Rachel Radcliffe Photography

10/26/2024

Balancing numbers and moments at home 🪴

I had the pleasure of taking my friend’s portraits for their new accounting business, and wanted to share some of my favorites. Shooting in their home was both fun and challenging as I wanted to capture their personalities from their workstations as well as their professional life together.
Figuring out how to work inside rather than out in public on the street had me thinking about angles and how to balance the light from inside and out, and I’m happy with the final images 😊

06/20/2022

I’ve been chasing flowers all year and just wanted to share that sunflowers are now in bloom in the Winters/Woodland area in Yolo County. Gorgeous colors and a sight to see I highly recommend a trip out there at golden hour to get the best portraits.

12/20/2021

When the location for a family session is windy af…..find another!

San Francisco can be moody in the winter, and the day I met up with Esther’s family we had raging winds out on Chrissy Fields that we could not shoot at all. Kids were miserable, hair flying everywhere and a lot of distractions around us.

Fortunately the beautiful Palace of Fine Arts is right there in the Presidio and it felt more sheltered from the elements with all the buildings.
It may not have been the first choice for this family, but it worked out just perfect as a back up 🥰

Sometimes you have to roll with whatever the weather serves up, and I’m thankful SF has so many options.

10/22/2021

Fall looks three ways with

It’s French chic meets San Francisco in the fog. Dore has such an eye for layering and her styling is always on point ❤️

Every year we shoot downtown somewhere and SF doesn’t disappoint with the variety of backgrounds. From clean concrete and neutral colors, to cute alleyways and graphic awnings there’s a lot to choose from.

If you need inspiration or some ideas on where to shoot I have a long list of places for my “go-to’s” If I don’t immediately know of a spot I’ll do research, and anytime I’m driving I’m mentally scouting 🤣

Fall has some of the most interesting light and I highly recommend we get out there before the sun disappears for a couple months!

10/16/2021

Which is your Saturday 1, 2, or 3?
My morning ritual is to sip my cup of coffee and slowly wake up with a book, or ipad game. Once that caffeine kicks in then I feel like I can take on any task, (or just get out of bed) and my day begins.
What does being productive feel like for you? Answering emails doesn’t look as cute as this photo of writing down notes, but it sure feels good to clear out the inbox.
And sometimes you just need a recharge while snuggling up with a book, or listening to a fun podcast. Extra points if you have a weighted blanket like Jessica’s.

09/22/2021

Question: Who needs a new dating profile shot?
Answer: Everyone

Did you know men are attracted to the color red in photos? It’s bold, sexy, beautiful and it has a physical reaction that mimics the feelings one experiences when falling in love, such as an increased heart rate. It’s an emotional and physiological connection that happens and is so important to notice when scrolling through hundreds of online dating profiles.

I love helping my clients style their outfits, choose fun locations, and find the prettiest natural light to bring out their best features. DM me now for dating photo packages, and let’s get you some updated shots because we both know that selfies only do so much

05/09/2021

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mamas in the world!

Sending you all love and a deep gratitude for the hard work you do the 365 days, 24/7 for your family.

Also remembering and honoring all the Grandmas and Mothers we’ve lost this past year and my heart is with anyone who has is grieving today.

04/02/2021

Clients want to look professional and approachable in their branding photos, but I always make them fake laugh to loosen up. The silliness leads to natural smiles and more relaxed expressions.

Esther and Elizabeth needed images for the release of their third season of and I had a blast working with them both. Love the individual personalities and just look at their glorious smiles! They came prepared with several outfits that could be used in different seasons throughout the year and changed up hair/makeup too.

I usually recommend portrait sessions every few months to keep content fresh, but if one person lives in another state you can get away with doing it all at once with various looks like these smart ladies did.

Some tips for wardrobe choices:
Classic-Timeless style, jeans, chinos, khakis, beige and blues, neutral colors, no brand shirts, and simple dresses.

Florals/prints- Eclectic style, mix and match, or all florals. Stripes can sometimes be added too for fun.

Colors- Choose complimentary instead of matching and avoid strong contrasts unless you’re outfit is against a plain background.

Dark, light and bright- Be intentional with material choices such as shiny/metallic surfaces, textures that absorb or reflect light and consider the location when choosing clothing that won’t be distracting to the viewer.

Whatever your choices I always recommend trying on and wearing the item/outfit before the shoot to make sure it fits properly. So many outfits have been rejected because a zipper won’t zip, a button won’t stay closed, or a strap falls down. I have safety pins, clips and a sewing kit in my bag for just this reason lol

Need more ideas? Let’s chat!

.shooters

03/30/2021

03/30/2021

Monday is a whole week and now it’s time for a cocktail, we so deserve this right?!
is here to help 💜

Empress 1908 Gin is a hand-crafted spirit from Victoria Distillers in British Columbia, Canada, and is inspired by the renowned tea and cocktail programs of the iconic Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria.

That gorgeous indigo color is the butterfly pea blossom which imparts subtle earthy notes along with other botanicals of juniper, rose, coriander seed, grapefruit peel, ginger root, and cinnamon bark. And the secret to 1908 is that it transforms from vivid indigo blue to a delicate soft pink when you add citric acid or tonic

I couldn’t decide which drink to make so here are a few of my favorites starting with the classic Gin Martini, followed by a Spring Berry Trio, Ruby Rose Spritzer, and an Apple Gin Fizz.

Gin Martini
2.5 oz Empress 1908 Gin
0.5 oz Dry Vermouth (or to taste)
1 dash bitters
Lemon twist or Olive garnish
Combine gin, vermouth and ice into mixing glass. Stir, and strain into chilled glass. Add bitters if desired and garnish, et voila!

I’m not done playing with this fun and tasty liquor so if anyone wants a cocktail come on over!

# gindrinks

03/25/2021

Quick question...does the location truly matter for photo shoots?

Short answer- Nope not at all, and yes absolutely!

I am fortunate to live in the Bay Area where San Francisco is a short drive away with the most iconic backgrounds and yet most of my clients need something a little more relatable and less epic for their daily social images. The Golden Gate Bridge is like it’s own character sometimes and can steal the show! Even with branding shoots I find that using personal spaces, or vague and recognizable areas work better for that vibe, and enhances the subject.

This shoot with Libby was done in the parking lot on the naval base of Alameda and with plenty of neutral space around her she can then use it to promote her classes with text etc. We’re nowhere fancy, but I like that’s it’a versatile for different uses.

I’ve a whole library of my fav spots to shoot different scenarios all over the Bay and so if you’re stumped for ideas lmk!

03/20/2021

We tried a sample pack from yesterday and our review is in!
Recently we had the Amber and Agave and I was keen to dive deeper into the non-alcoholic mixed drink world.

#1 choice is the Tequila as it had the most interesting and strongest flavor. The spiciness from the black peppercorn helped us sip it slowly, and combined with the acidic lime it had that “burn” sensation. Rob thought it was refreshing with the ice and citrus. I am looking forward to experimenting more with this one!

#2 is the Whiskey because it had a caramel and apple note, and the scent was so very close to the real thing! Rob’s preferred alcohol is whiskey so I was impressed he tolerated this. The flavor of whiskey is not at all my favorite so I was surprised I liked this one.

#3 is the Gin and only because the flavor got lost once I started mixing it with more than one other ingredient. The first drink I created was too sweet with juice + rosemary syrup + soda and the only flavor from the gin I could discern was a faint juniper berry. Rob in general dislikes gin, and when I made the gimlet the flavors were more predominant which I liked and he did not. I’d recommend doubling the oz of gin required if you want to use this one.

Paloma
2 oz. Ritual tequila alternative
½ oz. lime juice
4 oz. grapefruit soda
Pour tequila alternative and lime juice into a glass with ice. Top with grapefruit soda and garnish with lime.

New Fashioned
2 oz. Ritual whiskey alternative
1 dash plain water
2 dashes bitters
1 sugar cube or 1 oz simple syrup
Add bitters to sugar. Add a dash of plain water. Muddle and mix. Add ice and whiskey alternative. Stir. Garnish with an orange slice and cherry.

Ginless Gimlet
3 oz. Ritual gin alternative
1 oz. lime juice
1 oz. simple syrup
Fill a shaker with ice and combine all ingredients. Pour into a cocktail glass and garnish with lime.

Also, full disclosure this is NOT an ad, or paid endorsement, I just really wanted to try this product.