It’s almost the end of the year and appointments are limited.
Does is seem to you like we went straight from Summer to Winter? Fall is my absolute favorite! So I’m a little sad it was so short this year.
That being said, when planning photo shoots for Christmas, you have to plan ahead in order to get your photos in time for gifting. So the Christmas set in my studio has been up since mid October!
This is a busy time of year and I only have 2 spots left to book photo shoots before Christmas.
Christmas Beauty, Boudoir, or Mother-Daughter Sessions
Are you thinking about booking a Winter photo shoot? If so, reply to this email and let’s chat about your session!
Send me a message!
If you are ready to book your shoot, please send me an email and we can chat!
I’m happy to be hosting my 2nd annual fundraiser for an organization in Tigard called, Breast Friends. Breast Friends is an amazing organization that helps women survive the trauma of cancer, one friend at a time. Breast Friends’ mission is to ensure that no woman goes through a diagnosis of cancer alone.
During the month of October, $50 from every session fee paid will be donated to Breast Friends. This applies to any kind of shoot, booked for any future date, as long as the session fee is paid in October.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Breast Friends, providing portraits to women who have lost their hair due to chemo. I invite you to check out these “Bald Is Beautiful” portraits.
Bonus: special pricing for one day only!
Do you need headshots for your business, your dating profile, modeling, acting, pageantry, or just for fun? November 3rd is the day I’m hosting a mini session marathon at my photography studio in Tualatin, OR. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity. Even with the special pricing, $50 will still be donated to Breast Friends. This calls for a happy dance for us all!
In need of something more custom?
If you are looking for a longer and more custom session, like branding photos, a full length beauty or boudoir portrait session, or you just aren’t available on the date of the mini session marathon, just reply to this email and let me know what your needs are. We’ll go from there!
Let’s plan your photo shoot!
If you are ready to book your shoot, please send me an email and we can chat!
I’m sorry for all you sun seekers, but Fall is here and I am so happy. I’ve busted out my sweaters, even though it’s actually still too warm to wear them. But they are ready as soon as that temperature drops a bit. My house has been decorated for Fall for a couple of weeks as I, admittedly, jumped the gun on that one. But I’m not even sad about it. So when my beautiful client, Teresa, brought in an Autumn wardrobe for her beauty session, I was over the moon. It made my little photographer heart so happy. Fall is my jam! I’d love to share with you this Fall beauty photo shoot that was recently done in my studio near Portland.
Hair and makeup
Teresa is a hair and makeup artist at Strut Salon in downtown Portland. She arrived with her hair and makeup camera ready. She looked amazing, as you can see. This is her third photo shoot with me and I was thrilled to have her back in the studio! As Teresa can attest, these shoots are such a great confidence booster and can become a bit addicting, in a good way!
By the way, Teresa gave me a hair cut recently and she also taught me how to tame my unruly natural curls. Oh my goodness, you guys. I never knew my curls could look so good! If you need some help with your curls, Teresa is your girl.
Your most beautiful self
Teresa was kind enough to share some sweet words about her experience in a Google review. She said, “Rayleigh made me feel so comfortable from beginning to end! She photographs you in way that is so natural and so perfect. You’ll leave feeling like your most beautiful self!” This is exactly the experience I aim for all of my beautiful clients to have.
Business headshots
The photo below makes for the cutest business headshot for Teresa’s salon. Although my clients always have such a great time with beauty sessions, I’m also a Portland business headshot photographer. A need for business headshots gives a lot of my ladies an “excuse” to come in to my Tualatin studio. Of course, my favorite reason for you to come in is to treat yourself and to allow yourself to feel like the amazing person that you are.
Beauty, business, and boudoir
Photo shoots in my studio often end up a mix of beauty, business, and boudoir photos. When you make the time to come in and have a session, you may as well capture all the facets of your personality. While shooting photos for different purposes, you get the most mileage out of your makeover and your time in the studio. That’s a win, for sure!
A Fall Beauty Photo Shoot in Portland
If you love Fall as much as I do, I’d love to schedule a photo shoot for you in October or November. Just send me an email and we can chat!
It’s time for us all to acknowledge and appreciate the hardworking and loving ladies in our lives. And to take some time for yourself, as well. As a Mom, you deserve to wipe the peanut butter and jelly off your shirt, ditch the mom-jeans (wait… aren’t those back in style now?) and get all fancy. Beauty sessions can make you feel like a whole new woman and this sale is the perfect time to treat yourself. I’ve got a PORTRAIT SPECIAL for you! My annual Mother’s Day special can be purchased as a Mother’s Day gift for yourself or for someone else.
Short on time? Scroll to the bottom for the nitty gritty details.
The experience a portrait session with Photography by Rayleigh offers is so uplifting and incredibly fun. Professional hair and makeup, wine, and girl time are all included in this session. It’s a day all about you, and when you leave, you’ll feel like an entirely new woman.
A Mother’s Day Gift Idea
A photo shoot experience can be purchased for yourself or for someone special and it is a fantastic Mother’s day gift idea. You can purchase a gift card for $99 and receive a value of $390. Scroll down for more details.
Maternity Sessions
Not everyone gets to celebrate their first Mother’s Day before their little one has met the world. Some mothers aren’t pregnant over the holiday. If you are, it’s certainly a fantastic time to commemorate the special experience with gorgeous portraits.
Mother-Daughter Sessions
Another great way to celebrate Mother’s Day is to enjoy a Mother-daughter session. That is a beautiful way to make use of the Portrait Special. This experience and the resulting heirloom portraits are a gift, not only to Mom, but to her daughters, as well.
Getting in front of the camera and existing in photos with your children is one of the best gifts you can give your children.
Portrait Special Details
The “Fine Print”
10 available sessions at this special price.
$500 minimum photo purchase required.
No session fee refunds.
Sessions to be scheduled May 9, 2023- August 31, 2023.
What if I’m not a mother?
No problem! This special is available to anyone for any type of session that I offer, excluding mini sessions. Senior portraits, business headshots, couples, and beauty sessions.
This experience really changed how I look at myself. Because of you and the beautiful pictures that you took of me, I now have a new confidence. I will be forever thankful to you. You have forever changed my life
-Marlena
Are you ready?
I want to show you how beautiful you are!
If you have questions, feel free to send me a message and mention this promo so we can chat about your photo shoot experience. Also, if you’d like to purchase a gift certificate for a loved one while allowing them to schedule the session later, just send me a message.
If you are ready to grab your spot and get on the calendar before the limited special pricing sessions run out, go ahead and click the button below. Don’t forget to use the coupon code MOM2023.
A Valentine’s Day Gift Idea – Portland Photography
Are you looking for a great Valentine’s Day gift idea for your sweetie that is something different than the usual flowers and chocolates? Hiring a Beauty (Glamour) or Boudoir Photographer in Portland is definitely a way to create a gift worth treasuring. The amazing bonus is, it’s also a gift for yourself. An experience with Photography by Rayleigh gives you such a boost of confidence and you will leave the shoot feeling on cloud 9. The fact that you can also give the photos as a gift to someone special is a win-win.
A Unique Session
These unique photos that I’m sharing with you today are from a shoot that I did just for fun. As a Portland Photographer, I sometimes like to branch out and do something a little different than my usual work, just to stretch those creative muscles. I thought an all red themed shoot would be gorgeous. Red is a very glamourous and stunning color. Fun fact about me… I chose a red ballgown for my wedding dress. I just thought it looked better on me than white.
I reached out on my Facebook page to see if there were any ladies with fire engine red hair who would like to model for me and the lovely Aarielle volunteered.
Valentine’s season seems like a perfect time to share my red themed session.
Hair and makeup for this themed shoot was done by the super talented, Tracy Schulz. She is very experienced with all kinds of looks, including costume looks, so I knew she’d be perfect for this shoot.
I’m dying over those perfect ringlets. I love them so much!
What do you think of this Valentine’s Day Gift Idea?
You certainly don’t need to do an all red shoot, if that’s not what you are drawn to. My shoots are catered to each individual to create an experience that suits each of my clients.
Let’s chat!
Do you have a unique idea for a portrait shoot? Or do you want to do something that is more like my usual work? If you are ready to book your shoot, please send me an email and we can chat!
I am a portrait studio photographer in Tualatin, and I serve clients from Portland, Lake Oswego, Beaverton, Salem, and Vancouver.
A Christmas Mother-Daughter Session – Portland Family Photographer
I’m excited to share with you these images from one of my favorite shoots. I absolutely love doing Mother-Daughter sessions. Don’t get me wrong, men are great. Family sessions with the Dads and sons are wonderful. But there is something special about an shoot for just the ladies. These gorgeous gals came in for a mini session when I was offering Christmas Mother-Daughter Sessions (Portland Family Photographer).
My Christmas Set
This cute little Christmas set was in a corner of my studio for a few December shoots that I had. I wanted a soft, relaxed, comfy feel for the set.
Wardrobe
For this shoot I suggested pajamas for their wardrobe. The family bought some really cute outfits online. Big Sister’s pink pajamas were purchased on Amazon. That style of pajamas is very photogenic and they come in a bunch of different colors, which is great for photo shoots.
One might not typically think to wear shorts for a Christmas themed family photo shoot, like this mom did. However, I love how they give off a comfortable “relaxing at home in front of the fireplace” vibe.
I love when moms and daughters (or sisters) wear matching accessories. It’s one way to be matching without having the entire outfit be too matchy-matchy
Colors
Pink and white for colors instead of the typical red that you would normally see for Christmas themed photo shoots was an idea that I had and I’m glad we went that direction. I thought it would be fun to do something a little different and a little more girly. I absolutely love the outfits they brought and I love how the pink and white looks with my gold, cream, and beige Christmas set. Neutral colors were intentionally used for my set so that it would go with any color of wardrobe and it worked so great with these particular outfits.
Sisters
Little Sister wasn’t too interested in smiling but, as you can see, she’s still absolutely adorable. Those cheeks! Big sister was a champ and her sweet smile is so perfect.
Wall Art
I have this picture (above) as a large print in my studio with a gorgeous antique looking white frame. I love how sweet these two lovely ladies look together. As a bonus, the pink and gold matches my studio colors.
A Christmas Mother-Daughter Session – Portland Family Photographer
If you are interested in a Mother-Daughter session or other family session, I’d love to talk with you about your shoot and come up with a look that matches your taste and personality. Please send me an email and we can chat!
Are you wondering what to wear for a Winter Photo Shoot?
If you have a photo shoot coming up soon, you might be looking for some ideas for how to dress. I’ve put together some ideas here for what to wear for a winter photo shoot in Portland (or anywhere). These ideas can give you inspiration for a family, boudoir, beauty, glamour, headshot, couples, maternity, or senior portrait session.
Something to consider is what kind of feel you are going for. Winter is a particularly good time to go more formal or even to go ultra casual. Either way will make for fun winter photos. Especially if you are going for a Christmas look.
Pajamas
If you want a casual look, you really can’t go any more casual than this. But Christmas pajamas are so much fun. So you can’t go wrong with this cozy and comfy look for your winter photo shoot. If you are doing family portraits, matching family pajamas are all the rage right now. Why not mark this trend with a professional photo shoot?
Sweaters
Sweaters are my most favorite outfit to photograph. I just love the softness and warmth they give to a photo. Plus, they look good on everyone. I recommend a lightweight sweater because a chunky or bulky sweater can make you look larger than you really are. A wide neck or v neck sweater that can sit off the shoulder looks sexy while still being modest.
A Formal Gown
If you like sparkle and shine, Christmas is a great time of year for a formal dress for your winter photo shoot. Most of us don’t get a lot of opportunities to dress up. It’s such a treat to see the glamorous side of ourselves.
Red, Gold, Green & White
Red is, of course, a go-to color for the Christmas and winter season.
Gold, white, and green are also great winter colors.
Fur
My studio has a lot of faux fur. Blankets, pillows, and rugs galore. The softness is so feminine. I can’t seem to get enough of it! I use it all year long, but in the winter, it works even better. If we can add more fur with wardrobe, I’m a happy camper.
Santa inspired wardrobe is a way to incorporate fur and the color red for an obvious Christmassy feel.
Hats and Scarves
Winter is a great time to add layering and accessories. Hats and scarves can really add interest to an otherwise boring outfit.
What To Wear For A Winter Photo Shoot
I hope these ideas help give you some inspiration for what to wear for a Winter or Christmas beauty, glamour, senior, maternity, boudoir, headshot, or family photo shoot in Portland. If you want more ideas, Pinterest is always a wealth of inspiration! Please let me know if you want to discuss wardrobe or anything else regarding your portrait session!
Are you looking for ideas for what to wear for a Fall photo shoot in Portland?
Ahhh… the time of year I look forward to most! I know some of you ladies treasure your sunny days, but all summer long, I’m dreaming of the day when I can don my cozy Fall attire. Fall is my jam. It’s also my favorite time of year for photo shoots, I love how Fall outfits look in portraits. If you have a photo shoot coming up, you may be wondering what to wear for a Fall photo shoot in Portland, OR . Here are some ideas to give you inspiration.
Sweaters
Sweaters, sweaters, and more sweaters. My favorite kind of wardrobe to photograph, happens to be trusty sweater. Their softness brings out the softer side of a woman’s personality, which is so lovely . I particularly love the comfy, long sleeves against her face.
I recommend a sweater that is more on the light weight side. A chunky, bulky sweater can add weight, which is something my clients typically aren’t hoping for. lol
For a beauty photo shoot, slouchy, off the shoulder sweaters look good on everyone. If you like this look, make sure your sweater has a wide neck or deep v neck. Cardigan sweaters work great for this, too.
Leggings or ripped jeans pair well with a sweater and look fun and casual. Skip the pants all together for a more intimate look. Add a tutu or other skirt to glam up your sweater for a dressy vibe.
A sweater poncho or shawl gives an even higher level of comfy-coziness. (Is that a word?) Your photos can feel like you are relaxing at home on a chilly day, watching the leaves fall from the trees out your window. If you are looking for an outfit that’s slimming, I wouldn’t choose a poncho or anything that is too oversized. But they can look really cute if you aren’t worried about that.
Have you ever worn a sweater dress? That is another way to add femininity and dress-uppiness (there I go making up words, again) to the sweater look.
Fall Colors and Textures
It probably goes without saying, but Fall colors are always great and so obviously reminiscent of the season. Orange, brown, black, tan, green, maroon, mustard yellow, and gold. In addition to the softness of sweaters, corduroy is another texture that shouts Fall. Knits, lace, tweed, and wool are other ways to add texture. Wool can get pretty warm, though, so you may want to avoid that if you run warm.
Layers
One of my favorite things about a Fall wardrobe is the ability to add layers to outfits, which always adds interest. Scarves are a great way to do that. I recommend a solid color or subtle print. We wouldn’t want a bold pattern to distract from your face.
I love bare feet in portraits, but for Fall, a pair of knee-high or thigh-high socks are also so cute. Boots are a great way to add an additional layer over your pants this season.
Halloween Attire
If you’ve got something special, Halloween costumes can be fun to photograph. We just want to be careful not to cross over to the cheesy side.
This beautiful Mother (below) has a shirt to match her daughter, which is so fun to do sometimes. What I like even more, though, are outfits that are coordinated but not too matchy-matchy. For family photos, start by choosing Mom’s outfit. Then find 2-3 coordinating colors for the other family members that compliment each other.
Football Jerseys
When you think about Autumn, is football what comes to mind? If Football is your thing, it can be fun to incorporate your love for the sport in your Fall photo shoot. Showing support for your team is one way to share your unique personality and interests in your photos.
Now you have some ideas for your Autumn photo shoot wardrobe
I hope these ideas help give you some inspiration for what to wear for your Fall beauty, glamour, senior, maternity, boudoir, headshot, or family photo shoot in Portland. If you’d like more ideas, Pinterest is always a wealth of inspiration! If you don’t already have a photo shoot booked, I’d love to chat with you about scheduling something. Please send me an email! I can’t wait to hear from you.
I had the pleasure of working alongside Breast Friends, based in Tigard, OR, for a unique experience. Breast Friends is a wonderful organization dedicated to supporting women through the trauma of cancer. Part of their program includes an opportunity for the women they support to have a makeover with a professional makeup artist and a portrait shoot with a photographer who volunteers their time. We called them Bald is Beautiful portrait shoots.
Bald is Beautiful
Bald Is Beautiful portrait shoots are for women who work with Breast Friends and who have lost their hair due to chemo. The complimentary session provides a little pampering and beauty in the lives of women who aren’t feeling their best. The experience also serves as a memento that the women can look back on. A reminder to themselves of how strong they are and what they’ve been through.
I love looking through theses photos and remembering all the strength and beauty that came through my doors. I’m honored to have had the opportunity to be part of my community in this way. I stopped volunteering after a couple of years, when I had my babies. I needed to take a step back from some of my obligations to take care of my little ones. But I’d love to work with Breast Friends, again, one day.
Attention: Beautiful Moms! (And by that I mean ALL MOMS!) The kids are back in school. It’s time for you to appreciate how amazing you are! I’ve got a PORTRAIT SPECIAL for you! My annual Back to YOU special.
For just $99, you’ll get hair and makeup artistry, a wardrobe consultation, and your very own one hour long Beauty Portrait Shoot at my Tualatin, OR studio! (usually $290) Photos are purchased separately.
I am giving away unlimited sessions at this value from September 15-19, 2022. Please pass this information on to your mom, sisters, and friends to share the news!
ALSO, the first 5 people to book will receive a bonus gift. With your portrait order, you’ll receive my hot seller, the modern 8×10 Folio Art Frame (valued at $264).
Please contact me and mention this promo to book your shoot.
P.S. You don’t have to be a mom to take advantage of this photography promotion. Any woman or young lady who wants to take some time for herself is welcome!
