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)
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.
Did you know that February is Library Lovers month? When I discovered this recently, I just HAD to share with you some photos from a wedding that I photographed a few years ago. This wedding just so happened to be a Valentine’s Day Wedding that was held at the public library in Hillsboro, Oregon! Do you see why I had to share these photos today?
A Library Lovers Wedding on Valentine’s Day
If I’m being honest, when I’m thinking of wedding venues near the Portland area, a public library isn’t typically what first comes to my mind. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful landscape behind the library with a pond and fountain. The event room worked perfectly for their intimate ceremony.
Unique Couples Photos
What interested me the most about this venue was the opportunity to do their couples photo shoot in the book aisles. That is something I’d never done before. I just love how unique these photos turned out. Such a fun idea for book lovers.
A Valentine’s Day Wedding
It’s so fun when couples choose a theme for their wedding to make it that much more memorable. Valentine’s Day is such an appropriate theme for a romantic wedding, don’t you think? I love how they incorporated hearts in to so much of their decor.
It was an honor to be part of this sweet wedding. Happy anniversary, J and A! And Happy Valentine’s Day to all who are reading my blog.
Couples Photo Shoots
My focus has since shifted to portrait photography, more so than weddings, and I absolutely love photographing couples. If you are interested in doing a couples photo shoot near Portland, Oregon, 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!
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!
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
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.
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.
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.
