Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Gray.
Hi Rachel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi and thanks for having me! To jump right in, my dad bought me my first camera, a 35-mm Minolta SRT101 when I was 16 years old and it is still my favorite piece of equipment. In high school, I was lucky enough to get that old-school darkroom experience, where we learned everything from pinhole cameras to hand-tinting photos. I’ll never forget the first time I saw an image emerge from a bath of chemicals. It was magic.
At the University of Washington, I tested other majors, including Italian, environmental studies, and psychology, all of which I love, but photography kept pulling me back. I landed in an intimate BFA program that gave me the freedom to study what I was truly passionate about and gave me the ability to push my creative boundaries. I explored multimedia, film, performance art, got naked in the snow and had my friends paint and photograph my body (Oh, to be 20 again). I also studied energy through Kirlian photography, explored grief with film and old objects, and used a projector to match my grandmother’s skin to my own.
Immediately after college, I started my own photography and media business, doing everything from working with documentary films abroad in Nepal and India to shooting parties and family portraits. In my mid-20s, I worked under renowned wedding photographer Michael Brannigan, who had a huge impact on my life. He showed me how to dance your way onto a dance floor to capture joy in real-time and how to be authentic and unfiltered to get people to open up to you in front of the lens.
As I got older, I wanted to experience the corporate media world. I landed jobs at Universal and Netflix, where I worked for seven years. However, I still maintained my photography business and recently decided to return to shooting full-time. I specialize in intimate weddings (my favorite are ceremonies which span a few days) and creative portraits.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
In the beginning, I made art solely for creative expression, exploration, joy, pain, and curiosity. It was challenging to transition from that space into using photography as a living instead of a passion. But after a lot of growth and experience, I have found a way to marry art and business joyfully. My current struggle is how much time I spend on my computer. Editing is a true art form, and I enjoy it but find myself spending too long sitting in front of the screen because I’m a perfectionist. My true love, the best part of my work is in the field, engaging with my subjects.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I offer elopement, intimate wedding, and portrait sessions. I’m based in LA but shoot all over California. As an avid traveler, shooting on location is always a plus.
I specialize in intimate weddings and creative portraits. I’m the type of photographer who holds space for you, whether I’m documenting a moment quietly or interacting with you to express yourself in an uninhibited way. Weddings hold sacred energy, and as an empath, I’m right there with you, for you. I remember one bride who was so nervous before walking down the aisle that I walked her and her partner through a breathing/meditation exercise. During an intimate three-day coastal wedding, after the ceremony and couple portraits, I smoked a joint with the bride with my Minolta in hand, and even got the dance floor going at a Malibu backyard wedding one summer. All of this to say, I love the variety of celebrations and ceremonies I experience with my lens.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Follow your heart and take risks. Learn how to make money, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself to be successful overnight. Be open and learn from others. Find mentors, be humble, listen, and stay sponge-like. Don’t undervalue yourself. Acknowledge where you are, but don’t stop searching for where you want to go. If you don’t have the answer yet, stay curious. I believe that life is made up of chapters, and to get to the next chapter, you have to be in the one you’re living.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rachelgrayphoto.com
- Instagram – Weddings: https://www.
instagram.com/ rachelgrayweddings/ - Instagram – Portraits: https://www.
instagram.com/ rachelgraystudios/
