Our March Sky Valley Arts Council General Meeting, Show & Social was held at the Brandee Leafty Photography studio located on Main Street in Sultan.  The 1200 sq ft  loft-style studio was an artsy and  comfortable location for our pop up show and social conversations about arts & heritage in the Sky Valley.  We hosted about 30 people from throughout the valley in discussions around 2015 events, Art Education opportunities and Startup Gym restoration.  The crowd was enthusiastic and everyone shared their personal connection to arts & heritage – literary, visual, performance and supporter.  [Keep in touch with 2015 arts & heritage activities here or check out artist opportunities, we update frequenty]

Before the evening got started we had a chance to sit down with Brandee and learn more about her business and how the valley has inspired her work.

Thank you for hosting our general meeting in your fabulous studio.  Please start off by telling us a little about you.

First and foremost, I am a mom of five little beautiful children and a loving wife to the most amazing and supportive man on the planet. My family is very influential in all that I do both personally and in my business life. I would be lost without them. Second, I am a professional photographer and have been since 2010. I started out taking pictures of families and children, but now I focus mainly on helping women feel beautiful, using contemporary glamour/beauty photography. My mission is to continue to show women that they are beautiful right now and that the journey is worth celebrating. I show women that they don’t have to be a model to have magazine quality photographs of themselves.

How long have you been in Sultan?

I have lived in Sultan for a little over a year now. Last summer I saw this space for rent and immediately fell in love. It wasn’t long until I opened my studio. On November 15th of 2014, 403 Main Street became the new Brandee Leafty Photography headquaters. It has been so much fun! I love it here and plan to stay as long as possible.

The Sky Valley Arts Council supports the arts and heritage activities in the valley.  Has the Sky Valley inspired you in new ways?

Absolutely! Sky Valley, mostly Sultan transformed me personally and in my business! When I opened my studio last November, I was terrified that Sultan would not see my value and that they wouldn’t like me. I felt like a school kid worried about being picked last in dodgeball, I was scared of the unknown. Sultan transformed me as a person by blowing my expectations out of the water. The people here have been kind, helpful and truly inspiring! I am currently a member of the Sultan Facebook group and I am so impressed by the people here and how they ban together for the greater good of the town.

The way Sultan has transformed me professionally is as an artist… I am constantly inspired by the beauty and texture here, which makes what I do more fun and exciting! I love finding new places to photograph clients and people from outside the area are always in awe of the natural beauty and variety here. Also, the encouragement and love I have received from the people of Sky Valley has given me the push to work harder and to dream bigger! I have been able to take my business and my skills as an artist to new heights because of it. I mean, I wouldn’t be here, answering these questions, without this awesome community!

A collection from Brandee Leafty Photography