MEET RACHAEL
I am a photographer and mother of three. Located in Houston, TX, I specialize in motherhood, family and weddings photography. I love color, movement, and different types of lighting. Right now I am loving in home sessions and incorporating film into my family photography.
About the Session:
I was looking for a fun creative shoot in the middle of busy season. I asked my instagram followers to submit a pitch for a session and I would select one to shoot. When Natalie reached out with her fun vision, I knew it was going to be something that felt different than the usual. She wanted to tell the story of motherhood in a way that felt both beautiful and honest, the version we often see on the outside vs the reality happening just beyond the frame.
Her vision was simple, a mother carrying around a thousand mental to-do lists. Laundry piles, breakfast time, barking dogs, sticky hands, and endless interruptions. Because motherhood is often this strange combination of chaos and grace.
This session wasn’t about pretending it’s easy. It was about honoring the woman underneath it all. The one who existed before motherhood and still exists within it. The younger, carefree, independent version of herself hasn’t disappeared. She’s simply learning how to coexist with the mother she’s become.
This was such a fun session to work on and Natalie’s style brought everything together. I love the color and variety we capture during our time together.
Gear used:
Sony A7iv
50mm 1.2
35mm 1.4
Godox Lux Master Retro Flash
This session was shot digitally with my Sony and edited with The Archetype Portra 400 0 Normal Frontier with tweaks.
A Piece of Advice from Rachael:
One of my favorite things to photograph is an in-home session.
When I first started, I played it safe. I stuck to the brightest rooms with the prettiest window light because that’s what felt comfortable. But over the last few years, I’ve really challenged myself to step outside of that.
Don’t be afraid to explore the entire house. Some of my favorite images have been made in darker rooms, hallways, kitchens, or spaces that most photographers would overlook. Raise your ISO, experiment with flash, play with your settings, and see what happens.
The more you give yourself permission to create outside of your comfort zone, the more you’ll grow. These kinds of sessions have stretched me the most creatively, and they’ve completely changed the way I see light.
Find More Here:
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