Picking Fabrics

So I wanted to spend some time focusing on some of the DIY projects that I have done for my photography business.  Photography can be a difficult business to make money in due to all the competition, so many photographers try to find ways to cut expenses.  For me, it is a mixture of wanting to save money and loving the process of making things.  So when I decided to make my own newborn wraps, the first step was picking the right fabrics.  I knew I wanted cheesecloth because it is a classic that is in high demand, but I also didn't want to just do what everyone else is doing.  I started by buying higher grade cheesecloth than what is commonly available.  I also bought lace and two different types of knit fabrics.  I know this looks like I must have spent a fortune on fabrics, but the knit fabrics were on sale for $1/yd.  Tomorrow I will share about my process from making these white fabrics into a beautiful array of colors!  :)

Table Decorations

So I realize that this doesn't fall in line with my photography business, but this is an example of the DIY projects I like to do.  I decided that I wanted table settings that were simple, elegant, and all matching.  So I made my own!  I spent a lot of time coming up with the design and pulling inspiration from Pinterest.  Once I had all the materials, it actually didn't take that long to make everything.  It helped that I had a deadline of when I wanted it finished.  I tend to procrastinate, but having a deadline usually means that I will complete the project.  Haha  :)  

Meet the Maker

I thought it would be fun to spend a few weeks showing you all some "behind the scenes" of me and my work.  There are a variety of ways that you could have landed here, at this blog, reading this.  Maybe you know me or my family personally from school or church over the years, maybe you found another blog of mine (probably Tarcil's) and followed the rabbit hole here, maybe you are a former client of my photography business, maybe you are looking for a photographer, or maybe you seriously can't even remember because it's 3 am and your eyes are bloodshot from surfing the web instead of sleeping.  It doesn't matter what brought you here, but if you are interested in knowing more about me, then I encourage you to stay a little longer and keep reading.  :)

My name is Rachel Wilhelm, and I am an animal lover, Jesus follower, and artist that focuses on photography.  My family consists of a pretty kitty named Penny who is about 9 years old, a famous hamster named Tarcil who is almost 3 years old, a crazy pup named Beren who is almost 1 year old, and my loving husband named Joe.  I generally try to avoid being too sappy in my blog posts, but I can't hide how much I love and adore Joseph, and how blessed I am to be able to live life alongside him!  Being friends since we were 11 has been awesome!  He really is pretty amazing and incredible!  I am not a very ambitious person, so I don't think I would have my own photography business if it wasn't for him pushing me and supporting me so much!

Here is probably my favorite picture of us from our wedding day.  :)

This is the most recent picture I have of us together.

Here are my favorite pictures of each of our pets: Tarcil, Penny, and Beren!

My business has evolved a lot since I first officially started it in 2013.  I now focus exclusively on photographing newborns.  I do plenty of other work too in order to indulge my other passions, hobbies, and desires to create beautiful work.  This work includes photographing animals such as my pets, zoo animals, and wildlife, and then blogging my favorites of these.  I love knitting and crocheting so I generally make lots of my own props to be used with newborns.  In general, I love working with my hands to make things so I do as many DIY projects as I can!

This is a selfie from a craft fair I was in a couple years ago, right after I chopped off my hair for the first time.  I always wanted to donate it, but was too scared for many years.  So glad I did it!  I have donated twice now!

I have written 3 eBooks about Tarcil that are available on Amazon for about $3 each.  You should be on the lookout for another soon!  :)

In the following weeks, I will show you a lot of random stuff with a focus on the variety of the props I have for my newborn photography (which includes a lot of DIY stuff I made) as well as my in-home studio space.  I hope you come back here for more of my meet the maker series!  :)

afO's Romeo and Juliet

I was SO impressed with afO's production of "Romeo and Juliet"!  I honestly was surprised they were going to do this when I first heard about it, but they did a WONDERFUL job!  The actors and actresses were so talented and did a great job!  The cast was mostly teenagers, but they handled the material SO well!  I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to photograph this play as it was done in the round, but I quickly decided that I just had to use a wide angle lens and go with it.  At first I was afraid the pictures wouldn't turn out well, but I love the results!  Looking through the pictures feels like you are being thrown into the midst of the action because everyone is so close you could almost reach out and touch them!  I truly enjoyed this performance so much, and I hope that you all will make it a prioity to see afO's next production which is "A Wrinkle in Time".  You can find more information by going to: https://allforonefw.org/

Here is the whole wonderful cast!  :)

Charles Edward

I had the privilege of spending a cold morning photographing this handsome little guy in the warmth of my studio!  I was pretty sweaty by the time we were done, but it was so worth it!  This is Charles Edward, and he was just over a week old when he came in for his session.  Isn't he adorable?!!?  This first picture was with his special blanket from his grandma.  I had the perfect bow tie to match!  :)

He wasn't sure he should just sleep when he realized he was the star of this photography session!  He just had to see what was going on!  That was okay with us because he showed us his pretty blue eyes!  :)

This next picture is probably my favorite from this session!  I love all the charm and attitude that is radiating from this little man!  Haha!  :)

Charlie LOVED being curled up in this fluffy fur!

Isn't he just the cutest?!!??

If you are pregnant, you should book a session now!  After your baby arrives, I would love to help you capture this special stage of your new baby's life that goes by so quickly!  :)  My sessions start at $200 which includes a pre-session consultation, up to 3 hours in my studio, unlimited props, outfits, and poses, and at least 20 photographs in a private online gallery with a $50 print credit for purchasing prints and products.  :)  If that isn't what you are looking for, make sure to check out the other packages that I offer!  If you have questions, you can read through my FAQ page or contact me.

A $25 non-refundable deposit is due to book a New Life Session which is applied towards the session fee. Your due date is used to book the session and the actual date and time for the session are finalized after the baby is born.  If you are interested in booking your session, you can email me at: rachelwilhelmphotography@gmail.com or if you want to explore my website more, you can go to: http://www.rachelwilhelmphotography.com/

Prints and Products!

For those of you that may be just finding me or for those that have been following this from the beginning, I don't talk about this much, but I do have a variety of prints and products available for you to purchase.  I currently have three galleries of photographs that are for sale!  These galleries are made up of my favorite pictures from two of my blogs and are now available to you!  You can be creative in what you design!  Get framed prints for you walls as well as magnets, calendars, cards, books, ornaments, and more!  Thanks for looking!  :)

Wildlife

This gallery is filled with pictures I have taken of wildlife seen in zoos.  Photographing animals is a passion of mine, and this is the result of many years of work!  You can see this gallery by going here.

Fine Art

This gallery is a small gallery and is a bit of an assortment of pictures.  It is mostly made up of my favorite photographs I have taken of flowers, but there is also a small collection of instruments and other things.  Check it out by going here.

Tarcil

This gallery might be my favorite!  Within this gallery you will find the results of what started as more of a hobby for me and then become so much more!  I have over a thousand pictures of my hamster, Tarcil, so it was difficult to narrow it down to my favorite, but you can see them here!

Thank you all for your support!  :)