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
If you are looking for a modern beauty photo session with a retro twist, you’ve come to the right place. My “pin-up” sessions aren’t necessarily akin to what you’d see in a wall calendar hanging up in the garage of some greasy dude in the 1950’s. Rather they are beauty photos that burst with classic femininity, inspired by the golden age of Hollywood. I invite you to watch this video that Clay Drinwater created for my clients to get a taste of what a pin-up photo shoot experience is like in my studio near Portland.
I thoroughly enjoyed my pinup photo shoot session! Rayleigh had a ton of fun ideas and the pictures turned out AMAZING. I was relaxed and felt at ease in her beautiful studio. And it showed!
Miss S
Professional Hair and Makeup
I’m sure you all know how to do your hair and makeup with a 50’s inspired style, right? No? Yeah, either do I. I haven’t a clue. But my talented hair and makeup artists do and they do it so well! The lovely Crystal, pictured below, even stays during the shoot to give touchups. It’s so great having her there to make sure you keep looking stunning throughout the entire experience. If only I had someone like that to follow me around on a regular day. Ha!
It’s always such a joy to see the transformation from “I woke up like this” to “Just call me Grace Kelly.” When my ladies step away from the makeup chair and head over to the mirror, their reaction makes my heart so happy.
Wardrobe
A wardrobe consultation with me allows you to feel confident in what to wear for your pin-up photo shoot near Portland. I have a guide that you can check out here, which is super helpful. We can also personally discuss what would work best to create your dream pin-up session. I have a number of 50’s style wardrobe pieces in my studio that you are invited to borrow and I can help you find some great options online, as well.
Props
I have quite a few vintage props and accessories in the studio that we can use for your pin-up session. Vintage phones, suitcases, an iron an ironing board, purses, glasses, hats, gloves, kitchen things, and a gumball machine, to name a few. I’m continually on the look-out for more retro props to keep the variety fun.
Pin-Up Photo Shoot Experience in Portland
Do you have any questions about a pin-up session that I can answer for you?
Let’s chat!
If you are ready to book your shoot or if you have any questions, please send me an email and we can start creating your dream Pin-up photo session!
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)
I wanted to share some of the highlights from my Santa mini sessions in 2022. The images from this Santa experience turned out so beautiful and magical. These families will certainly enjoy these for many Christmases to come. If you’d like to find out more information on my next Christmas mini session experience, please contact me.
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!
A fun new restaurant recently opened up near my Tualatin, OR photography studio, called 60’s Diner. My family has had lunch there multiple times. As a Portland pin up photographer who loves doing 50’s and 60’s themed photo shoots, I kept thinking about how much fun it would be to do a pin up inspired diner photo shoot.
I asked the manager, Michael, if that would be a possibility and he was happy to have us in. So I went on a hunt to find a model and a hair and makeup artist to join me on this creative collaborative project. I absolutely love when small businesses come together to support one another.
Miss Portland
I did some Instagram surfing to find a model for this collaborative styled photo shoot near Portland. Happily, I came across Karson Fair, who just so happens to hold the crown for Miss Portland Metro. I love her commitment to helping women know their worth, which is an important aspect of my photography business, as well. So I knew she’d make a great addition to the team. It certainly helps that she’s cute as a button and has the sweetest personality. She was a dream to photograph.
60’s Diner
What I love about 60’s diner in Tualatin is that it’s so family friendly, which is great for people like me who have little ones. What my kids love is that they have TVs sprinkled around that show old cartoons that they get to watch while they eat their grilled cheese sandwiches. The burgers and fries are great, but the milkshakes are what I show up for. In fact, after spending a few days working on all these photos, I just had to pop in for a peanut butter milkshake earlier today. It did not disappoint. They even have boozy milkshakes if that tickles your fancy.
Wardrobe
I chose a few outfits on Amazon that I thought would work well and then Karson let me know which ones she liked best out of the options. I didn’t have to spend a lot of money for the outfits, which was a bonus. She was able to find some pearls and retro looking shoes from a friend that worked great. The hair and makeup artist brought the headband. So these looks were really a team effort.
You can almost hear Chubby Checker singing, The Twist, from the jukebox when you look at these photos. Of course Elvis made a couple of appearances through the speakers, as well.
Professional hair and makeup
It’s not easy finding hair and makeup artists who have experience with retro inspired looks. My go-to artist for pin up inspired photo shoots was unavailable but I’m so thankful she was able to refer me to Crystal Sanchez. Crystal was so great to work with and I’m happy to have met another talented hair and makeup artist. She’s great at what she does and she is super nice. Her and I enjoyed a delicious lunch together afterwards (Burgers, of course), and I loved making a new friend. Crystal loves doing hair and makeup (not just retro style) for photo shoots and weddings.
The team for this pin up inspired diner photo shoot
We grabbed a timer selfie for all those who took part in this collaborative, creative photo shoot. Crystal (the hair and makeup artist) and I (Rayleigh, the Portland pin up photographer) are in the back. On the left is Taimi, the diner server who made us a photogenic and delicious milkshake for the shoot. In the middle is Michael, the manager of 60’s Diner. We are posed around his impressive Harley Davidson bike, which is always parked outside the diner. And on the right is Karson, our beautiful model.
Right after this photo was taken, Karson headed off to a work meeting. Can you imagine showing up to work looking like you just stepped out of the 1960’s? I love it!
A pin up inspired diner photo shoot
I’m so glad my shoot idea was able to come to fruition. I loved the team that I was able to gather together and we all had a blast. As a photographer, it’s always so much fun getting to know other people in the Portland community and working together to create something fun and beautiful.
Want to see more of my vintage themed photography work?
Pin up photo shoots are typically done in my Tualatin, OR studio. If you’d like to see more of my themed studio work, please click here. I even have some super cute maternity photos done pin up style and you can view those by clicking here. I don’t only do pin up work, so feel free so peruse my website to see my other beauty photography.
Are you interested in experiencing a photo shoot?
If you think this looks like a ton of fun, let’s chat and see what kind of session we can design for you. Please send me an email and we can talk details!
You’ve got a photo shoot coming up and you are looking for inspiration and ideas for your photo shoot wardrobe? You’ve come to the right place. I’ve written a number of articles that give ideas for what to wear for a photo shoot in Portland. The articles are each focused on a certain type of photo shoot or a certain season. This page will serve as a resource for you and a convenient place to find all of the articles. I hope it helps!
A Fall Photo Shoot
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. Whether you are doing a family photo shoot or an individual beauty, boudoir, or maternity session, you may be wondering what to wear for a Fall photo shoot in Portland, OR . Here are some ideas to give you inspiration.
A Winter Photo Shoot
If you have a Winter photo shoot planned, you might be looking for some ideas for how to dress for the season. These ideas can give you inspiration for a family, boudoir, beauty, glamour, headshot, couples, maternity, or senior portrait session.
A Maternity Photo Shoot
If you are reading this, it’s likely that you are neck deep in planning and preparing for your sweet baby to arrive on the outside, all while having pregnancy brain. It’s a lot! I get it and I’m here to help. Here are some ideas to help you decide what to wear for a maternity photo shoot.
A Pin-Up 50’s style Photo Shoot
I’ve pulled together some images from a few of my past 50’s inspired photo shoots to give you a little inspiration for your own retro pin up session. It may seem daunting at first to come up with a few outfits, but it’s actually pretty easy to find some really cute pieces online. You may even find that you have some things in your own wardrobe that will work. Here are some ideas.
Coming Soon
I’ll add more articles to this resource as I write them. I intend to add some articles soon about wardrobe for Spring and Summer sessions, a modest boudoir session, and a bridal photo shoot. Please sign up for my emails, if you haven’t already, to be sure to get that info when it comes out.
Let’s chat!
Is there anything else you want help with? Just let me know. If you are ready to book your photo shoot, I’d love to be your photographer. Please send me an email and we can chat!
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!
