snapshots of españa.

my first few days in spain have been pretty incredible.

i'm already very much in love with this place... still can't really believe i live here!

so far, i've explored our little city of alcalá de henares, eaten a fair amount of european ice cream and chocolate, attempted to do pilates in my tiny european bedroom (yep, i've got some bruises from that), toured the prado for the first time, siesta'd mucho, played soccer con los niños in the streets, danced with the spaniards, and oh yeah, gone to school for a sec.

life is good here.

this town feels a little bit like a fairytale. it reminds me of fussen, except it's a little bit larger and there aren't any alps... or cowbells... or castles.

i digress. there is a distinct small-town feel that i love, yet there are still a fair amount of people here, and it's close enough to madrid to get that metropolitan vibe.

plus, we found out tonight that all of the guapos are from alcalá. this must be the case if we're studying there... (joke).

if i don't die from overconsumption of olive oil, i am thinking i might never want to leave this place. come visit me, won't you?

post script: sorry for the overload of images.

nikita's a little bit obsessed with españa.

and you better believe this is just the beginning...

vale, pt. 1.

there are a few things i have learned during my short time in spain:

1. when you go to a tapas bar during a real madrid/barcelona game, you WILL receive tapas... even after you explain to the confused waitress that you're allergic to everything on the menu.

2. there are four main food groups here: potatoes, bread, meat, and olive oil. so much olive oil.

3. vale. vale. vale. vale.

4. spanish men love blondes. even when you're not actually very blonde and avoid eye contact at all costs. there's no hiding.

5. siesta is when the spanish watch telenovelas and sleep. siesta is when the americans get on facebook. this will inevitably change; i, for one, am looking forward to the daily nap situation.

6. i am obsessed with spanish children. i just want to snatch them all up and put them in my pockets... you need proof?

7. spain makes for one very happy anna.

alcalá! de henares

we ran into this little scene on our way por las calles yesterday.

fact: this town is awesome.

sorry for my ridiculously poor filming. there's a reason i take pictures...

guru's goodness.

so my friend garrett is awesome... he's a professional mountain bike racer who has all of these sweet sponsors. one of which i get to enjoy with him-- guru's.

this little gem is about two minutes from my house in provo... it's super-ecclectically themed, a mix of organic, artistic, and modern.

and the food is pretty delicious (and sometimes even gluten-free!)

garrett and i headed to guru's last week after a shoot for a goodbye thai dinner.

i love food.

and friends.

bon voyage.

and, we're off!

the day has finally arrived...

will and i are headed to madrid to live for a few months!

i could not be more excited.

i'm so pumped for this opportunity; yo no puedo esperar!

i'm not completely sure how my internet situation is going to be, and i'm confident that the jet lag is going to dominate me, so i've scheduled some fun posts for the next few days, while i'm getting settled in spain.

until then, ciao!

post script: the only thing making it difficult to leave is my familia/friends/puppy. i mean really, how is one supposed to walk away from this!?

easter.

spring is one of the three seasons i love.

and one of the reasons i love it so much is because the idea of rebirth is so apparent and far-reaching.

the snow melts away, and flowers bloom.

the cold fades to bring a new sense of liveliness and joy in the warmth and sunshine.

there is a chance for everyone-- and everything-- to start over again.

i feel this way about easter.

easter represents Christ and his beautiful gift to us... the chance to become clean and start over again.

i am incredibly grateful for this gift, and for the opportunity i have to start over.

whether it be daily, every spring, or in the eternities, the Lord knows when i need a fresh start, and He offers it to me.

feliz pascua!

i hope you're all having the loveliest of springs.

weddings and april blizzards? awesome.

today, i shot this lovely spring wedding:

then, i drove eleven hours through a blizzard and over a mountain summit (literally) with my dad to get home to colorado.

tomorrow is easter.

how grateful i am to have my job, my family, and my religion.

post script: did you know that it normally only takes eight hours to drive from utah to colorado? yeah, i wasn't exaggerating when i said blizzard...

press-printed products.

as a photographer, it's so fun to work with my clients and design professional print products for them... it's a great way to let their personalities shine through!

remember these invitations i designed a few months back?

well lately, i've been working on some new products.

thank-you notes

these are such a fun way to say "thank you!" to everyone who attended your wedding... i include a design for thank-you notes in most of my wedding packages, and each design is tailored specifically to the couple and their wedding, including their image(s), colors, theme, etc.

press-printed albums

the options are really endless with these albums! each spread is custom-designed... quotes, love notes, color schemes, etc. can be added to increase originality and make the albums a perfect keepsake. the paper is thick, so it won't tear or get soiled over the years, and there are so many beautiful cover options, from leather to vintage fabric to prints!

interested in more press-printed products? contact me!

anna gleave photography

what have i been up to?

besides studying for finals,

packing up my apartment,

preparing for spain,

and trying to get some sleep in between,

i've been so busy with work!

i confess.

i love it when i'm busy with work.

i get to work with the best couples!

and i've got another fun engagement shoot tomorrow.

check back soon for the full shoots.

anna gleave photography

{utah, destination wedding photography}

give peace a chance.

today we remembered columbine.

thinking back to april 20, 1999, i can't remember every little detail.

but it's surprising how much i do remember.

we weren't allowed to go out to recess because of a lightning storm.

i remember being slightly confused, since there didn't seem to be a cloud in the sky.

shortly after, i was pulled out of my third-grade class by my dad.

i asked why he was bringing me home early,

and he said that there was a shooting at the high school.

i didn't think much of it... i guess that in my mind, violence occurred every day in high school (i was clearly jaded by movies.)

when i got home, i realized the tragedy of the situation.

i spent the rest of the day at home, watching the same news pieces play time after time.

worried, confused, curious.

and when i think about our world currently, i feel the same.

today, my mom went shopping at our local mall in littleton.

she was told she needed to evacuate the mall because of a "fire."

she thought there was just a small fire in a corner of the mall,

so she didn't take the situation too seriously.

turns out, someone had placed a bomb in the mall,

along with two propane tanks, right by the fire.

i'm so grateful that the bomb didn't go off-- that my mom is okay.

are these two dates correlated?

who knows.

what i do know, is that these events could most likely be avoided.

dylan klebold and eric harris brought bombs and guns to columbine because they were treated poorly by their peers.

granted, they had some serious psychological issues, but the bullying they endured from their fellow students led to their terrifying actions.

if we were all a little bit more mindful to those struggling around us,

a little bit kinder,

i think that some of these tragedies could be avoided.

a few less people would suffer,

and less conflicts in the world would arise.

i'm no ghandi, but i think peace is really great.

what do you think?

be the change you want to see in the world.

-ghandi

spring bridal fair recap.

i had the opportunity to be a vendor at this past weekend's bridal fair in provo.

it was so fun to meet all of the brides, and i got ridiculously inspired-- just hearing about the locations/concepts of their weddings!

all of the free food wasn't bad, either.

here are a few snapshots from my booth at the fair:

at the fair, i offered a flip camera to every couple who booked a complete wedding package with me that day.

but i've been thinking about it, and i've decided to extend this offer until may 5th!

this special, extended offer goes for everyone... not just those who attended the bridal fair!

so, book with me in the near future, and you'll have a flip camera in your hands-- the perfect way to start recording your new family's memories!

e-mail me at amgleave@gmail.com if you're interested, and i'll send you the package info!

and check out my work here.

*please note: this offer is only valid for complete wedding packages

i again can't thank everyone enough who helped me with the booth: lauren, dan, beth, elise, & my mama, to name a few. and thanks to all who support me; i just can't thank you enough!

and thanks to those of my past clients (aka the cute clarks) who stopped by my booth: it was so fun to see you again!

anna gleave photography

{colorado, utah, & destination wedding photography}

school=stress.

right about now, finals are making me feel a lot like this:

hopefully, tomorrow i'll be feeling a bit better and can share with you something awesome.

maybe some more incredibly flattering photos of myself?

until then.... study on.

home.

mi cubana shared the most adorable music video with me.

she said it made her want little latino kids around her all of the time.

and you know what? i would have to agree with her!

there is a reason that i go to spanish wards for church...

here is the original version of the song.

what are some videos/songs that just make you smile?

happy sunday!

decor.

lately i've been having a blast working on a little line of poster prints.

they're perfect for casual spaces... rec rooms, bedrooms, nurseries, offices, etc.

they are a little bit retro, a little bit simple, and a lot of fun.

we just printed some for our apartment, and they really spice up the room.

here are a few of them!

i'm selling 8x10s for $4.50 and 11x14s for $9.50.

please let me know what you think!

all posters can be tailored to individuals... colors, wording, etc. can be changed to fit different people.

e-mail {amgleave@gmail.com} or comment if interested.

bonsoir,

anna

spring bridal fair.

tying the knot?

i have a recommendation for you...

come visit me at the bridal fair in provo!

saturday, april 16th

10:00-5:00 p.m.

provo high school

i've been working on the concept of my booth for weeks now,

and i must admit, i'm pretty pleased with how it's all coming together!

and i just might be giving away flip cameras to those who book with me at the fair.

(thanks to everyone who voted and made this decision easy for me!)

i'm sooo excited!

come join in the excitement, why don't you?

and if you're not quite ready to get married,

grab an engaged friend and enjoy some free food...

i promise; there will be lots of it!

kat: bridals.

i shot the most beautiful bride a few weeks ago.

i'm in love with the images i got, so i figured i'd show you a few of them!

not only is kat stunning, she is one of the sweetest people i've met.

after spending only a few days with her, i felt like i was her best friend!

she's one of those people who just has that way about her.

kat & her sweetheart had a really lovely wedding... i can't wait to show you photos from it!

anna gleave photography

{utah bridal, wedding photography}

pizza, pizza!

every time i'm home, we make a it a point to hit up our favorite little neighborhood pizza place.

they've got amazing garlic knots and incredible thin-crust, new-york style pizza.

when they started making gluten-free pizzas this past summer,

there was a 99.2839% chance that i literally jumped for joy.

sorry for the poor quality of images; i was just shooting with my baby lens.

thanks, garlic knot, for the delish meal!

and thanks, mom & dad, for the excellent company.

trying something new.

so i'm trying something new and have joined bloglovin'.

we'll see how it goes... follow me, and i'll follow you?

same goes for following me on blogspot!

you all are THE best.

Follow my blog with bloglovin

to make you feel my love.

i was listening to this song while editing/designing a wedding album tonight.

(man, does that girl have pipes)

and i got a little bit teary-eyed, with the whole love song/wedding photos combo.

my job is turning me into a big sap!

but it's a lovely song, nonetheless... don't you agree?

mi cubana.

this is why they call them best friends.

don't worry; we've still got three months until we're officially adults.

too much fun.

amigos, familia, amor.

sometimes, after a long day of shooting,

i end up with a wind-burned face,

blisters on my feet,

dried-out lips,

and an achy back.

but i also end up with a biiig smile on my face.

i felt so lucky to be able to shoot one of my dear friend from high school's wedding today.

meaning, i spent the day with him, his sweet bride and family, and a majority of my closest friends from high school.

there were so many fond memories remembered... so much laughter and happiness.

have i mentioned lately that i love my job?

® anna gleave photography

to live.

...can you feel your body? stop for a moment. feel your body. one septillion activities going on simultaneously, and your body does this so well you are free to ignore it, and wonder instead when this speech will end. you can feel it. it is called life. this is who you are.

-paul hawken

she's only happy in the sun.

i truly believe that every person should get the chance to spend a few days of early spring in arizona, at least once.

a normally-barren place, the phoenix area (specifically mesa) really brightens up in the springtime.

the orange trees blossom, creating my favorite smell in the world.

seriously, i waft the scent in for about .2394 seconds, and a smile instantly takes over my face.

and that smile pretty much never leaves.

the weather is perfect, and my body appreciates the vitamin d from all of that sunshine after the brutal mountain winters.

the flowers on all of the trees and cacti blossom, adding some glorious color to the desert scene.

and i already mentioned the incredible mexican cuisine.

you don't believe me?

see for yourself!

where do you like to go for spring break?

*post title via these lyrics, all images ® anna gleave photography