business card design – ©Anthony Menecola 2012

Considering my last update was in early September, I have to admit I am a little embarrassed.

I haven’t updated much recently, but it’s for a good reason! Shortly, a brand new website designed by none other than Anthony Menecola will be coming to an eyeball near you. Menecola’s work is known around the city for being a fun, fresh and colourful play on modern art, and yet clearly gives homage to type and design reminiscent of our mid 20th century.

Suffice to say, Courtney Lee Photography is pretty stoked on having such a talented personality on her team this season. So stay tuned and in the meantime, follow my updates on twitter and facebook to keep connected.

Happy Holidays,

CLP.

alpaca wool goes great with sunsets and lakes.

Recently I’ve been seeing a lot of Camille Byrne, the creative force behind Cambie Design.

Ever since taking her headshots last year, and too many scotch on the rocks to count (helps that mutual girlfriend is Kate Masewich – aka the Duchess of Written Word) … we’ve developed both a wonderful professional and personal relationship.

Cambie Design & Courtney Lee Photography is also coming together in the form of 250 sq.ft! Our office space in Parkdale, Toronto will soon be opening later this month. There’s lots to look forward to this autumn, and we can’t wait to share it with all of you.

For now, here’s sneak peek of our latest editorial photoshoot for Cambie Design’s imported Alpaca Wool blankets. Taken at the Byrne retreat in northern Ontario & her apartment in Toronto.

great with wooden docks.

great for getting that ‘cloak’ look.

great for naps.

great for leaning over railings and thinking about life.

great for adventures in the night

great for catching toads

great for packing light.

great for lounging.

great with Buckley’s.

great with colour.

To purchase a blanket, please contact Cambie Design directly: http://cambiedesign.com/contact/

mr. ryan mclennan

This year for NXNE, Kate Masewich and I focused on a new segment we called Backseat Driving.

Just because we took portraits & interviews with some pretty awesome newcomers in music, it doesn’t mean we forgot about our old pals. Oh yeah, and let’s just forget that it took me three months to upload these, k?

wham bam thankya Jam

spencer maceachern – i had to google that. that’s a tough last name to spell buddy.

Ages & Stages afterparty

Kate Killet

London is Calling w/ Kate Snack (aka Juno buds)

The party starters. ElectriCITY’s Kevin Whelan, John Thomas Stevenson, Christina Nguyen.

The Fabulous Yawn & Pete Nema

THE Brendan McCarney

Ben Fox – Dinosaur Bones

Amanda Macchia

Branko Scekic

Lucas Fredette

Merrin & Katie

Liam Jaeger – The Balconies

Jacquie Neville – The Balconies

Jeff Pinto

#ABdoesNXNE rooftop Party – Adrienne Fraser

a Revelstoke embrace

Kelly Jeffrey teaching us bad kids a lesson

the ever-slick Aaron Harvey

guest of honor, Steve Mann – Philoceraptor

Rob Janson

Dan Reardon, Matt Meyer, wheelin’ & dealin’ SVC tapes

just some babes i found

Dine Alone Carni-Q

put ‘er there pardner xo – Kate Masewich

When Gabrielle asked me to shoot her again, this time accompanied by Corinna Rose, for their autumn tour poster, I couldn’t have been more excited. The natural beauty & quirky personalities of both of these women translates so effortlessly from their music, into their style, making my job that much easier. The only hitch this time around? We needed to find a canoe.

Thank you so much to our friend Charles Dean who kindly let us hop in his beloved boat for a ride into a fantasy land of our own making.

Lastly, thank you to Cambie Design for letting us use her gorgeous blankets on set. The imported beauties are for sale.

Make sure to see Gabrielle’s latest video on Southern Souls here

 These photos are the property of Courtney Lee Photography © 2012 & affiliates and are not to be used without permission.

A couple weeks ago, brother and sister duo The Howlings met me for an electric afternoon in the Bloor West village.

I present, Max & Aimée Mazzuca!

 These photos are the property of Courtney Lee Photography © 2012 & affiliates and are not to be used without permission.

Escaping the everyday can happen more often if you make it a priority to make time for yourself.

It’s important to sit back and look at your life from a different perspective.

Whether it’s through the eyes of people you’ve just met, or from the view-point of a mountain you haven’t climbed yet, the true holiday lies in the laughter of your dearest friends, your most adored lovers, the best accompanying soundtracks, and the unlikeliest of locations.

our destination, Girls Camp rd.

the great dane that greeted us at the gas station…

pulling out some family heirloom gems.

Rob Kagan asking Ian “what colour?” during trivial pursuit… Ian’s answer.. ?

cottage life ain’t bad

Becca

Michael

what a coupl’a cuties!

such a welcoming door.

Paula “Pauly D” Morss

how many mccracken’s does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

Ian just before Christian slingshots a waterballoon into his ribs… 4th of July/ Canada-day BBQ on the beach

The handsomest man of them all!

Louise’s jello shooters.

Welcoming the Altman’s

Sam & Nadine

Mount Owl’s Head.. beauitful to look at, fun to ski, and treacherous to climb in 29 degree heat…

the hike up Owl’s Head begins!

Almost there.

Couldn’t have had a better Canada long weekend. Thank you Rob & Louise.

All photography ©Courtney Lee Photography 2012

With the new video just out, I thought this would be a great time to share some of the stills I was invited to take by Modernboys Moderngirls.

I could never quite tell when my intrigue, fear, or collapsing-on-the-floor in laughter took precedence over the other emotion.

With those feelings running at high speed, I still managed to grab a few fun ones. Enjoy!

Watch out Juan!

Hi Darren!

Akira in makeup with Kenji

The very very talented Kenji Sato

hours and hours in makeup = grumpy face

Brett’s pretty stoked on his new look

Never-ending touch-ups

Just stunning!

Sorry, you’re stunning too Brett…

Hard work for a rock-star

Just havin’ a quick plate of chili

Kenji Sato and his team!

A lovely bunch of coconuts.

MBMG4life

No more paparazzi please.

Official video for Modernboys Moderngirls song “How Am I Gonna Get It?, the first single from “Let’s Do It!” released June 30, 2012.

Directed by Josh Warburton and Peter Dreimanis of Vulture Culture Films.
Makeup by Kenji Sato

sometimes, the distractions we face in life are too great of a force to quiet,

and yet other times, an abundance of solitude can be a terrible stunt to creativity.

what then are we to do when the duty of everyday calls us to work,

the cries of our families calls us to aid,

and the comfort of our lovers calls us to bed?

when does the calling of your true purpose come into light,

and will you recognize its importance when it arrives?

this went on the market while i was there for 1.7 million. ugh.

this should have been my first clue. two weeks later the apartment was filled with attic friends…

saying farewell to Mr. Joel Plaskett after the ION interview.

the view from the Burrard Street bridge, smack in the middle of the city.

g’day Whistla

best bar seat in town. all you can eat tacos at Famous Warehouse

good ol’ eco-fashioned Vancouver grub

one of the best cabins on the planet.

one of the best games on the planet.

Ian ‘no fear’ McCracken

sunset dance party to all your favourite hits of the 90′s

overexposed, but this unbelievably cute scene probably didn’t want to be interrupted by my creeping.

Glam-ping, Albertan style.

mustard cheddar pickle baguette.. no thank you.

primal eating is so hot right now.

moroccan quinoa mint salad

what camping trip wouldn’t be complete without… a trip to the winery???

why didn’t this guy get kicked out?

“oh god, it’s like hipster sex and the city”

Danielle Arnold is a damn good photographer, knows how to cook a mean vegetarian meal (take it from a carnivore), could decorate a prison cell to look like the cover of style at home magazine, and is always in impeccable fashion. Oh right, and she isn’t bad to look at either. xo.

Danielle’s work can be found here: http://daniellearnoldphotography.blogspot.ca/

Not even a few weeks later, we even got the chance to meet here as her tour brought her west! I hope that in the future, the next time I see her will be in her hometown lands of Eastern Canada, playing to her adoring fans.

It was easy to harness Papillon’s ethereal style and beautiful spirit in these photos. I hope you enjoy them.

And while you’re at it, you might as well listen to her songs at the same time, for the ultimate experience:

http://www.myspace.com/gabriellepapillon

All photos ©Courtney Lee Photography 2012
The following images not to be used without permission