Serving fun families in Gilbert Arizona and the East Valley.
HI I’M RACHAEL
I’m a family photographer, plain and simple. I love being around kids and have five of my own (yep, you read that right…FIVE) so I have plenty of experience keeping up with and photographing very fast moving and sometimes cranky little (and big) people.
Speaking of experience, I’ve been a photographer since 2001, waaaaay back in the pre-digital days when people still had phones attached to the wall and there was no Instagram or hashtags (oh, the horror!).
In my free time (is that still a thing?) I enjoy hanging out with my husband Dan while we eat all the Mexican food we can fit in our mouths, going to Disneyland with my family (you’d be amazed at what one can accomplish when fueled by churros), and being a master juggler (of schedules and children, not of actual cool things like fiery swords, but that would be a nifty trick).
THE DETAILS
Let me start out by saying that I love photographing families who like to have fun…who realize that life isn’t all matching clothes and perfect hair all the time. I’m not just trying to get that one shot for your Christmas card, I want you to have several that you LOVE and can’t wait to plaster all over your walls.
So with that said, my session fee is $350 for one hour and you receive a gallery of images in color and black and white that best represent your session.
I don’t limit how many you get and I don’t make you print them through me. I want you to have them…on Facebook, as your screensaver, and on your walls and I think the best way to do that is to give you access to download, share and print them to your heart’s content. That makes my heart happy and hopefully yours too.
You can find answers to some questions I get asked a lot over there, but if you have others, feel free to send me a message below in my contact form, and I’ll get back to you lickety split.
WHERE DO YOU SHOOT?
I shoot in Gilbert, Arizona and the surrounding areas. If the drive is more than 1/2 hour, there might be a travel fee in addition to your session fee. We can shoot at a fun outdoor location or at your own home for a lifestyle session, whichever you prefer.
WHAT SHOULD WE WEAR?
I always say to coordinate, but not match. That means no matching denim and white shirts, mom. Pick 3, 4, or even 5 colors, mix and match them in different patterns and solids and you’re good to go. I do suggest staying away from black and white for the most part because they actually tend to wash you out and don’t really add to the photo.
WHAT CAN WE/SHOULD WE BRING?
Please bring anything fun that is relevant to your family. You are also welcome to bring one change of clothing as long as it’s a quick change (remember that the session is one hour). If you want to bring your Disney cosplay outfits, I might be willing to add an extra 5 minutes onto your session time, wink wink. If you have very small children, a favorite toy, snacks and a sippy cup are always helpful.
CAN WE BRING OUR PETS?
Yes! You can bring whatever pets are part of your family – I LOVE when you bring anything that authentically represents who you are. Bring a llama if you want (because really, I’ve never photographed a llama and I’ve always wanted to).
DO YOU OFFER MINI SESSIONS?
Typically, photographers will offer mini sessions in a cattle call of several families in one day. I do not offer mini sessions because I focus on only one or two families per day, tops. I also think that you can’t really get to know kids in just a 20-minute timeslot. So, the answer is no.
DO YOU OFFER ANY DISCOUNTS?
Yes, ask me about my teacher discount (but you do have to actually be a teacher, you can’t get the discount by proxy).
WILL INTERESTING TRADES BE CONSIDERED?
Clearly, you are a Seinfeld fan so I like you already, but sweaty t-shirts probably won’t be considered.