Tag Archives: outdoor

Unicorn Christmas mini sessions near Portland, OR. Stylized fine art portraits that are dark and moody with glowing light effects.

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.

Book Here

Unicorn Christmas mini sessions near Portland, OR. Stylized fine art portraits that are dark and moody with light effects. This girl is wearing a white winter cloak and holding a glowing lantern.

The Sessions

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.

Unicorn Christmas mini sessions near Portland, OR. Stylized fine art portraits that are dark and moody with light effects. These sisters are wearing winter coats and holding a glowing lantern.

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.

Book Here

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.

You may also be interested in these topics

Mini studio Santa sessions in Portland. Baking with Santa and Mrs. Clause.

Baking with Santa & Mrs. Clause – Mini Sessions 2023

Christmas Nativity Mini Sessions

Senior Portraits Blog Articles

4 tips for choosing a Portland Senior Photographer

September 20, 2022

Rayleigh

Choosing a Portland Senior Photographer

“They are just pictures,” she said. “Just go to JC Penney” she said. Sorry, Mom. You got that one wrong. My experience was sorely lacking. 26 years later, I still feel disappointed that I didn’t have a senior portrait experience that made me feel special and beautiful. Instead, when I look at my senior photos, I feel embarrassed to show my kids because they might realize their Mom was totally unfashionable and clueless about hair or makeup back then. They bring up bad memories of being one of the uncool kids. So now I’m on a mission to share my best tips for choosing a Portland Senior Photographer. I hope for other high school girls to have an amazing senior portrait experience where they feel like the special ladies that they are. Here are 4 questions to ask a photographer to see if they are a good fit for you.

Is professional hair and makeup provided?

Whether you wear makeup in every day life, or not, professional hair and makeup makes a huge difference in the final photos. Even if the makeup look you choose is a very natural look, you’ll find that a bit of makeup makes your features pop. Features look more subdued in photographs. Facial features can blend in to the skin. Hair can look flat. A professional hair and makeup artist with experience in working with photographers will know how to apply the makeup in a way that will photograph beautifully.

How to choose a Portland senior photographer. This image is a of a teenage girl sitting on a blue sofa in a photography studio.

It’s also true that the time spent being pampered in the makeup chair is an amazing part of the experience. My ladies start their shoot off feeling beautiful and confident. Those feelings show up in the senior photos.

Does the photographer offer studio or outdoor senior sessions?

One of the most important questions when choosing the right senior photographer for you is whether they offer studio sessions or outdoor sessions. Which do you want for your shoot? While some photographers give the option of either one, some photographers don’t have a studio and are unable to shoot indoors. It’s also sometimes the case that studio photographers don’t offer outdoor sessions.

4 tips for choosing a Portland Senior photographer. This image is of a high school senior girl sitting in a window.

4 tips for choosing a Portland Senior photographer. This image is of a high school senior girl sitting on a rock at a Brown's Ferry park in Tualatin.

Studio photo sessions are my favorite because I can provide perfectly beautiful lighting. Also, the photo shoot isn’t dependent on unpredictable Portland weather. That being said, I do offer outdoor senior sessions for those who have their heart set on that.

Do you like the photographer’s shooting and editing style?

Every photographer has their own look and it’s simple enough to advise you to find a style that you like. In addition to that, though, please make sure you get a good look at the photographer’s portfolio on their website. Is their look consistent? Can you tell exactly what to expect for your own photos? I urge you not to just go off of a small handful of photos that you see on Instagram. If the photographer has inconsistency in their work, you may not end up getting photos that are what you are expecting.

How to choose a Portland senior photographer. This image is of a teenage girl posed in a sitting pose in front of a white wall in a studio.

Is quantity the priority or is quality most important?

Of course, price is an important part of your decision when choosing a photographer, but along with that, you might consider quantity vs quality. Speaking for myself, I’d much rather have 20-30 amazing photos that I absolutely love than 100 photos that are just good (or not so good). That’s what my clients want and that’s what works great in a stunning album layout for the final keepsake product.

How to choose a Portland senior photographer. This image is of a teenage girl lying on her tummy, backlit with window light in a studio.

Choosing a Portland senior photographer

The last year of high school is full of traditions and social rights of passage. At the end of the school year is prom and graduation, of course. But long before that, the year starts off with the tradition of senior photos. Start the year off right with an unforgettable senior portrait experience. I hope these tips help you to choose the best senior photographer for you.

Let’s chat!

If you feel like I might be the Portland senior photographer that you are looking for, please send me an email and we can chat! I can’t wait to get to know you.

You may also be interested in these topics

How to choose a Portland senior photographer.

Senior Portraits Gallery

Senior Portraits Blog Articles

What to Wear for a Fall Photo Shoot

A Pregnancy Announcement Idea: A Photo Shoot With a Twist

November 17, 2021

Rayleigh

Couples Photography Maternity No Comments

A Fun Surprise Pregnancy Announcement Idea for Daddy

The moment you find out you are pregnant, your to-do list becomes 10 miles long in a single instant. So many things to plan for and to prepare for. I know from experience that one of the first things many mamas start planning is a fun way to tell people that they are expecting. I was so honored to be in on this fun surprise pregnancy announcement idea. Chelsey asked me to photograph them as she told her husband that he was going to be a dad during a couples photo shoot in Portland, OR.

What He Thought Was Happening

Micah thought that they were helping me out with a photo shoot idea for couples. The idea that was described to him was that they would each write on their chalkboard something that they love about the other person. He loves her “sweet heart.”

Pregnancy Announcement Idea: A Fall rainy day photo shoot. A pregnant woman is surprising her husband and letting him know his he going to be a Dad. They used chalkboards while holding umbrellas. For more info about maternity portraits, visit byRayleigh.com Photography by Rayleigh

What Was Actually Happening

Micah had no idea that Chelsey was not following those directions. She had written, “We’re having a baby,” on her chalkboard. She also held her pregnancy tests as a sign that she was serious, in case he thought it was some kind of joke.

The Surprise Pregnancy Announcement

They stood with their backs facing each other. On the count of 3, they turned around to show each other their chalkboards. I got to snap photos and capture his reaction. His shocked expression is priceless!

They were both so happy to start this new chapter in their lives. These pictures are actually a few years old (I’m finally getting around to blogging them), so I can tell you that they are both the sweetest parents.

Outdoor Fall Photo Shoot in the Rain

The timing of their pregnancy was perfect for doing a Fall photo shoot with gorgeous colors all around them. Fall is definitely a favorite time for a lot of people to do outdoor photo shoots. But in Portland, Oregon, a Fall outdoor photo shoot means that you often have to deal with wet weather.

Their photo shoot was time sensitive and Chelsey didn’t want to put the photo shoot off until we had nicer weather (for obvious reasons). So when we found out it was going to be raining, we just went ahead and did the photo shoot in the rain. Chelsey brought some clear umbrellas, which worked out perfectly for keeping them, and their chalkboards, dry.

The umbrellas are so cute and perfect for a rainy day photo shoot with Oregonians who aren’t afraid of a little rain. Since they are clear, they allowed light to come through them. Solid colored umbrellas would have created unflattering shadows on their faces.

Pregnancy Announcements and Maternity Sessions

If you love this idea and would like to set up a pregnancy announcement photo shoot of some kind, I’d love to chat with you and come up with something really fun.

Then, when you are about 30-35 weeks along, that is the perfect time for a maternity portrait session. So we can talk about setting that up, as well!

I invite you to send me an email and we can get the ball rolling on those things!

You may also be interested in these topics

A couples maternity portrait in my studio in Portland. For more info about maternity portraits, visit byRayleigh.com Photography by Rayleigh

Maternity Portraits Gallery

Photography by Rayleigh's Free Guide to Preparing for Your Photo Shoot. For more info, visit byrayleigh.com.

Free Guide to Preparing For Your Shoot

Outdoor Senior Pictures near Portland, OR

October 10, 2014

Rayleigh

Beauty/Glamour High School Seniors Plus Size No Comments

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.

Outdoor senior pictures. This is a black and white image of a plus size teen girl sitting on the stairs and leaning against a brick wall. Photography by Rayleigh. For more info, please visit byRayleigh.com — 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.

Outdoor senior pictures. This is an image of a plus size teen girl leaning against a brick wall and wearing a scarf. Photography by Rayleigh. For more info, please visit byRayleigh.com

“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

Outdoor senior pictures. This is a black and white image of a teen girl lying on a bridge on her back. Photography by Rayleigh. For more info, please visit byRayleigh.com

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.

You might also be interested in more of my articles about these topics:
My beautiful plus size clients
Seniors

Urban Senior Portraits near Portland Oregon

April 5, 2014

Rayleigh

Beauty/Glamour High School Seniors No Comments

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

Urban senior portraits. This is an image of a high school senior girl leaning against a brick wall outdoors, wearing a red lace dress. Photography by Rayleigh. For more info, please visit byRayleigh.com

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.

Urban senior portraits. This is an image of a high school senior girl in front of a brick wall outdoors, wearing a red lace dress. She's surrounded by green leaves. Photography by Rayleigh. For more info, please visit byRayleigh.com

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.

Urban senior portraits. This is a black and white image of a high school senior girl sitting on a window ledge of a downtown building. She is outside and wearing shorts and a white shirt. Photography by Rayleigh. For more info, please visit byRayleigh.com

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.

Urban senior portraits. This is an image of a high school senior girl leaning off a bridge railing, outdoors, wearing a casual shorts outfit. Photography by Rayleigh. For more info, please visit byRayleigh.com

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!