From the minute we pull in to the parking lot of Famous Dave’s BBQ, we are hooked. That amazing smell wafting in to the car, I can hardly get inside fast enough. We order our usual, a split order of chicken tenders with a side of broccoli, a side of mac and cheese, and that oh-so-amazing cornbread muffin. If you’ve ever eaten at Famous Dave’s you know that this is not just any corn bread. This is I’ve-died-and-gone-to-heaven cornbread. And the muffin top is the best part.
The only problem with splitting a meal, like we usually do, is that we only get one cornbread muffin, which is never enough. I joked with my husband, Nate, that I wouldn’t mind as much, splitting the muffin in half, if we were cutting it in such a way that I were getting the top half. So my husband, being the sweet guy that he is, gave me the top half of the muffin. Now that is love.
What does this have to do with photography?
When I pose my clients, I pose them in a way that celebrates the parts of their body that they love and I downplay the parts that they don’t love as much. If you have a sweetie, I’m sure he loves you for all of you. But I totally get wanting to focus only on your favorite parts. Now that I think about it, though, “muffin tops” aren’t always a good thing. Am I right?
I have a handful of wonderful hair and makeup artists that are a huge part of my beauty and boudoir shoot experiences. One of them is my makeup artist, Dallas Merkley. I want to share with you some photos from the time Dallas, got in front of my lens and I also want to tell you about her YouTube channel.
I love love love the white lace dress that Dallas brought for the shoot. White makes for a nice soft look. And lace adds some texture and character.
Dallas is gorgeous and also extremely talented with hair and makeup. She’s also funny, as a bonus. So it’s always great to have her in my studio as a makeup artist or as a client.
Want to see more?
To see more of my beauty photography, please visit my beauty gallery.
One of the most beautiful bonds in the world is the bond between sisters. When I was growing up, my sister and I used to fight constantly. I didn’t want her in my room or touching my stuff. But as an adult I can’t imagine life without my sister. We talk on the phone almost every day and she’s my very best friend.
It’s been way too long since my sister and I have done a sisters session together so we should totally get on that! Sister shoots are so much fun and create the most amazing keepsakes. They make a great Mother’s Day gift, too. Ooh, I just gave myself a great idea for a gift for my Mom this spring. Haha!
It’s nearly impossible for almost all of us to remember everything we’ve ever looked at or read (unless you’re really cool and have that neat memory trick, which, I totally don’t), or every family member you have…or had. Every Holiday dinner, every birthday morning, every family vacation, every time you cut a class in high school and went to the beach or behind the Taco Bell with your friends. Unless those memories exist in photos.
Have you ever stopped to think about just how long you’ve been on this earth? About how many days you’ve lived….how many sentences you’ve spoken….how many things you’ve really seen??
If only we’d stopped to take a few pictures
This is me in 1991 with my New Kids On The Block birthday cake. A great memory I might have forgotten without this photo.
There’s so much that we’ve lived through that we’ll never remember, because we don’t have images of them. The memories that we DO have, we have because they left an imprint on us, whether it was good or bad, it was a strong enough moment visually, emotionally, physically…that it left a mark in our minds that is easy for us to access either whenever we’d like, or, when something sparks up a related memory of that time, like a certain smell or a song. But can you imagine how much we would remember if we just stopped to take a few pictures along the way?
Albums full of photos but almost none of my Mom
I feel so blessed that my Mom was very much in to pictures of my sister and me when we were growing up so I have albums full of photos to look back on. But do you know how many of the photos include her? Hardly any of them. Mostly because she was the one always taking the photos. So she doesn’t really exist in photos from my childhood.
I would love to look at a bunch of photos of what my Mom and Dad both looked like in the early 80’s as I was growing up or in the 70’s before I was born. Maybe some photos of them together when they were dating.
This is one of very few photos I have of my Mom from her younger days.
I totally get it, though. I find it difficult to allow myself to be in photos because I never like the way I look in snapshot photos and I’d rather just have photos of all my friends. Plus, I just feel so comfortable being the one to take the photos.
Exist in photos
One day when my children want to look at all my old albums, they won’t care about seeing photos of my friends. They want to see me. They won’t care if I was having a bad hair day or if I needed to lose weight. So I do my best to just exist in photos and to quiet the voices in my head that tell me that I’m not pretty enough to be seen. To be remembered. I want to leave an imprint on this world and a memory for my family members to look back on with love.
So take some time to have your photos taken. WITH your family. WITH your friends. Take some selfies! We have the ability to catch these memories now. To preserve them. There’s no reason not to. Nobody who loves you will care if you are too skinny or too big or balding or not tan enough. The only thing that will matter to them when you are gone, is that they can look back and laugh and cry and ultimately remember you and how wonderful your time together was.
A selfie of me with my two little girls. I had to go back over a year to find a candid picture of me with them. So even I need to hear this advice.
How about some gorgeous professional photos of yourself to pass down to your children?
This article is mostly talking about candid photos of daily memories. But I also can’t say enough good things about gorgeous beauty photos of you and your family. These are the photos that will be hung on the walls for decades. And even hung on your children’s walls after that!
If you’d like to talk about how to create some beautiful photos for you to pass down to your children so that you can exist in photos, just shoot me an email! I can’t wait to work with you.
Ms. R contacted me about doing a Mother-Daughter session with her Mom, Ms. A. Having hair and makeup done in my studio and then spending an hour, or so, snuggling up for photos is a bonding experience. The photos are an amazing souvenir of the great day they had and I know they will cherish these photos and the memory of the time they spent together, for years.
These sessions are a great idea for a fun Mother’s Day activity. I also offer gift certificates that you can gift your Mom on the holiday. Then you can schedule the shoot for a future date.
Aren’t they adorable? I’m tempted to ask them if they will adopt me in to their family. They are the sweetest and those smiles are contagious.
This image, below, is just a goofy shot where they wore some vintage hats that I have in my studio. It kind of gives a photo booth sort of feel.
Are you interested in a Mother-Daughter session?
Mother-Daughter sessions are probably my most favorite kinds of sessions to do. The bond between Mother and Daughter is so special. To see more Mother-daughter images, I invite you to check out my Family Gallery. Please contact me to book your own beauty or boudoir photo session!
Tessa contacted me about her outdoor senior pictures. Although she was quite nervous, she was also so excited to do them. She wanted an urban look for her session. I found a cute area in Tigard, OR that I thought would be great.
Professional hair and makeup services
First, she came to my studio for her professional hair and makeup. For someone who is nervous, the hair and makeup styling can really boost confidence levels. That’s always a great way to start the shoot.
Outdoor senior pictures near Portland, OR
Then we roamed around downtown Tigard, OR a little bit for her portrait session. Tessa was so easy to work with and she is absolutely beautiful. We both had a lot of fun during the shoot.
www.byrayleigh.com
What Tessa’s Mom had to say about the experience
“Rayleigh captured my daughter’s inner and outer beauty perfectly! My daughter is a senior this year, and although she wanted Senior pictures, she was also very nervous about the idea of being photographed. She can be very self-conscious. However, Rayleigh made her feel so comfortable, so beautiful, so confident — and these emotions shined in every picture. My daughter walked on air for hours after the shoot.
“When I saw the first picture, I actually teared up! Rayleigh worked hard to make sure my daughter’s assets were showcased and also made sure that the areas that made her self-conscious were NOT showcased — resulting in very natural pictures that complement her best features. Also, Rayleigh was very accommodating and helpful. She went above and beyond to make sure the pictures were done to the yearbook’s specifications and on their deadline. And, we were THRILLED to get the pictures back so quickly. I couldn’t wait to see them, and they exceeded my expectations.”
-Tessa’s Mom
Want to see more outdoor senior pictures?
If you’d like to see more of my outdoor senior pictures or studio senior pictures, please click to see my seniors galleries.
Rachel started her senior photo shoot experience at my studio where she had her hair and makeup done. Then we headed over to downtown Tigard, OR for her urban senior portraits around Main Street.
Most of my shoots happen inside my studio, but I do venture out every once in a while for an outdoor shoot. It’s always fun to have the variety! There are a lot of different types of locations we can choose. It just depends on what kind of look you want to go for. Urban senior portraits are great if you like the look of streets and buildings for a city feel.
Urban senior portraits near Portland, Oregon
Rachel chose a great wardrobe for her shoot. I absolutely love lace dresses and shirts for photo shoots. Solid colors always work well for photos and the lace adds interesting texture.
This little nook we found was great because it had the brick wall for the urban look but it also had some greenery to add a bit of nature.
Rachel came to see me from Albany, Oregon. I have the honor of working with a lot of clients from Albany and Salem, OR because there just aren’t a lot of photographers in that area who offer the luxury experience that you get to have with Photography by Rayleigh.
Want to see more?
I invite you to take a look at my senior portraits gallery to see more indoor and outdoor senior pictures. Do you like the look of urban senior portraits? Or are you more of a studio type of person? Or maybe a nature lover?
If you are looking for a senior portrait photographer near Portland, OR, I’d love to chat. If you want a glamorous experience where you get to feel like a model for the day, please contact me to book your shoot!
Uh-hem…. Yes….. The embarrassing photos below are portraits of me. As much as I looked like a 40 year old country singer, biker chick, lounge singer I was actually a shy, quiet, 17 year old. These were my senior portraits – old school glamour shots edition.
My Glamour Shots from 1997
Third time’s a charm?
I first had my senior portraits taken at a little studio in the mall and hated my photos. So I made a second attempt and went to a second place in the mall. Unfortunately my results weren’t any more favorable. Somehow I hadn’t learned my lesson, so I headed a little ways down the mall and took advantage of a sale they were having at the old studio called Glamour Shots, hoping to get some better images. I hated them just as much as the others.
Do you remember that place? As far as I know, they don’t exist any more. Glamour photography, as a genre, fizzled out. For a while, that is.
Modern glamour photography
Now glamour photography is back in action and has quickly grown as a very popular type of photography. Thank the good Lord that the 90’s style didn’t return with it. Modern glamour sessions are nothing like the old school versions. When people hear the phrase “glamour photography” they might still think of the old mall studio which would probably not send them running in that direction to have a shoot for themselves.
Thankfully, photographers like me have been able to bring back the idea of glamour photography but in a modern way. Most of us call it Beauty Photography.
A new experience
I’m thankful that my clients have decided to trust me with their senior portraits and other beauty photography and that I can give them an experience that is so much better than the experience I had in high school.
The experience in my studio is nothing like what you would find in a mall. Instead you get to enjoy a luxurious experience involving an amazing hair and makeup artist who is awesome at accentuating the beauty that is already there (even if you don’t yet see it). Then a customized photo shoot that brings out your personality.
I don’t just dress you up in whatever costume I have in your size (which was very limited in my high school shoot, as they didn’t cater to the curvy clients). You will absolutely love your photos and instead of being embarrassed to show them, like I was in high school, you won’t be able to wait to share your photos with your friends and family.
www.byrayleigh.com
Let’s chat!
Oh, and in case you are wondering, the biker chick photo in the middle is the one I ended up using for my yearbook photo. But I was totally embarrassed when the yearbook came out! 20+ years have gone by and I still feel a void where there should be a great memory of an awesome senior portrait session. Don’t be like me. Invest in portraits that you will love.
If you are ready to book your shoot, please send me an email and we can chat!
But first, you HAVE to look at the glamour shots on this blog post at buzzfeed.com because it got me laughing so hard! It’s hilarious!
