The Blog

One of the coolest things of Couple Sessions is, when we drive around to seek great spots together! You never know what you will find and that makes it all exciting! Sometimes we drive back and forth to check out a few possibilities before we finally stop the car and have our fun.


This was exactly the case with Noemi and Miro. We had the idea to take pictures in the woods (see yesterdays blog post) but then we decided to look for something a little different in addition. I’m SO glad we did This is the outcome: a amazingly beautiful field of wild flowers – something you will find pretty often in Switzerland, but always takes away my breath

Hope you liked these two Photo Sessions from beautiful Switzerland

And to my little baby sister and her Miro: I wish you all the very best for your journey together! ♥

xoxo, Rahel

First things first – this young beauty is my little sister and the handsome young guy her boyfriend, maybe even soon her fiance…? (I know they are talking about it….. ) While he loves to get his hands dirty on car engines (especially Subaru), she likes to paint her nails with nail polish, collect shoes and go shopping. They could not be any more different, but they match like a lid on a jar!

I so love to work in fields of flowers, in between dozens of trees and other spots that incorporate nature. I also love to work with the evening sun, to fill my images with soft light and make them even more romantic and beautiful. But what I had forgotten about Switzerland was, that you can not count on the sun as you can here in California. This couple didn’t care! They had a blast, even though they were quiet camera shy

Come back tomorrow for some more Noemi & Miro images

xoxo, Rahel

It’s soon my 22nd Birthday and because I’m so excited already, I just had to put together a little collage of my little twinkly girly wishes

1. Always Sweet Chiffon Dress by Ruche

2. Charmed Ways Floral Belt by Ruche

3. Floral Stiletto Pumps by Forever21

4. Custom Hard Case for IPhone 4 by GelaSkins

5. Sweet Sorbet Bangle Set by Ruche

6. Midsize Weekender Slip Through Watch by Target

7. Replacement Watch Strap by Target

8. Aqua and White Washi Tape by InTheClear

9. Pink and White Washi Tape by InTheClear

♥

And I also wish for lots and lots and lots of ice cream in all kinds of flavors

xoxo, Rahel

Read the next few sentences and then close your eyes and turn on your imagination.


You are getting married in a Olive Orchard in Dreamland France. The carefully attached beads of your perfectly white flowy dress are sparkling in the soft light of the evening sun. The warm wind is playing in your hair as you look over to your spanking new husband, who looks more than handsome and you two are simply so happy together. Your emotions make for the perfect contrast to the ever so calm mint green of the olive tree leaves and the old and crooked tree trunks…


Do you follow me and can you see the most beautiful wedding ever?? Maybe you can even see yourself with your fiance…? I definitely can!

Okay, I better get going, before you can say how much you hate me now for planting such expensive ideas in your head…

xoxo, Rahel

If not for photography, this amazing couple and I would’ve never gotten to know each other. Martin is the best Nature Photographer I have ever met. The word ‘stunning’ would not in a million years be able to describe his most beautiful imagery.


Now you can see how highly I think of them and it is not a secret that I was super thrilled to be able to capture their love for each other plus the beginning of their little family!


If you have ever traveled to Switzerland, you know, that it is one of the most normal things to hear the cowbells jingling in the background – basically wherever you go. We had a blast, driving around and looking for great spots in the evening sun and it was a great experience to work with actual green grass again – something we don’t have a whole lot of here in California

Gosh, my heart gets all warm and fuzzy when I look at these pictures… Those two did such a great job showing me their love for each other! I so love to capture that…

And then we played a little more in the deep, green grass… How could you not love Switzerland…?

Hope you enjoyed this post Would love to hear your thoughts

xoxo, Rahel

France really is one amazingly beautiful place! To let you in on a secret… I was secretly thinking of leaving California to live a year in France. Somewhere in the mountains where life is easy. Where you eat Baguettes in the morning and play petanque (a French ball game) in the evening. While I was in the car, daydreaming I abruptly realized, that I didn’t pay attention in my French classes, back in my school times… That dream died very rapidly

Yes, this is what I fell in love with. The old little villages, the soft colors, the bouncing light of the evening sun…

After this vacation I have another entry on my ‘Wishlist for Weddings’ – Shoot a detail oriented Wedding in a little French Town! If you are planing one, I would even consider shooting you for free hee

xoxo, Rahel

Yesterday I arrived in SFO, tired and all, but overly happy to see Adrian again! For the ones that didn’t know, I was back in Europe, visiting my family in Switzerland, teaching a scrapbooking class in Germany and traveling around in France with my parents. It was good to spend quality time with my mom and dad, to get to know my siblings new ‘best friends’ and just getting a little time out in general. Aside from having a Jet Lag that is


I took over 2300 pictures during the 3 week stay. Lots of them being traveling images, but a good part of it also couple shots! Two couples, one being my sister and her BF, wanted me to capture their love. And it was a great experience, just driving around, finding great spots while the cowbells were jingling in the background….

Before I dive into editing my faves of the two sessions, here a little peek into my time away.

Come back later for more images of the trip

xoxo, Rahel

When I was asked to help out with a Photo Shoot for the annual Mother Daughter Luncheon at Church, I was excited! They wanted me to take pictures of the Girls. The theme was “Reflection of Love” and what is not a better reflection of love than a bunch of happy, silly, energy loaded girls

I did feel very much out of my comfort zone. At first. Couples seem to be easier to work with, as you can ask them to hold hands, hug, kiss… Simply be in love with each other. And then I only need to capture these moments. But this was a completely different game The girls made up the rules. They would jump, they would make silly faces, they would dance and they would play with the swing.

And even though they made up the rules, we had a blast together! I feel truly blessed to have gotten to know them better. I had the privilege to see who they really are. And I am so happy that I was able to capture these short moments with my camera I would do it again in a heartbeat! Thank you girls for being so AWESOME

xoxo, Rahel ♥

Hey guys Hope you all had a great Easter! Adrian and I definitely ate way too much yummy lamb! And dessert…. hee


I finally had time to go through the huge load of photographs Adrian and I took during the 5 Day Road Trip to Death Valley. I must say, I do prefer to edit pictures of couples in love… So much more fun as I love to re-live emotions and see big smiles and lots of kisses

All right, without any further ramble… Here’s the video Hope you enjoy it

xoxo, Rahel

I was going back and forth, if I should reveal to you, that I have another blog. A more private and crafty one. One that every once in a while turns into a diary… An unprofessional one (even though I realize, that this one turned into way more private than I first planned Well, that’s me! Open, true and real ) But if you want to get to know me, then you might as well know that I am in love with pretty paper. I love color, doilies, fabric, buttons, twine and washi tape. And cute kitty paws heehee

Well, there ya go. That’s my other creative side. I love it. And if you want, you are more than welcome to come on over to my place with your Wedding Photos (that I shot of you ) and scrapbook with me

xoxo, Rahel ♥

Yesterday Adrian and I came home a bit early from vacation. Early, because we just can’t sit still. We have this ‘must discover and explore’ thing in us. We can’t stop, if there’s still sunlight and still miles to cover (and stuff to explore).. It just doesn’t work that way! Well, Dexter and Jynxy for sure were super happy to have their mommy and daddy back Dexter has been purring non-stop since last night and I’m afraid that he soon will get a cough or something from it Just kidding!

Without any further ado, here some highlights of the trip!

xoxo, Rahel

Visiting Wedding Blogs is my favorite way of wasting time on the internet Well, it’s not really wasting time, as I find so much inspiration for about every possible project! Color combos for decorating our home, poses for future photo sessions, yummy desserts (remember my homebaked French Macarons?? See, told ya ) the list goes on and on.

So today I want to share my favorite links with you! The blogs that inspire me most Hope you like

Style Me Pretty

Little Black Book

Southern Weddings

Ruffled

100 Layer Cake

Valley & Co.

Smitten

Project Wedding

The Bride’s Cafe

All Things Lovely

Flights of Fancy

Here you go Hope you enjoy and find one or two blogs you haven’t know about just yet

Happy Day

xoxo, Rahel

Adrian and I love to travel! In September 2010 we drove all the way around the outer skirts of the entire US. It took us 29 loooong days Lots of driving. Lots of cheap motels and way too much chunk food…. Seriously, I was SICK after having McDonald’s French Fries for breakfast, lunch and dinner Oh well… At least I’m cured now I can’t eat cheap burgers anymore, or I immediately get sick


As you’re reading this, we are already on the road. South baby, South! We are planning on driving down to Santa Barbara, check out Los Angeles (including the Fabric District ) and then head on over to Death Valley. After that we’ll go over the mountains to Sequoia and Kings Canyon and from there back home again Awesome (early) 2nd Anniversary vacation heee


I hope I’ll be back with lots of stories and photographs! The camera bag is loaded with flash cards that can’t wait to be filled up

A scene of that 29 Day Road Trip around the USA: The first night we were on our way, we camped. The weather looked fine. When we went to bed it started to drizzle. I asked my man if the tent will be okay? The answer was yes. It was still pitch black when I woke up, Adrian towering over me. I couldn’t make out his face, but I could literally feel how mad he was! It was still raining and the tent couldn’t have done a worse job. Everything was wet. I was still cuddled up in the sleeping bag, perfectly dry on our air mattress. I knew this night was over. In the dark we packed up, threw everything on the backseat of the car and we were off. That was the first out of two times camping on that trip. The second time we almost froze to death, somewhere in the northern plains…..

Have a happy week

xoxo, Rahel

Somehow I feel that I only have a life in and around our bedroom. Now seriously, I’m not kidding! But it’s true. Since we got back from our honeymoon, back in May 2010, we haven’t moved and are still living in our small little tiny 1 bedroom apartment. It’s nice actually. It has high ceilings, lots of light coming in… It gets ridiculously hot since we face South and so from like April to November I’m running the AC until it starts to smoke But it’s small. My workspace is in our cramped bedroom and I spend (almost) all day (almost) everyday in here.


We are doing that so we can safe up some cash for a down payment and I’m for sure very VERY excited to buy our first home some day in the future! I can’t even imagine, having an actual office space and a bedroom that is solely to sleep and relax in!


You probably know the Radio Ad from Mattress Discounters? Every single time we hear it in the car, Adrian adds in his bestest singing voice ‘sleep on it, jump on it, you know what on it,…’ the list goes on. As of today I have another one to add ‘photograph on it’ Below you can see why……

So for all you people out there that are starting out – in whatever area it may be – marriage, your own business – whatever! It’s totally okay to begin small! I always say: If you learn to live with little, you will appreciate living with much even more!

Happy Day you all!

xoxo, Rahel ♥

I’ve always been drawn to these kind of desserts. They are so cute, colorful, feminine… The perfect little sweet bite for a girl like me! But for some reason, I’ve never had the chance to actually try one. By the way, I’m talking about French Macarons


Adrian had to go and pull a tooth this morning (poor poor guy… He’s still bleeding and I feel so sorry for him…. And it’s like 6 hours later….. Poor poor sweetie pie…) As he’s quietly watching some Netflix, I had the great idea to finally make some macarons to make him feel a little better What a girl does for love, huh….


I found this fun and easy recipe on Youtube and I was off whisking and measuring and adding ingredients! I used lemon and orange zest as flavoring, as I don’t have any of the fancy flavor water thingies. Instead of that special sugar I simply used good old powdered sugar. And in the end I filled them up with some sweetened whipping cream. yum!


Of course, as a photographer I couldn’t resist to put them in action (after I had eaten like half a cookie sheet of unfinished macarons…) and the result is oh so pretty! Totally me. Totally! I think I might print my favorite out, get a frame from IKEA (yay, a good reason to hit IKEA again ) and hang it on our kitchen wall

Now, remember that I made them for my cutsie pie? Well… He still is feeling sick and can’t eat anything…. I guess that means that I have to eat the whole batch myself I can be so horrible hee

Have a sweeeet Day

xoxo, Rahel ♥

Little moments of my work space

Have a wonderful day and follow your heart!

xoxo, Rahel

We (or shall we say I) have a thing for white! White is totally me! I love white! Why do I have a love affair with white? I don’t know. Maybe because it looks clean. Maybe because I’m a snow kiddo. Maybe because it helps me breathe (think interior design). However, I’ve got a thing for white


Pretty exactly a year ago we got ourselves our first pet as a couple. We didn’t plan for this in any way! We were supposed to pick up chicken feed for my in-laws, when I went to see the bunnies and fell head over heals in love with this white baby rabbit. You know, the one with loppy ears that were colored dark and had this line of brown fur on his perfectly white back. Yeah, that one… I showed it to Adrian and in a whim he decided that we would take it home with us! Yeah, sometimes we are just a tad crazy


I have to say though, it was one of the best decisions right after marrying Adrian and moving to California! Jynxy is such a sweet heart! He makes my heart melt with his ‘happy jumps’. He is a spoiled little shtinker – that’s for sure heee

So Happy Birthday to you, Jynxy!! May your life be filled with yumsy carrots, strawberries and raisins

We love you sooo much!

Mommy and Daddy

PS: I know, I’m totally overdoing it here heehee

About two weeks ago we had to said goodbye to our old, but oh so loyal little Betsy and got us a brand new Jeep Grand Cherokee! Well, at least it’s brand new for us Betsy, a 2001 Chevy Prizm with Toyota engine, was a great car! Really! She went with us on several adventures, including a trip around the outer skirts of the entire USA (10’645Miles in 29 Days), off-roading and all kinds of smaller road trips. She always gave her very best for us. And I’m so not ashamed, when I say, that I almost cried when we finally had to say adieu….


But now we got this bad boy. We simply call him ‘Jeep’. (Yeah, we totally named our car…. Weird, huh… )


Yesterday it was a rainy Sunday afternoon, so we decided to go for a little test drive up into the hills past Hollister. It was great! First it was raining, then it started to hail and finally it was SNOWING!! Can you imagine, a tiny snow storm in Hollister!? It was awesome!

Yeah, poor Adrian had to let me drive…. You know, so I could finally get a feel for this little white monster hee

Well, I know, this doesn’t really have anything to do with Weddings and stuff, but I thought I could share this with you. It’s kinda who I am. Who we are. We love crazy road trips. We love our new baby. We’re getting ready for babies…. uuuh… not just yet heee

Have a happy week!!

xoxo, Rahel ♥

Adrian and I had a winter road trip all planned out! We wanted to leave on January 1st and drive all the way up to Yellowstone, where we would spend about 8 days in the snow. We even got two pairs of snowshoes for Christmas, to be able to go snowshoeing and watch animals. The last three years I’ve been missing my beloved snow so so much. You know, when you grow up with snow it can be a hard thing to not have it during the Christmas preparations.


Well, we never left for this amazing road trip. Reason for that was, that there was never really any snow! We waited and thought we would go in the end of January instead. Then it was mid February and when we pushed it to the end of the same month, we gave up.


However. What I wanted to share, is that we (hopefully) will be on the road again in about 2, 3 weeks! We can’t wait! We love to explore! We often just drive around, using the smallest little back-country roads we can find. We’re not exactly sure where we will go, but we’re talking about going south. Santa Barbara, San Diego… You’ve gotta love sunny California


I can’t wait to spend some quality time with my guy! I can’t wait to make him read a book with me – or just doze off – on a pretty beach! (He hates doing nothing! I love it – at least every once in a while ) I can’t wait to laugh with him, to talk with him and to cuddle up next to him in a tent! I just can’t wait


As I was sitting in my ‘office’ (bedroom with desk and computer…) I felt like I needed to put together a little inspiration board for an outfit I’m all about being comfy. Jeans, sweater, cute shoes (most important!!), a good scent, pretty nails and some bling around my wrist. Oh, and not to forget my black little Nikon baby

Have one of those amazing Days!!

xoxo, Rahel

If I had to describe my feelings as I’m preparing this blog post, it would be an easy choice. Lucky, that is what I feel right now. Lucky to have amazing friends that let me capture their love. Lucky that we have a car to find amazing spots. Lucky that we found that one oh so perfect location on 17 Mile Drive near Carmel by the Sea, CA. Lucky to be alive and lucky to share with you today

I totally adore the mix of casual, hip, cool (and for Andrea) feminine look of the two love birds! It represented them so well. That is how they are, cool, relaxed, layed-back, but all of this with lots of style!

I think they did their jobs REALLY well – which is simply to have a blast together! If you ever book me for your engagement and wedding, you will quickly learn, that you have no responsibility to pose perfectly, to laugh a certain way or to act in any way. You only have to enjoy the moment together. Have fun. Laugh. Kiss. That’s it

Hope you enjoyed to look at these two adorable people I sure had a whole lot of fun, capturing these moments with them!

Have an amazing day y’all

xoxo, Rahel

Hi happy Brides


Today’s post will be short & sweet, featuring a sneak peek photo of a recent engagement session My BFF from Switzerland is in town to visit me (yay ) and since she brought her handsome man, she really wanted some cool pics that captures their love. Well, any better way to do that, then to drive on 17 Mile Drive near Carmel by the Sea, CA and find a cool little forest with the most perfect light?

Come back later this week to see the full session

xoxo, Rahel

I was thrilled to see, that Smitten has come out with a new online magazine on Monday! I love every single little bit of what they do and show in their mags! It always makes me want to get married all over again (of course with the same handsome husband that I already got )

Let yourself be enchanted by all the beautiful inspiration in this amazing magazine!

Enjoy your day

xoxo, Rahel

…on a peaceful & lazy Saturday afternoon Yep, that is our sweet little kitty cat, Dexter! Isn’t he a cutie pie? Love this little bugger Funny is, that I am not at all a cat person. I love dogs. You can do things with dogs. Go hiking, play ball, swimming, train them and most of all, they are always so happy when they see you! Cats are different. They nap, they eat, they destroy things and then they complain So why again did we get a white kitty? I honestly don’t know, but I do know, that I fell in love with this little fur ball, the minute I laid eyes on him!

Have a great weekend

xoxo, Rahel

It’s 12:38 PM and life is good. My office/bedroom is full of light that is bouncing off the walls and ceiling. Perfect light to pick up the camera and do some playing.


It’s so peaceful. So calm. So perfect.

I like to capture these simple little joys of my everyday life. It reminds me, that the smallest things can bring me happiness. We should remember all the little joys we experience throughout the day. I’m determined to start a little journal today, writing these things down. Maybe I can even get my husband to share his little joys? I know for sure that my attitude will change if I write these things down. Not that I am a grumpy or unhappy girl – not at all. But I feel like we forget the simple joys way too often. We concentrate on problems and such things. Negativity is way harder to deal with, than a positive and happy attitude, don’t you agree?

Go on, start your own little book of happiness! Think of a few things that happened today, that made you smile. Write them down. In a week or so, go over them again and see, if you already feel more happy

Wish you all a great weekend!

xoxo, Rahel ♥

Adrian and I are soon coming up to our two year Anniversary yay! This made me think back to our big day. There were so many things I should have changed! My hair and make-up were a disaster, the food was not my thing at all, the rush of leaving the party was terrible (as I also had to say good bye to my family – remember, they came from Switzerland and had to leave soon afterwards) and the choice of music was soso-lala… But the worst thing of all is that I have barely any photos that tell all the little stories and sub-stories of my wedding day. I invested HOURS to create my decorations – and I have not one good picture of them. As a team effort, Adrian and I had made our wedding rice krispy cake the day before – and we have no prove of how fun and quirky it looked in it’s three tiers.


The other day when I took the photos of my engagement ring I realized, that there are only two ways to approach this misery. One, I can go on complaining about it and feeling sorry for myself (plus kicking my butt) or two, I can learn from my many mistakes and share them with other brides! I definitely choose the second of my two options So this all below is written from bride to bride, without any second thoughts from a photographer’s perspective. Promised

Now, we did want to spend as little as possible. There were several reasons for that, including that we didn’t have much at that time and wanted to save for our first home (which we are still saving for )


But how could we have changed things around, so that we had fewer mistakes that were bugging me afterwards?

ASK YOURSELF WHAT IS OF MOST IMPORTANCE TO YOU!!!

Do you want to have the most amazing dress? Do you want a garden of flowers or get married in a castle with horse carriages and all? Do you want an extraordinary chef to prepare the meals or do you want to tie the knot in Hawaii?


See, this is very personal! Make a list of things that are most important to you and rank them with numbers, 1 as most important and xx as least important.


This simple list can now help you to figure out where you should invest more and where to invest less. If flowers are important to you, spend a bigger part of your budget on flowers and save on food and dessert. If you want this 7 tier cake with sugar flowers you have been dreaming about since you were little – well, I think you get the point, right?


If Adrian and I would have done this, our entire wedding would have looked different. I would have had peonies in my bouquet, the perfect hair and make-up, yummy food and what not.


And now to the most important factor – the wedding photographer. You can have the most beautiful wedding location, the most colorful flowers, the most sparkly dress and the most amazing cake, but all these memories will fade rather quickly (remember, I’m talking as a bride here…) unless you have also calculated at least 10% of your entire wedding budget for your wedding photographer! Without this person you will most likely not remember how beautiful the location was, how colorful the flowers, how sparkly the dress and how amazing the cake. You won’t remember the day in it’s entire glory, but only bits and pieces of it.


As this is now turning into a ‘how to find your wedding photographer‘ I want to give you a link to another blog post I wrote a little while ago with tips of finding and selecting the right person for you and your needs.


I hope so much, that this will help you to make your wedding into your dream wedding


xoxo, Rahel

Today I felt real antsy and wanted to play with my favorite toy – my camera. Since I didn’t have a person or a couple around that had time to hold still for me, I decided to finally take some cool ring shots of my own engagement ring! Yes, we tried to go all budget on our wedding celebration and made the hugest mistake we could have made! We didn’t book a professional photographer, but asked a friend to take some pictures… Really! How could I not have stood up for this important part!? (Still kicking myself for this….) But let me talk about that another time. Today I simply wanted to share these pictures

Have a wonderful week and have fun planning your Big Day

xoxo, Rahel

The other day I was philosophizing about the process of finding and selecting the best possible Wedding Photographer that will perfectly fit you and your needs. Because we all know, we select Photographers, not Photos!


Why is this so important? Well… Imagine, you have selected a Photographer by his or her work. And only by the work. You have maybe met him to talk about his services and if you are very honest, you didn’t really like him all that well. But his photos are amazing! And you figure, that the three of you will work it out somehow. Can you already imagine the disaster that is waiting for you on your Wedding Day? If you can’t, here’s what might happen. In the best case, you will simply feel uncomfortable in front of his camera. You can’t relax and let down your guard and even though the photographer is amazing and is capable of the most extravagant techniques, the pictures will turn out to be unreal. Fake smiles all around, awkward faces and emotions. Just simply not what you’ve expected.


How to find and select a great Wedding Photographer
1. Browse the internet, search for Wedding Photographers in your area. Visit Wedding Blogs like “Style Me Pretty” and “Southern Weddings” for inspiration. Try to find a photography style you truly love!
2. Look at the photographer’s style. Do you like it? Don’t compromise on this point, as you will want to treasure your wedding pictures for ever!
3. If you like the style of photography he/she does, go ahead and read the Blog and Facebook. Do you think this person could be your friend? Do you connect on a personal level? It is quiet important, that you ‘click‘ with the photographer! He/She will share the most important day of your life with you and you don’t want to feel uncomfortable with that person… Personality and Attitude is very important!
4. Do you think you have found your potential photographer? Contact him/her by phone or email! Do you get a quick response? Is it a warm or rather stiff conversation? If you don’t feel a connection, move on.
5. Now you should only have a short list of 2 or 3 potential photographers. Get to know them face by face by meeting him/her. Is the person the same you have gotten to know on the internet? Is he/her transparent and real?
6. Once you’ve found the right photographer, book him/her right away! You really don’t want the possibility of having him/her booking another wedding on your date! (Most photographers usually request a down payment to reserve the date)
7. Have engagement photos taken by your photographer! This helps you and the photographer to get to know each other even better and will prevent awkwardness in front of the camera on the Wedding Day.
8. Be excited about your Big Day and keep on planning


I really hope this helps you find and select a photographer that will rock your Wedding And in case you like my style and feel some sort of connection, Contact Me so we can get to know each other

You can really feel that this bride felt amazing and beautiful in front of my camera! Not a bit of awkwardness. That is what I want to give you

xoxo, Rahel

Yesterday I got my very first pair of Steve Madden High Heels! They are gorgeous! I finally understand, how girls can be so obsessed with pretty shoes


As a photographer I simply had to capture their simple beauty with my camera. I worked my manual 50/1.4 to get that beautiful wishi-washi background. It is really hard to explain, but I think you can see the stylish silence and grace of this particular pair of shoes in the photographs.

And here’s a little peek behind the scene…

Crazy what one can do with a camera and some good quality glass!

xoxo, Rahel

If you really think about it, baby birds have it pretty hard! They grow up far up in a tree and once they are ready to start flying they have to spread their wings and take a plunge. No real practicing. Just jump. And trusting that it will work. But what happens if the wings don’t do their work? What if they crash?

I feel like a little bird, ready to spread my wings. I feel like I am sitting far up on a branch, looking down, waiting for the wind to help me fly. But what if I crash?

Adrian is really sweet about it all and supports me in every way. He believes in me. He tells me that I will succeed. He helps me to wait. Waiting is hard. Really hard. At least for me. I’m sitting on a tiny branch, looking down and waiting for the wind to help me learn to fly. I really need that wind. Now.

It’s Sunday afternoon. Dexter and Jynxy are chasing each other through the apartment, while Adrian is taking a little nap. Nice, quiet and peaceful. That’s when I stumbled upon ‘Smitten‘, an online magazine all about weddings! I’m in awe! What beautiful weddings they feature! I wish to be able to shoot such amazing garden weddings, as these types definitely have a very special place in my little heart…


Did you know that Adrian and I had a garden wedding ourselves? Yesaroo, we did Definitely not as glamorous, but all our friends told us, that our big day was one they were able to really enjoy. They liked the relaxed and layed-back style and the intimate number of guests (we only had a little under 50 people coming). Flashbacks, good old flashbacks…


But now, check out this great magazine and be enchanted

xoxo, Rahel

I am thrilled to post this very very short & sweet Slideshow today Hope you like and enjoy it

All the best to Chris and Edith with their baby girl Hope all goes well until and at the delivery – and of course after you bring your munchkin back home Very excited for you guys!!

xoxo, Rahel

On Valentines Day I asked Adrian, if he would be okay, if I would splurge on both available Jasmine Star classes over at CreativeLive. I put it that way…. ‘You know, my first check I got, that is still sitting on the fridge…? Well… I was thinking what was more important. A new lens or information on how to really start my business….’ You know, Adrian is the most amazing husband there is. Seriously. And he knows me sooooooo well If not too well… With one of his cute smiles he said ‘I trust you, buy it if you think it will help you!’ I told you he’s amazing


So I just finished up watching one of Jasmine Stars Workshops and gosh! I can not tell you how amazing this workshop was! I took notes and I mean, I took notes! Over 10 pages of great tips, encouragement and importance in general. She is so great!


One of the very many things I took from her class was this. ‘If you’re not uncomfortable, you are not working hard enough!’ (I told you I took a truckload of notes )


I totally know what she means by that. I have always been super shy. I hate to do something that I have never done. I am very nervous to meet new people. I always blush. But I also know how happy I am, when I jump over my own shadow. It barely ever turns out to be a nightmare. So why always be such a chicken?


What I took from her class is to put myself out there. Become vulnerable. Grow from it. Jump over my own shadow.


xoxo, Rahel

Instead of making my wonderful husband Adrian his Tiramisu Dessert today, I was laying flat in the bed, watching ‘Army Wives’ all morning long. It’s his favoritest (I know, just made that word up…) dessert on the planet and I’m pretty sure, he would eat this stuff all day, every day if he could


We are not really that big into Valentine’s Day at all. We’d rather celebrate our love for each other throughout the entire year, not only on one special day. Heck, that would be if I would put on my church face on Sunday and live however I want from Monday to Saturday, right!?


However. He came back for lunch and as always I went to the door immediately to say hello. Something we just do… He told me to go back to the room, shut the doors and watch some more Amry Wives. In his words ‘make some noise’


After a few minutes he asked me to come out and there it was. I tell you, I was smiling from one ear to the other! My favorite Mama Mia’s food, a red rose and a strawberry cake! How cute, right? He didn’t think so… He corrected me and said “Not cute, romantic!” How true, how true….


After lunch we sat on the couch for a moment and I was so happy. You know, just simply plainly happy. Happy that we met each other. Happy that he fought for our relationship (I was 15 at the time and his parents did not at all like that…). Happy that we got engaged. Happy that we got married. Happy that we’re coming up on 2 years pretty darn soon. Happy to know that this was meant to be.





Gosh, how much I love this man…..


Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your loved ones!

Honestly, I haven’t shot too many Engagement or Couple sessions yet, so I’m 100% sure that I will update this post in the future to add more details. This same question has been asked every single time though.


“How can I prepare myself for the Shooting and what should I wear?”


I realize that I’m repeating myself over and over again: I love capture people and their love for each other. That is what I am passionate about. That is what I love to do. I love to capture love. So now back to the question. How can you prepare yourself for an amazing time with me? Tell me what you love to do together! Is it wine tasting? Or hanging out on the beach? Do you enjoy horses or sports or the outdoors? I want to give you very meaningful photos, images that really tell the story about the two of you!


I will be asking you this before we meet. This will inspire the session. So don’t hold back, let me know what rocks your world


Next is the question what to wear. Now, I totally feel you on this

There are a couple easy ways to figure out your wardrobe.


Stay true to yourself.

If you love anything vintage and that is what you wear – pick your favorite vintage dress and wear some cute pumps! If your guy usually wears T-Shirts and feels uncomfortable in shirts, make sure he has one in which he looks his very best Most important, you want to feel very comfortable in the pieces you pick. You want to be able to feel confident, maybe even a little sexy. Remember, it will show in the pictures


Simple Rule that always works (but also can be broken )

You can never go wrong with solid colors. For guys it’s often easier than for girls. They simply put on their favorite pair of jeans and a shirt – which usually ends up to be in the color range of blue. Right? Now you as the woman have to work around him. But let me tell you, this is the cool part! Put on something with color! Maybe you look amazing in yellow or pink? If you are a bit afraid of too much attention from patterns, go with solids. Throw in a fun pair of new shoes and you are good to go


I hope very much that this little guide will help you to loose your fear of getting ready for a photography session!


xoxo, Rahel
 

Edith and Chris are a wonderful couple and I was fortunate to capture them with my camera a few days ago. They have the cutest dog called Charlie who will soon become a big brother to his baby sister!

The two of them love to go wine tasting and so it was very simple for me to find the perfect location for them. We found this old vineyard right off Hecker Pass Highway in Gilroy and it couldn’t have been more perfect! The Mustard Seed Flowers were in full bloom and gave us the most beautiful backdrop you can possibly ask for.

I have always wanted to buy these super cute Paper Straws and finally had a really good reason to do so! I’m super happy I did, as they add so much fun…

Have a wonderful day!

xoxo, Rahel ♥

We had a blast today, shooting Edith & Chris with their cuddliest and cutest dog Charlie! We were able to use an old Vineyard right off of Hecker Pass Hwy in Gilroy, CA – which was really awesome, especially since the Mustard Seed Flowers just had started to bloom! Here’s a same-day Sneak Peek

Loved the vineyards.

Loved the Mustard Seed Flowers.

Loved the Couple.

♥

Check back soon for the full blog post with lots of pictures!

xoxo, Rahel & Adrian

Last Saturday my husband Adrian came with us to help carry around the gear and do some filming. He did a great job! Here’s the outcome. Enjoy

xoxo, Rahel

Emily and Scott were such a delight to work with! They did not know the word ‘shame’ and started to dance down the Cascades without me even asking them

Emily is a teacher, so naturally I wanted to do a shot with apples! This photograph would look AMAZING as a Gallery Canvas! If you want to print a huge Canvas, always pick a picture that is kind of abstract. I personally like Black and Whites for this purpose the most. It gives a room a very stylish and timeless feel.

The light was phenomenal in the Cascades of the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz. Super soft and it was the perfect location for this fun and outgoing couple!

If you like these photographs and would like to find out more about my services, please click here.

xoxo, Rahel

It always comes differently. We were expecting a rainy day at the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, but when we got there today the sun was shining through the heavy rain clouds! So one thing you always have to keep in mind when taking photographs: adjust! And make the best out of every situation. We definitely did! We had so much fun and it was amazing to meet such a wonderful couple like Emily & Scott!


Here the first Sneek Peak of the Session.





Enjoy your weekend!

Tomorrow we are going to photograph a lovely couple, Scott and Emily, over in Santa Cruz, California. I am especially excited about this one, because it is supposed to rain and we all know, that rainy images can be at least as beautiful as images that were taken by perfect sunshine. If not even more so! The toned down grey scale makes every color pop even more and the water on the ground can be used to create lovely reflections. Did you know that many professional fashion photographers like to wet the ground for their shootings? That’s because light likes to bounce off a wet ground and creates that saturated color effect on clothes and accessories.


Tonight our battery chargers will run on full speed, all lenses will get a nice cleaning (not that they are really dirty, but it feels good to be prepared) and we have to run to the store and get some old fashioned Coca Cola glass bottles.
It’s always exciting to prepare oneself for an upcoming photo session!


Here are two samples of that rainy elegance. Doesn’t it seem to be so peaceful and quiet?

I snapped both images through the car windows, when we drove around the USA last September. Yep, Adrian and I took the long way home… It took us exactly 29 days for 10’645 Miles


Have a wonderful weekend and come back next week for Scott and Emily’s pictures!


xoxo, Rahel

We are having a super fun Valentine’s Day Special for you!!

Book a 1 to 2 hour LOVE (or Engagement) session with Rahel Menig Photography for only $50.00 and save $100+ on your session!! The first 5 Couples get the shooting for FREE!!!

The shooting will take place in the bigger Gilroy Area.
Shooting must occur between February 1st and April 1st 2012.

contact@rahelmenigphotography.com

It was quiet chaotic in Room 38 at the Mission Ranch Hotel and Restaurant in Carmel by the Sea, California, but the girls had A LOT of fun during their getting ready time. Catalina looked stunning in her David’s Bridal Gown and you could just feel the joy and anticipation that came from her.

I especially adored the close bond between the Bride and her sister Sara. They were the perfect team. Sara had to ground her little sister every once in a while, when she was about to burst from excitement of the soon to come ceremony Very cute bond they have between each other! I hope they will keep that during years to come.

This Bride just loved her shoes! She even had a very special story to tell about these specific ones.

She had found them at the discount section of a shoe store and immediately fell in love with the simple, but oh so elegant design. She bought them and didn’t realize that the two shoes were two different sizes. She considered to keep them anyway, but went back to the same store, hoping she could find the matching number 9. Catalina didn’t think she would find the right one, since at the time she bought them they were the only one of this kind. What a surprise when she found the matching shoe and was able to swap them at the counter!

What a stunning smile!

It was such a pleasure to capture these moments and work with this lovely bride.

xoxo, Rahel

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.

So, throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the tradewinds in your sails.
Explore.
Dream.
Discover.

Mark Twain

With this quote I would like to welcome you to this new venture of mine

I remember that after I realized that I would not become a Wild Biologist (my childhood dream job) I wanted to become a Photographer. It was a dream. A good one. I never thought I would ever make that dream into reality, but here I am, typing these words.

I am very passionate about what I do.

And I love to share it.

In Switzerland, that’s where I’m from, I started to follow my dream and attended Photography School and was known for my distinct photography eye,

for details and out-of-the-box imagery.

I got married to my very best friend in 2010 and moved to the US.

I love it here!

I am continuing to follow my dream.

To be a photographer.

To capture the world with my camera.

To share my love and passion.

xoxo, Rahel ♥