twins
-1 set newborn triplets
-1 newborn under 1 week old

BRIDES
I’m looking for a few former brides with their wedding gowns who would like to join me in an urban bridal photoshoot or a beach session (each would have separate sessions)!  Meet me at the beach or in Downtown West Palm Beach and we’ll have some fun while creating a few awesome images.  Your dress might get a teeny bit dirty or a lot dirty, depending on YOU.  Please note, you must supply the dress.  Look to spending 1-3 hours with me.

In particular, I am looking for:
-1 bride with waist-long hair
-1 bride with shoulder/arm tattoos and sleeveless gown and maybe some Converse sneakers

You must be in the Treasure Coast/Palm Beach area.

Contact me to book or for more information.

Since I closed down my old blog, I thought I might share a few of my favorite images here.  I’ll start with portraits and then add a few engagement and wedding shots over the next few days.  Enjoy

I’m so excited to unveil my new look!  Thanks to Steph at http://mydoodlebugdesigns.blogspot.com/ who captured not only the essence of my work but of who I am! 

My business is officially back up and running after my delightful maternity vacation.  I will be taking on new portrait and engagement clients and a very limited number of weddings so if you are interested, I recommend contacting me soon for more details.

I have a few contests and giveaways coming up soon so check back soon…

Changes are around the corner for Elizabeth Leighton Photography. Big changes… great changes… unique changes. Stayed tuned for the changes as they are coming soon…

A little bit more of who I am…

I was born in Saigon, Vietnam to a Vietnamese mom and an American Dad (war brat).  We moved to Iran where my father was a contractor for the US Government and it was there that my brother was born.  After living in Iran for a year, we hopped over to the States, moving to and fro…by the time I was 16 I had lived in 16 different places in 7 different states.  In 1988, we moved to Orlando, FL where I resided until I married after about a year of college.  In 1994, I had my first child, a daughter. 

A year later, I was divorced and headed back to Florida from North Carolina.  I went back to school and worked to support my daughter.  In 2000, I met my best friend, soul mate and husband, Bill.  We were married after knowing each other for only 3 months.  It was one of those things that you just know is right.  We had our son in 2002 and another son in 2005.  It was in the beginning of 2007 that I began my photography business.  I came to love taking photos of children and families but then was pulled into the world of weddings and fell in love. 

In October, we were shocked to find out we were pregnant again and in May of this year, I delivered our daughter.  Also in May, we relocated from the Orlando area to here in Port St Lucie, FL where I am now in the process of starting business over from scratch.  A demanding but fun challenge to say the least.

That’s my life in a nutshell.  How about some other facts about me?
-I’m a black belt in karate.
-My favorite cookie is THE Oreo.
-I love shooting newborns and engagement sessions.
-My favorite flower is the tulip.
-I used to have a nose ring.
-I used to dread getting a mini-van, but now that I have one, I couldn’t imagine life without it. We still have a cool car for when it’s just me and the hubs.
-I love So You Think You Can Dance…if I could go back in time keeping the same kids and husband I have now…I’d be a dancer as well as a photographer. This Vietnamese gal has rhythm I tell ya!

Welcome to my new blog! I am Elizabeth Leighton and I am a Treasure Coast newborn and engagement photographer. I am also available for wedding and family photography. I serve Port St Lucie, Vero Beach, Jupiter, Ft Pierce, Hobe Sound, Jensen Beach, West Palm Beach and beyond.

As I get off of maternity leave and get back into the swing of business, I’ll be updating this blog fairly regularly. I have some exciting stuff coming up and I can’t wait to share it with you all!