Category Archives: Themed Shoots

Christmas Mini Sessions – Nativity Portrait Experience 2021

Family Themed Shoots No Comments

(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.

Photography by Rayleigh Christmas mini sessions - Nativity Portrait Experience. Virgin Mary and an angel, gazing at baby Jesus in a stable. For more info, visit byRayleigh.com

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.

Photography by Rayleigh Christmas mini sessions - Nativity Portrait Experience. Virgin Mary gazing at baby Jesus in a manger. For more info, visit byRayleigh.com

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.

Photography by Rayleigh Christmas mini sessions - Nativity Portrait Experience. Mary, Joseph, a shepherd, and an angel gazing at baby Jesus in a manger. For more info, visit byRayleigh.com

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!

Photography by Rayleigh Christmas mini sessions - Nativity Portrait Experience. Mary, Joseph, a shepherd, and an angel gazing at baby Jesus in a manger. For more info, visit byRayleigh.com
Photography by Rayleigh Christmas mini sessions - Nativity Portrait Experience. Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus in a manger. For more info, visit byRayleigh.com

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.

Photography by Rayleigh Christmas mini sessions - Nativity Portrait Experience. A shepherd holding baby Jesus in a stable. For more info, visit byRayleigh.com

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.

You may also be interested in these topics

Senior portraits. Photography by Rayleigh. byRayleigh.com

Senior Portraits Gallery

Winter Beauty portraits by Photography by Rayleigh. byRayleigh.com

Beauty Portraits Galleries

Mother-daughter Christmas Family portraits by Photography by Rayleigh. byRayleigh.com

Family Portraits Gallery

Christmas Nativity Experience

Family Specials Themed Shoots No Comments

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.

Christmas Nativity Experience photo shoot in Portland. More info at byrayleigh.com

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.

Christmas Nativity Experience photo shoot in Portland. More info at byrayleigh.com

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
Christmas Nativity Experience photo shoot in Portland. More info at byrayleigh.com

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.

[contact-form-7 id=”4779″ title=”Contact Page”]

You may also be interested in these topics

senior portraits gallery

Senior Portraits Gallery

Beauty Portraits Galleries

Christmas Pajama Sessions

Beauty/Glamour Family Specials Themed Shoots No Comments

For the first time, ever, I’m offering a day of limited edition Christmas pajama sessions. You won’t find me offering these types of “mini” sessions often. So if you have been wanting to book a shoot with me and you are looking for a lower cost option, this might be the opportunity for you! These shorter sessions will be held on one day only and there will only be 6 spots available.

Limited Edition
Christmas Pajama Sessions
November 23, 2019

Slots will be in 30 minute increments between 10:00-1:30

Christmas pajama sessions. This is an image of a girl wearing red plaid Christmas pajamas and a red winter hat. She's hugging a red pillow and sitting in front of a Christmas tree. Image by Photography by Rayleigh. For more info, visit byrayleigh.com

What is different about these sessions?

  • The session fee is waived! (Usually $690)
  • Professional hair and makeup is not included but is available as an add on
  • Photo shoots are 20-30 minutes long
  • Special pricing! If you purchase two individual photos, you get one free. I will also have a small package available to save even more money. This special package is only available for these limited edition sessions.

Who are these sessions for?

These sessions can be scheduled for individuals (beauty or boudoir) or families.

Do I have to wear Christmas pajamas?

Although, I think a Christmas pajama session is such a fun idea, you can opt to wear something different. Just make sure your outfits go with the Christmas theme. Red, green, gold, gray, beige, and white are the best colors for this Christmas set. Pastel colors, like light pink, can go well, too, if we take out the reds in the set up. By the way, if you do wear pajamas, they don’t have to be red “Christmas” pajamas. They can be neutral colors, too. Any of the colors mentioned above would work fine.

Christmas pajama sessions. This is an image of a little girl wearing red plaid Christmas pajamas. She's holding a glass of milk and a teddy bear, next to a plate of cookies, and sitting in front of a Christmas tree. Image by Photography by Rayleigh. For more info, visit byrayleigh.com

What is the special pricing?

Photos can be purchased individually, which means you get the full size digital version of the photo, as well as a complimentary print of the photo (your choice of 5×7 or 8×10 print). Photos are $250 each. For these limited edition sessions only, if you buy two photos, you get one free!

For the highest value, consider purchasing a package of 10 photos, which includes the full size digital versions of the photos on a crystal USB drive and an heirloom quality album. The special price for this package is $1200.

Can I get professional hair and makeup services?

Professional hair and makeup services are available at an additional cost. That cost is subject to change depending on the hair and makeup artist. So please ask me about that when you book your shoot. There are only 3 slots available that will allow time for hair and makeup services, so you’ll want to grab one of those spots quickly.

Christmas pajama sessions. This is an image of an Asian mother with her daughter, lying on the floor ans smiling. They are wearing sweaters and matching pink winter hats. Image by Photography by Rayleigh. For more info, visit byrayleigh.com

What if I’m not available on November 23rd?

If the mini session day doesn’t work for you, please consider a booking full size session. Full size sessions can be booked on a day that is convenient for you and includes a more full experience compared to a mini session. Pricing will be regular pricing. The Christmas set will be available until mid-late December.

How do I book my shoot?

Spots are limited! So contact me soon to ask any questions and to book your limited edition Christmas pajama session. A deposit of $250 is required to hold your spot and that deposit goes toward your photo purchase.

Christmas pajama sessions. This is an image of a girl wearing a gray striped night gown. She's holding a glass of milk with a plate of cookies, and sitting on the floor in front of a Christmas tree. Image by Photography by Rayleigh. For more info, visit byrayleigh.com

Victorian Inspired Boudoir Session

Boudoir Themed Shoots No Comments

It’s good for a photographer to do something a little different every now and then to stretch our creative muscles and to avoid burn out. I’m so excited to share the photos from my stylized Victorian inspired boudoir session. I teamed up with one of my fabulous hair and makeup artists,  Kim King, for this unique vintage session. It’s so much fun to be able to create a look that is completely different than what we normally do. Some of the photos were on the more dainty, Victorian side and some of them were more along the lines of an Old West, Saloon Girl theme.

Victorian inspired boudoir

Victorian inspired boudoir session. This is an image of a stylized vintage themed boudoir headshot. She is wearing a corset, choker necklace, and feather in her hair in front of a light background. For more info, please visit byrayleigh.com

I purchased the gloves and the choker necklace on Amazon.com. The feathers for her hair were found at a local craft store. I already had the pink corset in my studio wardrobe. For the dress form placed in the background, I used a lace dress I already had and folded the top part of the dress down so it was just a skirt. Then I added a frilly button-up shirt for the top that I found at Goodwill and completed it with a piece of ribbon for a belt. The idea was to make it look like an old Victorian dress in the background.

Victorian inspired boudoir session. This is an image of a stylized vintage themed boudoir headshot. She is wearing a corset, choker necklace, and feather in her hair in front of a light background. For more info, please visit byrayleigh.com
Victorian inspired boudoir session. This is an image of a stylized vintage themed boudoir headshot. She is wearing a corset, choker necklace, and feather in her hair in front of a light background. For more info, please visit byrayleigh.com

I made this bustle, too, and I’m quite proud of how it turned out. It worked so great for this shoot.

Victorian inspired boudoir session. This is an image of a stylized vintage themed boudoir standing boudoir pose. She is wearing a corset, choker necklace, bustle, and feather in her hair in front of a light background. For more info, please visit byrayleigh.com
Victorian inspired boudoir session. This is an image of a stylized vintage themed boudoir shoot. She is wearing a white nightgown, choker necklace, and hat in front of a light background. For more info, please visit byrayleigh.com

The model for this shoot, Kimberly, found these adorable bloomers online.

Victorian inspired boudoir session. This is an image of a stylized vintage themed boudoir shoot. She is wearing a corset, choker necklace, and feather in her hair in front of a light background. For more info, please visit byrayleigh.com

Wild West Saloon Girl

I also had this black corset in my studio wardrobe and I always thought it looked a little too “Country Western” for a normal boudoir session. But it worked great for this themed shoot!

Victorian inspired boudoir session with a wild west saloon girl theme. This is an image of a stylized vintage themed boudoir standing pose. She is wearing a black corset, choker necklace, and feather in her hair in front of a brown background. She's also holding a gun in a holster. For more info, please visit byrayleigh.com

I was able to borrow a few props, such as the gun (it’s a toy), the holster, and the vintage hat you’ll see below from a local business who sometimes travels to retirement homes and offers free vintage photos for the residents. They were so kind to allow me to borrow them for my shoot.

Victorian inspired boudoir session with a wild west saloon girl theme. This is an image of a stylized vintage themed boudoir headshot. She is wearing a black corset, choker necklace, and feather in her hair in front of a brown background. She's also holding a gun. For more info, please visit byrayleigh.com
Victorian inspired boudoir session with a wild west saloon girl theme. This is an image of a stylized vintage themed boudoir headshot. She is wearing a black corset, choker necklace, and feather in her hair in front of a brown background. For more info, please visit byrayleigh.com

I’m not anything close to being a seamstress. But I know just enough about sewing to be dangerous. I made this little skirt and I really love how it turned out for the photos. Just don’t ask me to make another one because I probably couldn’t repeat it. Haha!

Victorian inspired boudoir session with a wild west saloon girl theme. This is an image of a stylized vintage themed boudoir standing pose. She is wearing a black corset, choker necklace, and feather in her hair in front of a brown background. For more info, please visit byrayleigh.com

Do you have an idea?

Did you enjoy the images from this Victorian inspired boudoir session? If you are interested in doing a stylized shoot like this one or something else that is totally unique, just contact me with your idea and we can make it come true!