It was such a joy welcoming Rachel into my home and spending an intimate couple of hours connecting over our stories — while taking photos!

I’m someone who can feel awkward and nervous in front of a camera (seriously… what do I do with my hands??? and whyyy is my face suddenly doing that?), but Rachel exudes an ease that makes you feel how genuinely curious she is about people — what lights them up, what makes their heart flutter or soar. She has this gentle, non-intrusive way of being that somehow makes it easy to open up, even if you’ve only just met her… believe me, I had just met her.

Her style of photography focuses less on fixing and fussing you into a “perfect,” practiced pose, and more on inviting you to move and behave as you normally would (through simple action prompts), then stepping back to capture you as you are. Whatever the final product is, you’ll still feel like yourself.

She truly cares about capturing people in their real, full humanity, and she creates a space where you naturally let your guard down and show up more as yourself. I’m so excited to keep building a relationship with her and to co-exist in community.