I’ve got two options this year for Christmas mini sessions near Portland. I invite you to click the images below for more info.
Baking Mini Sessions with Santa and Mrs. Clause
These Christmas mini sessions are a light and bright baking theme with Santa and Mrs. Clause. They will be held at my studio in Tualatin. Click here for more info.
Unicorn Christmas Mini Portrait Sessions in Sherwood, OR
These shoots have been in the works for quite a while and I’m so excited to announce that I’m currently booking appointments for Unicorn Christmas Mini Sessions to take place on November 4, 2023. I’m collaborating with Todd Acres on these wintery mini sessions. Dewdrop, the miniature unicorn is so sweet and he creates such a magical experience for the kids.
The unicorn Christmas mini sessions will take place at Todd Acres, a family owned and operated farm in Sherwood, Oregon. Each session will last approximately 20 minutes. If you have more than one child to be photographed, I highly recommend booking a slot for each child, back to back. We can use the combined time to photograph each child separately and also take some beautiful images of the children all together. If you have multiple kids, feel free to get in touch with me and we can talk about what would work best.
The wardrobe
After you book your session, I will reach out to you for a wardrobe consultation. I have some great pieces in my studio wardrobe that are available to use. I can help direct you to some online options, as well.
The Images
About a week or two after the unicorn Christmas mini sessions, I’ll invite you to my studio in Tualatin for your ordering appointment. The session fee includes two stylized fine art portraits of your choice that are enhanced with glowing effects. They will come in digital format so that you can use them on your Christmas cards or share them with friends and family in other ways. Printed products and additional images will be available to purchase and are optional.
Let’s chat about your unicorn Christmas mini session!
If you have any questions about your unicorn Christmas mini session, please send me an email or give me a call at 503.828.2973 and I’d be happy to discuss the session with you. If you are ready to book now, you can click this link to schedule your photo shoot.
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Baking with Santa & Mrs. Clause – Mini Sessions 2023
I have exciting news! Not only is Santa coming to town, but he’s bringing the lovely Mrs. Clause! This year during my Santa sessions in Portland, the kids get to bake cookies with Santa and Mrs. Clause. Not only is the experience a blast, but the images turn out simply adorable.
Skip the mall photos and enjoy a unique and comfortable Santa experience in a private studio.
Santa Mini Sessions
The Santa mini sessions will be held at my studio in Tualatin on October 7, 2023. Spots are limited!
The session fee is only $195. This includes a baking photo shoot with Santa and Mrs. Clause and 2 digital images of your choice. Additional images will be available to purchase, optionally.
If you want a “Christmas morning” feel, then I suggest dressing your kids in pajamas for the session. Alternatively you can go with something more dressy or day time casual. Once you book your session, we will have a wardrobe consultation to go over ideas. I do have some hats and aprons available to borrow.
What to expect
Sessions will be about 20 minutes long. The kids will have the opportunity to play with ingredients as they pretend to make cookies with Santa and Mrs. Clause. Then they will enjoy some pre-made cookies and milk together, as well. About a week or two after the session, you’ll get to come back to choose your favorite images to purchase.
What if we’re not really in to Santa?
I’ll be sure to capture some images without Santa and Mrs. Clause, as well. If you’re a family who’d rather skip the Santa part altogether, just let me know! I totally get it. We can easily schedule you for a time after Santa and Mrs. Clause head back to the North Pole. A baking Christmas mini session is just as fun, either way.
Let’s chat!
If you are ready to book your shoot, or if you have questions first, feel free to send me an email and we can plan your Santa Session in Portland! (well, actually it’s in Tualatin)
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 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!
(A special noted added for Christmas 2023. I’m working on potentially collaborating with a farm to provide Nativity portraits with live animals. More info to come! Please contact me if you’d like to hear more about this opportunity.)
Christmas Mini Sessions – Nativity Portrait Experience in Portland, OR
Last week I held my first ever Christmas mini sessions – Nativity Portrait Experience at Riddle Farm in Sherwood, OR. The idea for these sessions is something I had been working on for a couple of years. I hadn’t seen anything like them done before. Celebrating the first Christmas is very meaningful to me. I’m so thrilled to see my vision come to life!
I’m excited to share with you some photos from my sessions (November of 2021). I plan to offer them, again. So if you are interested in finding out when they are happening, please make sure you are signed up to receive my emails. You can sign up here.
These sessions look different depending on how many kids you have and what gender they are. In the image above there are two girls, so I dressed them as the virgin Mary and an angel.
The farm where the nativity sessions took place has two sweet cows. Sometimes they peek their heads in to see what we are working on, as you can see in the photo above.
If your family happens to have a newborn baby, it would be so fun to have a live baby Jesus. Otherwise, a doll will do.
The sweet family in the image above has 4 children. Two boys and twin girls. It worked out great to have a Mary, a Joseph, a shepherd, and an angel. I told their Mom that she needs to have three more kids in order to have the three Wisemen. She said that’s not happening. haha!
I love that one of the cows popped in for this photo (above)! The cows aren’t cooperative models so if they happen to show up in a photo, it’s by pure luck.
Unique Christmas Nativity Portraits in Portland
I’m so pleased with these Christmas mini sessions – Nativity Portrait Experience and I believe these families will treasure their unique and meaningful photos. The kids had fun visiting the farm, as well.
Be The First To Know When I’m Holding These Sessions, Again
These sessions were held in November this year, however, I’m considering holding them in the summer next year. That way the ground won’t be so muddy, the weather will be warmer, and the photos will be ready with plenty of time to get Christmas cards out.
If I get enough interest, I’d love to hire some petting zoo animals for the shoot. Wouldn’t that be so cool?
If you’d like to stay in touch so that you can hear about these sessions and my other types of sessions, please sign up for my email list.
Limited Time Christmas Nativity Experience in Portland, OR
I’m so excited to announce something that I’ve had in the works, at least in my brain, for a couple of years. I’ve seen some amazing Christmas sessions being offered by other talented photographers in Portland, such as beautiful Santa sessions and mini photo shoots, that are so much fun. In our family, though, we find a lot of meaning in remembering the first Christmas. So I came up with the idea of offering a stylized Christmas nativity experience. I’ve never seen anything like this offered, before, so I’m super excited to offer this unique opportunity to my clients. How breathtaking to experience the magic of the most important Christmas there ever was.
Your Family Portraits
Each family will have a unique look to their portraits depending on what characters your family can play. Do you have a daughter who can be Mary or an angel? Do you have sons who can be Joseph, a shepherd, or an angel? If the timing is just right, maybe you have a beautiful new baby who can play Jesus. Or a dog who can dress up like a sheep. Mom and Dad could also play Mary and Joseph.
Costumes
I have a few costumes that are available for use and I also have an ideas list on Amazon for costumes you may need to get for the shoot. We can discuss your shoot and figure out what we need.
The Details
I’ll be holding sessions at a farm in Sherwood, OR on November 6, 2021. If this date doesn’t work for you, though, please let me know. I may open up a second date, depending on interest.
$99 Session fee
The “Fine Print”
5 available sessions
Live animals are a possibility but not guaranteed
Minimum purchase requirement of $500 for portraits
IF you have any questions or if you are ready to book your Christmas Nativity Experience, please send me a message to claim your time slot.
It’s the thing to do. Every year, your kid gets school pictures taken and you wait to see what kind of awkward face they made or what they spilled on their outfit between home and picture time. (Check out these hilarious awkward school pictures from the Awkward Family Photos website) It’s tradition. I’m a professional photographer who has gobs of great photos of my kids and I STILL purchased the photos that were taken on Picture Day at my daughter’s Preschool. But what about school pictures for homeschooling families? Kids who are homeschooled don’t automatically get offered that opportunity. That’s why I’m hosting “School Picture Day” in my studio on October 13th and 14th 2021.
What if we don’t homeschool?
If you don’t homeschool your kids but you still want to take advantage of this “School Pictures for Homeschooling Families” opportunity, that’s okay! It’s open to any kids. It’s not meant for adults, though. Even if you are a kid at heart.
What if I’m not available on those days?
If you can’t make it on October 13th or 14th, please let me know. I could possibly add another day, depending on how much interest there is.
How does this work?
On “School Picture” day, we will have a 10-15 minutes to take pictures and then immediately after the shoot, we will look at the photos and you will choose your favorites. We will have about 15 minutes to make selections. There is a minimum purchase requirement of 2 photos ($50). If you have multiple kiddos and the added up cost is prohibitive, please let me know.
Can I invite my friends?
If you are part of a homeschooling coop or you just have friends who homeschool, please share this information with them. The more the merrier!
Send me a message if you have questions or to secure your time slot!
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Ever wonder what your daughter thinks about beauty when she looks at her mother who is her definition of love, warmth, and beauty? Does her opinion of beauty change as she sees you talk badly about your own looks? How will she learn if you don’t teach your daughter what true beauty is?
It’s not just your looks that make you beautiful
I came across a great article on Offbeat Mama that I would love for you to read. It talks about how it’s not just your looks that make you beautiful. It’s your actions. The things you do. The efforts you make.
Redefine beauty
It’s helpful to look at our definition of beauty. It’s not just the reflection we see looking back at us in the mirror. That’s a small part of it. In fact, that beauty is fleeting. The beauty that your daughter sees in you is beauty that comes from the heart. How do you treat people? How do you show love? At a glance it might seem like this post is about self love. But it’s actually more about how you love other people that makes you beautiful.
It’s so easy to focus on our flaws or other negative things in our lives. One of my favorite verses in the Bible talks about, instead, focusing on lovely things.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Teach your daughter what true beauty is. Start telling your daughter that you are beautiful so she will learn to recognize beauty in herself. I know this is such a hard thing to do as you look in the mirror and count all your flaws. I want my two daughters to believe that they are beautiful. Not in a prideful way. Just in quiet confidence, knowing that they were created by the maker of the universe and they are lovely.
How can I convince them of that if they know that I don’t believe that I am beautiful, too?
Yesterday my 4 year old daughter said to me, “When I grow up, I want to look just like you.” My insides wrestled with that statement because, like so many women, I struggle to look past my physical flaws. I had to resist the urge to start listing off all my physical flaws to her, discrediting her comment, and convincing her that she shouldn’t want to look like me. Instead, I gave her a the most beautiful smile I could muster and told her what a sweet thing that was for her to say.
Want to see more?
I invite you to see more of my beauty portrait photography by visiting my website galleries. If you’d like to chat about booking a family or beauty photography shoot near Portland, OR, I’d love for you to contact me!