Rachael Grace Photography » Inspirational images

Reasons for living

Rachael Grace Photography — Mon, 07 May 2012 13:05:10 +0000

At first I thought I would write a book. Then the very thought of trying to write my first book ever scared me right into ‘oh I’ll do that tomorrow.’ To much pressure. Instead I’m going to write a blog post from time to time talking about the very thing I would have written a book about. Why would you take a humanitarian trip to the other side of the world?A village in a remote region of Nepal needs a school, and it’ll take you two days to trek into the village…Oh Hell Yea, where do I sign up! Giddy with excitement way before I had even asked myself the practical questions. I just knew I wanted…no needed to be there. A complete unexplainable gut wrenching pull to go on this trip. I went crazy at the possibility of such an amazing opportunity.
Taking a humanitarian trip has been on my bucket list for years, probably since high school really. Something about traveling, adventure and seeing how other people lived fascinates me. How does someone live without running water, electricity, cars and what we consider to be can’t live without necessities of the modern world. But I think more than anything I wanted to learn and appreciate my world more. And the only way is to put myself in someone else’s shoes literally.
‘You’re what? But aren’t there people to help here in the US, why go to the other side of the world?’
When I decided to go to Nepal, people had on of two reactions. One, Holy Sh*t that’s awesome! I always knew you would do something like that. Or the response above. Why go at all? Tough questions I had to ask myself. What kind of impact would my leaving for 2 and a half week have on my family and my business? How am I going to raise the money to go? Like any major life altering dream, the excitement and passion comes long before you figure out the nitty gritty. It’s how you handle and get around the road blocks that make the dream come true or not. I almost didn’t go a number of times. What if I can’t raise all the money? What if my being out of touch for 2.5 weeks ruins my business? I’m the only one here, no one to pick up the slake while I’m away.
Every time I started considering not going, my head and heart felt heavy. I was sad ( I cried about not going more then once). I wanted so much to go. So I met each road block with a deadly stare that would take down a bangle tiger. Not Matter what, I was going. Done.
Have you had a dream like that? Something you couldn’t get out of your head? Every fiber of your being was saying you need to do this? Don’t ignore that. It’s what amazing life altering experiences are made of. Don’t let the resistance silence that dream…it is possible. As long as it’s in your heart, you can make anything happen. Done.

I’d love to hear about your life altering dreams and adventures, write a comment.

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Handmade Details

Rachael Grace Photography — Sat, 05 May 2012 23:01:51 +0000

A personal touch. An essences of who you are. A reflection of what you hold dear.
As I’m prepping for a wedding, I think about all the usual details, do I have all my gear, are the batteries charged, does my car have gas? But once the nitty gritty is checked off twice, I start getting the butterfly giddiness. The giddiness of what’s ahead and waiting for me. Talking about all the details and seeing what my couples are pinning on Pinterest I know that the details are going to be unforgettable! I know the details will reflect who they are and what they hold dear to them. I love the details. They round out the wedding and put the final touch on what you’ve created for the day. Can you have a wedding without details? Of couse, but what better way to show off who you are? To tap into your creative genius? (and yes we all have a creative genius!)
Stacey used lace and old book pages to wrap around votive candle holders. Just a simple way of using material to enhance the atmosphere.

What crafty projects are you planning for you wedding? I’d love to hear about them!

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Spring Romance

Rachael Grace Photography — Fri, 04 May 2012 01:39:16 +0000

The new leaves just starting to pop swayed in the breeze as I turned the corner and spotted Jill and Robyn. Giddy with excitement and unloading their cars with all our goodies, I couldn’t help feel blessed for such as awesome friends. To come together with a common vision for a spring inspiration shoot isn’t easy. Each person comes to the table with differing ideas, but for the three of us, well we just clicked. And when we brought on board Frills Cake Shop and Little Green Chair Seth & Holly, our shoot was sure to be amazing. And it totally was! We spent hours prepping the different areas, dressing Holly and Seth and making sure even the smallest detail was taken care of.
Can I spend hours with a couple shooting them? Oh Hell Yea I can! The feeling of no pressure to be done or move on the next thing was liberating! I wish I could pass that on to my couples. Slow things down a bit and not rush through from engagement to engagement during a wedding.I’m absolutely in love with Jill’s two tier cake stand…just stunning with Frills cake!

BareRoot Flora blew me out of the water with the flowers. I knew they were good, but whoa! Stunning.

So much gratitude for all the hard work of the team. We rocked it! And I couldn’t be prouder of how it turned out!

The beautiful talent:
Flowers: Bareroot Flora, Robyn and Diana
Styling: Common Couture, Jill
Cake: Frills Cake Shop, Anne and Jeremy
Graphic Design and Models: Little Green Chair, Holly and Seth
Vintage car: Private owner

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Be who you are

Rachael Grace Photography — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:52:08 +0000

BE who you are and DO what you love. Period. Don’t worry about what others think and sensor who you truly are to ‘fit’ in. Get excited, I mean really excited! Life could use more excitement and less mediocre. Then spread that excitement and passion to everyone you meet. Don’t get caught up in worrying about things you can’t control. Do your best and work your ass off. Leave it all on the field. Don’t make excuses for why things aren’t going a certain way. Be honest and genuine, people crave and need more of that in life. Inspire and get excited for other people’s accomplishments, they worked their ass off too.
Above all follow your heart and do what inspires you and lights your fire. It won’t lead you astray.
Dream big, you never know when your dreams will come true. Keeping a positive attitude can be challenging. And I’m definitely still working on it, but reading and writing puts things into perspective.
What have you read recently that inspired you?

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Blissfully Happy

Rachael Grace Photography — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:38:00 +0000

The most common question about my trip to Nepal is, what was your favorite part? What about Nepal made me light up like the Christmas tree in NYC? The KIDS! The kids melted my heart to a puddle of goo. They ran around me with giddy smiles and laughter to soften even the hardest of hearts. I feel in love with the kids. While trekking into our village kids of all ages would come running as soon as the slightest notion a foreigner was near by. Some smiled from ear to ear, some shyly looked on with eyes full of wonder. But they all joined their little hands together next to their heart and bowed their heads with kindest ‘Namaste’.
Every single kid.

Before I left I looked up adoption in Nepal, because knowing me there’d be at least one kid I’d want to bring home. Note to self, don’t go to an orphanage. Sadly or more lucky adoption is not permitted to foreigners right now.
Lucky for this kiddo’s parents.

I can’t say when I’ll be back to Nepal. Knowing me I WILL be back at some point in my life. The kids are what will pull me and my heart back. Their joy and spirit for life when everything around them says ‘poverty’ in our standards. Blissfully happy. You can’t help but fall in love.

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