Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Shoaf.
Hi Rachel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My interest in photography began my senior year of high school in 2011. My parents got me a little point-and-shoot camera, and I started taking photos of everything around our house (mostly in black and white because that’s more artistic, right?) I bought my first Nikon DSLR with my graduation money and had a lot of fun photoshoots with my friends for practice.
I had already decided to further my practice and education by studying photography at Pellissippi the following year. Throughout my college days and after, I had numerous opportunities to photograph weddings and events, seniors, families, food, and all my travels.
After two mission trips overseas, the Lord led me to Richmond, VA where I got involved with their refugee community. I volunteered a lot of my time with one organization in particular. I helped in several different areas, one of them being an event photographer. I got a job at a Credit Union in Richmond and continued to do photography on the side and just for fun. At first, I planned to stay no longer than three months. I quickly realized that was not enough time to experience Richmond. After six months I met the man who would become my husband just two and a half years later. It wasn’t until moving back to Knoxville in March of this year that I decided to “go for it” with my photography.
My husband had started a great job, and we felt we were at a place in life where taking a chance and trying something new was doable. So I spent many many days and hours building a website, designing business cards, organizing my portfolio, reaching out to old clients and models for testimonials, and hyping up my social media accounts. From 2011-2020 I photographed anything and everything. I didn’t really have a niche because I didn’t really need to.
Now that photography is my full-time job, I have discovered that lifestyle photography is what makes me happy. I can’t think of a better way to spend my work time than with families, couples, and individuals (and sometimes their pets) during a portrait session. I get to know so many cool, creative, kind people doing what I do.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Shifting my outlook on what my workdays look like has been my biggest struggle. Since high school, I have worked jobs with the public and in customer service. So that has definitely shaped my people skills. However, those have always been, more or less, 9 to 5 jobs.
The past eight months have looked different, in that I make my own schedule and am responsible for all of the behind-the-scenes aspects of my business (like whether or not I make any money, aah). It has been quite the learning experience, and I’m definitely not an expert at it or even totally comfortable with it yet.
I feel as if I’m still getting used to the fact that I don’t get up and drive to an office or store every morning.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a lifestyle photographer. I photograph families, couples, seniors, professionals and creatives, and sometimes even pets! What I love about these kinds of sessions is that I can pretty much shoot at my own pace. This allows my creativity to flow more easily, and I can get to know my clients on a personal level. Most people I photograph say that I make them feel comfortable during the photoshoot by connecting and laughing with them during our conversations.
There is nothing more awkward than spending an hour getting your picture taken by someone who doesn’t make an effort to get to know you. My lifesavers for family sessions with little ones are a disposable camera and a bottle of bubbles. The disposable camera lets the kiddos get a feel for why I’m there and what I’m doing. And the bubbles are a fun attention grabber (plus they look cool in photos)! Something else you can expect from me as your photographer is true-to-life, realistic editing on final images.
Don’t get me wrong, I will definitely get rid of that pimple on your forehead if you ask me, but I would never change the way you look in size, your skin color, or your facial features. My not-so-secret to achieving this is to use flattering and appropriate posing techniques, exceptional available light and shadows, and motion.
Contact Info:
- Email: rachelshoafphotography@gmail.com
- Website: www.rachelshoafphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelshoafphoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelshoafphotography/
Image Credits
Hannah Middleton
