Welcome to Good “I” Photography. My name is Irene Leitao and I live in Enfield, Connecticut. I have a full-time job as a legal secretary for a firm in Hartford, Connecticut. I love to sing, love arts and crafts (scrapbooking and painting ceramics are my favorite), love hockey, and have a sick craving for roller coasters.

I am also a lover of photography. While I am not a professional, I am very passionate about my hobby; hence, the creation of “Good ‘I’ PhotographyCT.”

My first foray into photographing weddings was four years ago when a cousin of mine asked me to photograph her friend’s wedding because they couldn’t afford a professional photographer. I agreed first and foremost because I love my cousin, but also because it would give me a chance to give someone the gift of memories that would last a lifetime in print that they wouldn’t have been able to have otherwise. The camera I used was a Kodak Easyshare and was somewhat limited as to its creative potential (as opposed to dSLRs of today by means of exposure, aperture, shutter speed, etc.). The end result was mixed – I ended up with some shots that simply could not be fixed (overexposed, underexposed, out of focus), but also ended up with some that were very nice if I do say so myself. (The picture of the dragonfly in my gallery was taken at their rehearsal the day before the wedding.)

Since then, I have continued taking photos of everyday events, such as birthdays, showers, sporting events, and the like, as does every person in this world who owns a camera. But a couple of years ago, when my Easyshare began having problems that would cost more to fix than to replace it with the same type, I started to get the hunger for a much better camera – the dSLR. As they were quite expensive (and still are), I could not afford one. Then a year and a half ago, I decided to use my Christmas bonus and see my dream come to fruition. I researched all different brands of dSLRs, lenses, and accessories and purchased my “amateur wanna-be-a-pro starter kit.” My passion was truly born and continues to grow every day.

Anyone who knows me knows that my other biggest passion is singing. I have been going to karaoke at the American Legion in Indian Orchard, Massachusetts for almost two years (check out the link to the left for Jerryoke.com – his karaoke show is broadcast LIVE over the Internet four nights a week – plus he is for hire for any event). After I purchased my “starter kit,” I began taking pictures of the other singers. I mostly did this to see just how good of an amateur I was, particularly since the lighting was not most conducive to taking pictures without a flash. I managed to get some really great candid shots – I often heard, “I didn’t even know you were taking my picture!”

In the past year, I have been asked to photograph four weddings (with four more so far this year), engagement photos, band photos, headshots, and portraits.

Now, I am going to be as honest with you as I can be. No, I am not a professional photographer. No, I do not have any formal schooling. No, I do not have tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment. No, I do not have a studio.

What I DO have is a passion for photography beyond the scope of just clicking away and whatever pictures I get, that’s it. My passion goes as far as my spending countless hours of post-production editing. The average number of pictures I took for each of the four weddings was 700 and the average time it took for me to get the finished product to each couple was a little under two weeks. I look at each and every picture, tweaking them if need be, and also make creative shots out of some. I love to make pictures I take into black and white, but leave something with a little color in it (an example of this in my gallery is the young boy with the bubble machine).

Also, please check out my page for Portraits. There are examples of how I can take a picture against a solid background and then give you a completely different background. I can also make magazine covers, greeting cards, senior portraits, etc.

I will photograph whatever event you have in mind (within reason) – setup shots or candids, pictures of pets, children, or families, location shots (indoors or out), birthday parties, showers, weddings, headshots, property, etc. Please contact me and we can work together to make your vision come to life at an affordable price.

Check out the Good “I” Photography gallery to get an idea of my photography. Thank you so much for visiting my page, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Irene