Mandy Lubjenka Photography

Do you or your partner get nervous before taking photos with a photographer? Or maybe you haven’t worked with a photographer before and you’re not sure what to expect? Well, this is how I like to plan shoots with my couples: We can either meet up for coffee or do a video call. I prefer video over phone since it’s so much easier to connect with you. If you’re engaged, I will ask you a ton of questions about your wedding! I’ll get to know who you are as a couple and how you lik...e to spend your time together. I’m also starting to send out questionnaires with more specific questions that will help me get to know who you are. All of this helps me plan a shoot that represents your story. During the shoot, I won’t have you sitting or standing still for too long. I’ll give you ridiculous prompts that have you acting like a couple of goofballs. The constant movement keeps your energy flowing, making you feel more at ease. It also helps me capture authentic moments between you and your partner! There is no you standing still saying cheese. If you’re thinking about booking a couple session, but worried that you or your partner will feel awkward AF the entire time, message me! I’m here to help take your nerves away. I promise I can help you convince your partner to do couple photos *Upon request, I can bring all of my confidence boosting crystals with me to the session...Or vodka. Whichever is more your style. I gotchu.

When are you going to show your face on Instagram?- that was what one of my friends had asked me a while ago. This simple question made me think a lot. Why was I so afraid to post a portrait of myself? Was I hiding from something? I still ask myself this question...I don’t know the exact answer, but what I do know is that I’m starting to take steps in feeling more confident. I love being the one behind the camera and making other people feel beautiful. But when it’s me in f...ront for a change, I’m typically extremely stiff, awkward AF and I honestly just feel a lot of discomfort. I’ve been pushing myself to get in front of the camera with other photographers lately. Doing this has helped me understand what some of my clients may be feeling during shoots. By learning what makes me feel more confident and what helps me loosen up, I feel better equipped to guide others. If you can relate to some of those feelings, my biggest piece of advice for you is to just let go and drop into the present moment. When you’re present, you no longer hear the thoughts or have feelings related to discomfort. During the shoot, bring yourself to your breath. Taking three deep breaths really works One thing that also helped me was visualizing myself being confident and care free the night before the shoot. As silly as this sounds, IT FREAKING WORKS. I visualized myself spinning, jumping around, laughing and the biggest smiles. Your photo shoot should be FUN. If you’re ever feeling nervous before a photo shoot with me, please let me know and I can provide you with some more tips before and during the shoot. Photography by @emccrackenphotography Photos edited by moi. *Also, working with a great photographer make’s a huge difference. I had the most fun shoot with Emily!

I quit my full time stable job as a Creative Manager in September...during a global pandemic. I had no plan set in stone. No new job lined up, or a firm idea for what the future would hold. All I knew was I had a voice inside of me, urging me to finally take my passion for photography and run with it. So after taking time and space to rest and explore , I was ready to make this choice. I am excited to say that I’m officially a full time wedding photographer. Back in March, ...I was told that I would be working from home like many others. I had so much energy for the projects I was working on during the first few weeks. But then I started to feel off, less passionate and every morning became an intense struggle to open my laptop. The feelings of guilt overtook my being, I told myself I wasn’t working hard enough, I wasn’t creative enough. I was overwhelmed with projects that I once was so passionate about. I felt this way for months until late August I decided I was going to take action and overcome the feeling of burnout. I’ve been doing photography for over 8 years and within that time, I never seriously considered going full time. I was too scared. I was scared to leave the comfort of my predictable future. I wanted a steady income to feel safe. I was scared to put myself completely out there and run my own business. Don’t get me wrong,I LOVE branding and graphic design. It’s a deep passion of mine BUT I view photography as my ultimate calling, it’s why I’m here-to document raw connection between humans. I no longer feel the burnout. It took me months to get to where I am today. I now feel energized mentally, physically and no longer afraid of living in the unknown. I took a leap that resulted in me feeling more confident than I have ever felt. Most importantly, I’m now living my life in a way that is true to my being. Just because you have a passion/hobby, doesn’t necessarily mean you need to go full time with it. The most important thing is that you make TIME to immerse yourself into your passions outside of your job. But, If you’ve been wanting to take your passion full time, I strongly encourage doing it! Acting on your passions can energize your Soul

When are you going to show your face on Instagram?- that was what one of my friends had asked me a while ago. This simple question made me think a lot. Why was I so afraid to post a portrait of myself? Was I hiding from something? I still ask myself this question...I don’t know the exact answer, but what I do know is that I’m starting to take steps in feeling more confident. I love being the one behind the camera and making other people feel beautiful. But when it’s me in f...ront for a change, I’m typically extremely stiff, awkward AF and I honestly just feel a lot of discomfort. I’ve been pushing myself to get in front of the camera with other photographers lately. Doing this has helped me understand what some of my clients may be feeling during shoots. By learning what makes me feel more confident and what helps me loosen up, I feel better equipped to guide others. If you can relate to some of those feelings, my biggest piece of advice for you is to just let go and drop into the present moment. When you’re present, you no longer hear the thoughts or have feelings related to discomfort. During the shoot, bring yourself to your breath. Taking three deep breaths really works One thing that also helped me was visualizing myself being confident and care free the night before the shoot. As silly as this sounds, IT FREAKING WORKS. I visualized myself spinning, jumping around, laughing and the biggest smiles. Your photo shoot should be FUN. If you’re ever feeling nervous before a photo shoot with me, please let me know and I can provide you with some more tips before and during the shoot. Photography by @emccrackenphotography Photos edited by moi. *Also, working with a great photographer make’s a huge difference. I had the most fun shoot with Emily!

I quit my full time stable job as a Creative Manager in September...during a global pandemic. I had no plan set in stone. No new job lined up, or a firm idea for what the future would hold. All I knew was I had a voice inside of me, urging me to finally take my passion for photography and run with it. So after taking time and space to rest and explore , I was ready to make this choice. I am excited to say that I’m officially a full time wedding photographer. Back in March, ...I was told that I would be working from home like many others. I had so much energy for the projects I was working on during the first few weeks. But then I started to feel off, less passionate and every morning became an intense struggle to open my laptop. The feelings of guilt overtook my being, I told myself I wasn’t working hard enough, I wasn’t creative enough. I was overwhelmed with projects that I once was so passionate about. I felt this way for months until late August I decided I was going to take action and overcome the feeling of burnout. I’ve been doing photography for over 8 years and within that time, I never seriously considered going full time. I was too scared. I was scared to leave the comfort of my predictable future. I wanted a steady income to feel safe. I was scared to put myself completely out there and run my own business. Don’t get me wrong,I LOVE branding and graphic design. It’s a deep passion of mine BUT I view photography as my ultimate calling, it’s why I’m here-to document raw connection between humans. I no longer feel the burnout. It took me months to get to where I am today. I now feel energized mentally, physically and no longer afraid of living in the unknown. I took a leap that resulted in me feeling more confident than I have ever felt. Most importantly, I’m now living my life in a way that is true to my being. Just because you have a passion/hobby, doesn’t necessarily mean you need to go full time with it. The most important thing is that you make TIME to immerse yourself into your passions outside of your job. But, If you’ve been wanting to take your passion full time, I strongly encourage doing it! Acting on your passions can energize your Soul

A few weeks ago I took a trip out to BC to visit a friend on Galiano Island. Before I went out, I asked Demi if she had any friends that would be up for a photo shoot. I’ve been wanting to photograph love between two humans for so long in the beautiful scenery of BC. Well, I was lucky enough to meet Kat and Liam. They were originally suppose to get married this past year and because of Covid-19, they had to push their wedding. It was really sweet being able to document this a...uthentic, goofy as all hell love. These images definitely don’t make up for having to move their wedding, but I hope they provide a comforting memory for the year they were suppose to get married. On a side note, if you entered my giveaway, I just wanted to say thank you so freaking much! It was amazing to see all the love and support I received from everyone. I’m so excited to officially announce the winner at 10am. Keep an eye out of my story for details.

A few weeks ago I received the most exciting email. I’ve been wanting to shoot an elopement for YEARS. When I received Sierra’s email asking if I could shoot her elopement I was beyond excited. Sierra and Brayden knew they wanted something small just between the two of them. They popped champagne, had their first dance and ate A&W burgers in a country field during sunset. So grateful I was able to be a part of this special moment. Elopements will forever hold a special place in my heart and I can’t wait to document this for more couples wanting the same experience. If you’re thinking about eloping, message me and I would love to help you plan your own.