Rachel Photographs is founded upon my deep love of three things:
Art, Human Connection, and Storytelling. My goal is to listen intently,
to grow often, to inspire as much as possible, and to share
the human experience with some good, kind souls.
What started as a hobby over half my life ago, has grown into my
deepest passion and one of my greatest joys. I wake up every day
knowing that I am doing what I love.
Being a wedding photographer is so much more than taking pictures
at a wedding. It’s developing friendships, observing moments, making
memories, photographing the small details and the bigger picture,
visually sharing the story of your love and your wedding day in all of its glory.
It takes guts. It takes hard work. It takes following instincts.
When I am given the freedom to create, backed by lots of trust,
that is when the magic happens.
I work hard to create images that we both will be proud to show off.
I’m an observer on your wedding day, quietly floating around
watching for interactions, moments to freeze.
I’ll also be there as a friend, doing my best to make sure you and
your babe are comfortable and taken care of.
I edit meticulously, delivering a cohesive and flowing story of your day.
Your photos will be modern, artful, genuine, and timeless.
Typically, photos are edited while getting down to the
best of the 90’s hiphop Spotify station.
Your photos turn out better that way.
I am abundantly grateful to spend my time with some of the
greatest people ever, doing what I’m really good at and what I love.
There’s not a lot better than that.
My ultimate goal for each wedding, elopement, and session is to
make images that are 100% you. Photos that tell your story.
I want you to have photos that show off your personalities,
your personal sense of style, and all the little magic moments that
weave themselves between you and your honey.
For all of that goodness to happen, we’ve got to trust each other,
and that trust happens when we click.
I love couples who are crazy in love (cue the Beyoncé song),
fun and adventurous, and laid-back. They think out of the box,
have a creative side, and aren’t having a cookie-cutter wedding or session.
They go with their gut, do things their own way, and punch Boring in the face.
I deliver the best photos when I’m fully inspired by
what’s happening around me. When I can soak it in,
go with my gut, and know that I have your trust.
I’m going to make amazing photos for you, but I’m also going
to make some amazing photos for me. This is my passion first
and foremost. The fire cannot go out, so I aim to stay inspired.
That means I aim to work with couples and people who spark
that fire and hope to photograph sessions and weddings that do the same.
I love different. I love composition, symmetry, and natural light.
I love white and I love black and I love bright colors too.
I want to photograph you in a sunlit room or outside when the light
is especially nice. I try my hardest to stay away from dark venues,
overly-posed images, forced emotions, or cheesy things (unless it’s pizza).
I might ask you to do some out-of-the-box things.
I’ll probably tell you to stop smiling at the camera.
I’ll do my absolute best to make you feel and look superfreakingamazing.
I WANT TO PHOTOGRAPH YOU IF:
- You’re madly, freely, wildly in love.
- You’re a creative type.
- You’re making your wedding about you and the one you love most-not about anyone or anything else.
- You’re not afraid to be a little goofy, to feel real emotions, and to get close to your sweetheart.
- Your wedding will be a unique representation of you two as a couple and won’t necessarily follow trend or tradition.
- Photography is a very high priority for your wedding day.
- You booked a venue with really wonderful light.
- You can trust me, my creative process, and my ideas.
- You like laughing.
- You’d love to receive authentic, creative, and timeless photos.
I AM PROBABLY NOT THE RIGHT PHOTOGRAPHER FOR YOU IF:
- You aren’t very excited about getting married.
- Your venue is dark and poorly lit or cluttered.
- Burlap or “rustic” are common words in your planning process and decor ideas.
- You give me a very detailed shot list instead of trusting me.
- You don’t really care about photography. You could just have a relative with a fancy camera take pictures.
- You don’t value time for bride and groom portraits.
- You ask for selective coloring, to make you “skinnier”, or un-natural editing. I want you to look like you.
- You don’t like dogs (mostly kidding here…).
Yes please:
Couples who are freaking in love and aren’t afraid to show it (have I mentioned that yet?) + symmetry and composition
+ first looks + white walls +following your heart + personal style coming through + tattoos + colored hair +
leather (or vegan leather, ya know) jackets + thinking/doing outside the box + wedding cake + smoke bomb/sparkler exits
+ trust + elopements + not following “wedding rules” + golden hour + overcast skies + lots of time for portraits
+ explosions of laughter + negative space + taking risks + working together to make killer images.
No thanks:
Dark venues + family members who think it’s their wedding (but it’s actually not) + burlap +
lack of affection + not being fed during the reception + shot lists +
forced emotion/forced ANYTHING + “rustic elegance” + baby’s breath +
following traditions because you think you’re supposed to + stressful timelines + cheesy DJs and/or
DJs who decide to shine their freakin’ bright lights towards the cake table
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CAKE-CUTTING WHEN MY SETTINGS WERE ALREADY PERFECTLY SET ALAN.