Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachael Godwin.
Rachael, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Photography won my heart the moment I realized that it was much more than taking a photo; rather, capturing a moment in time and turning someone’s life into art.
“Art isn’t always supposed to look nice; it’s supposed to make you feel something.” (-Rainbow Rowell)
As a wedding and lifestyle photographer, I’m always looking for ways to tell a story. How can I capture and share the love that radiates from the bride and groom on their wedding day? Or the joy in the faces of the new mom and dad as they admire their newborn? I want people to look back on their timeless photos and remember exactly how they felt in that moment. I want every photo I captured to be encapsulated with emotions that rush back every time you look at it.
As a child, I remember begging my mom constantly for a camera. Once she finally caved, I’d drag my sister and my friends out for a photo shoot every time we were together. While the photos were definitely not my best work, I still remember the joy and thrill that it brought me. It wasn’t until college that I really started to get into photography. I would help take photos at my church’s events, which lead to so many lovely families and couples asking if I did photography outside of the church. After months of being too scared to say yes, I was finally able to move past that fear and book my first shoot. I absolutely fell in love. After that, I dove straight into learning everything I could about photography. I booked my first wedding and realized that this was something I could do forever. Photography has never felt like a job to me. I guess it’s true that you don’t feel like you’re working when you’re doing something you’re passionate about. While it is hard work, it is so fulfilling. I will always treasure the connection that I make with my clients and the memorable moments that I get to freeze in time. Having the honor to capture such wonderful milestones in people’s lives is something that I will never take for granted.
Your life is art. Art that is worthy and deserves to be captured and remembered forever. I will gladly make that happen!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
This journey has been a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Well, it still is. One of the hardest things you can do in life is step out of your comfort zone and do something that requires so much time and effort without knowing if it’s going to pay off. I let fear hold me back for so long. Until one day, I was tired of letting the fear stop me, I took the big step and I quit my full-time job to make more time to focus on my photography. I invested in new equipment to help me be the best that I could be. I realized that the only way I could fail would be to give up. So from that day forward, I’ve decided to make it happen and to never give up on my dream, no matter how hard it gets.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a lifestyle photographer that specializes in weddings! Like I said before, I want my photos to tell a story. While I love to pose and position my clients, my favorite part is capturing the raw and true emotion of people’s special day. I want to make my clients feel comfortable and enjoy the time we spend together. A lot of people don’t book shoots because they are intimidated or they’re afraid it’ll be awkward, but I do everything in my power to put my clients at ease. Especially on wedding days, I don’t want the photos to be something that the couple just wants to get over with, I want it to be a fun and memorable. I want my photos to be timeless. I want to capture the day to where you feel like you can live that day over and over again just by looking at your gallery!
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I have watched so many YouTube videos and read so many blogs. I encourage every new photographer to just soak in all the wonderful content that the internet provides. There are so many amazing photographers that share everything they know. Here’s a few of my favorites:
Marina Willams (@marinawphoto)
Kate Dye (@katedyephoto)
Katelyn James (@katelynjames)
And so many more!
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@rachaelnicole.com
- Website: rachaelnicole.com
- Instagram: @RachaelNicolePhotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachaelnicolephotographyco
Image Credits:
Rachael Nicole Photography
