Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachael Mitchell.
Hi Rachael, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m Rachael- a kindergarten teacher turned wedding photographer! How did that happen? I had been following a husband/wife photography team on Instagram- Amy & Jordan. They provide education for photographers and I thought it would be fun to take their course to learn how to use a professional camera. I had no clue how to use manual mode, what good lighting was, nothing. I had never even turned on a professional camera before! I took the course in April 2021 thinking it would be fun to know how to take nice photos of my toddler. After I took the course, I wanted to know everything about photography. It was all I could think about! I decided to keep investing in education and start taking on practice sessions, and in July of 2021, I opened my photography business. After 5 months, I decided I wanted to get into weddings and since then, it has been a whirlwind of model calls, styled shoots, second shooting, and booking and photographing my own weddings! Since January 2022, I have photographed 5 weddings on my own and have decided to leave my full-time job in education to become a full-time wedding photographer.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The hardest obstacle has been time management. I teach kindergarten full time, have a 3-year-old daughter, and I’m running a photography business. Finding time to balance it all has been stressful, but I knew that I would have to push really hard to get my name out there and get lots of practice in so that I could pursue photography full time. Starting from scratch has also been another challenge. I’ve had to learn along the way. I’ve been in my full-time career for 10 years. I know the ins and out. I could do that job with my eyes closed. But photography is new to me and there is so much to learn. I’m thankful for the education I’ve had though because I’ve learned so much since I started. There has been plenty of trial and error since July. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect and I know that I will keep growing as I continue to learn from every experience.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a photographer and I currently photograph everything- weddings, couples, families, cake smash sessions, seniors. I want to eventually specialize in weddings though. I love the emotion that you get to witness as a wedding photographer. The bride’s genuine smile when she hugs her mom on her wedding day. The groom’s nervous laughs as he walks to see his bride for their first look. The dad’s tears as he walks his daughter down the aisle. The laughter from the bridal party as they crack jokes at their best friends. There is so much joy on a wedding day and I feel honored to not only get a front-row seat to that joy but to freeze those moments in time. My photography is candid and documentary. I truly try and capture the emotion in front of me.
What do you think about luck?
I think we can all agree that COVID changed everyone’s life. I’ve been a teacher for 10 years and was in love with my job until COVID happened. The impact of COVID (remote learning, new demands, even longer hours) had me seeking something new for myself. I think discovering photography when I did was truly lucky. Photography fell into my lap at just the right time and created a new path for me that I had never intended. The timing of when I fell in love with photography and how long it took me to grow my business to be able to go full time, I definitely consider that good luck.
Pricing:
- 8 hour wedding package- $2,500
- 6 hour wedding package- $2,200
- Will travel all over the US and beyond- travel fees apply
Contact Info:
- Email: rachaelmitchellphotography@gmail.com
- Website: www.rachaelmitchellphotography.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/rachaelmitchellphotography
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/rachaelmitchellphotography
Image Credits
Rachael Mitchell
