It has been a busy winter!  I just shot the American Birkebeiner in Hayward with photographer James Netz.  I had a great time working with a great crew and hope to do it again!  It was my first Birkie ever, and I was fortunate to see it up close and personal.  It even inspired me to get my first set of cross country skis!  
Sadly, I am still unable to commit to doing weddings this summer due to my husband's unpredictable health.  He is doing ok right now, but it still waiting to get into a clinical trial that will hopefully be opening up soon.  I will be joining some other fantastic photographers as a second shooter given the opportunity.  I am still available for all other shoots.  I am focusing on people and portraits again this spring and summer.  
I was able to steal away for some winter horse photos of my favorite Gypsy Vanners.  Photos will be posted soon.  I plan to catch them this spring as there are a lot of babies coming!!
​I hope everyone is enjoying their winter, even though it has been a COLD one!! Now that I have new skis, don't hate me if I am secretly praying for a little more snow!! Lol... 

My oh my, it has been a LONG time since I have blogged.  Busy, stressed, lazy, blah blah blah ;) I actually love to write.  I am always paranoid about being judged for my grammar (or lack there of it) so I don't write as often as I would like to or should.  I have decided to toss my silly fears aside and let loose.  There may be some errors, but here I am, raw and unedited for you to laugh with or laugh at.  Welcome to the real me!  
I have taken a little hiatus from equine photography to work with beauties of the two legged kind.  I spent the spring, summer and fall working with HUMANS.  I have to say I LOVED every minute of it.  I have made many new connections with models, other photographers (the kind that are amazingly talented and competitive in the FUN kind of way), and hair and make-up artist.  I have had some AMAZING clients this year (one of them just made model of the week on a Facebook modeling page).  I truly feel blessed and can't thank everyone who I have worked with enough.  I worked hard all summer but still have SO much to do!  My plans are BIG and my dreams are ENDLESS!  France is back on my to-do list.  I can't really go into detail on that yet, but I will let you in on it as soon as I can, wink-wink.  Words can not describe how I feel about France.  It is my home-away-from-home, a place I felt a part of, where my part of my soul stayed behind to keep watch.  Until then it is home, Minneapolis (another home away from home), Eau Claire and Superior/Duluth.  
I will always have a love for horses, and all other furry creatures, and I will be doing shoots with them when the moment presents itself, but in the meantime, it is high fashion, art, and glam for all ages, all shapes and sizes.  I dare you to step in front of my camera and see what I can do.  I have MANY images to add to my site this winter.  Looking forward to snowy days with my laptop in my lap and a cup of peppermint tea in front of my cozy wood stove, snuggled with my two German Shepherds, putting up photo after photo that I am so proud of.  <3 

Yes, it is April 29th and I am watching flakes fall from the sky.  Curled up on the couch with fire in the wood stove, a cup a Chai tea next to me and my grandmother's afghan in my lap, it is safe to say I am making the best of it!  Days like this are for editing, ordering prints and chatting it up with friends I hope to see soon!  As depressing as this weather threatens to be, at least we are not 

I hope you enjoy the new site.  I still like my http://www.photographybylesaann.com site, but I wanted to make one that focused ONLY on my equine photography.  Horses are a passion.  I have grown so much as a person during these past 7 years of being a horse owner, and 2 (yes only, 2) years of photographing them professionally.  I have been places I never imaged I would have the chance to be.  Beautiful places where I met wonderful people I now call friends.  #feelingblessed 

On another note, this never ending winter struck again.  We woke up to over a foot of snow this morning.  Is this our new normal?  I have heard it may just be.  I really don't mind too much.  I know come mid-July when the humidity and bugs are at their worst I will be dreaming of a day like today!  During the last snow storm I hopped in the truck and Emmylou by First Aid Kit was playing and the first words I heard were 'Stockholm's cold but I was told I was born to endure this kind of weather'.  Well this isn't Stockholm but there can't be too much difference this year...hell, Stockholm is probably warmer!  I took it  as a sign that I can handle whatever winter decides to throw at me.  I am NW Wisconsin girl and I WAS born to endure this kind of weather! I am going to pour a cup of tea and curl up on the couch and enjoy the snowflakes as they fall.  Xo