Rachel Halsey Photography ~ Photo Blog

I am so excited to (finally) be blogging this session, as well. Can you guys even believe how on top of this blogging thing I am?! Ahem… don’t answer that.

Wendy and I started talking about doing a photo session after a conversation where Wendy told me that she and her daughter (and now granddaughter) hadn’t had their picture professionally taken since Kayleigh was around twelve!
We knew that needed to change pronto! ;]

I love the fact that these photos exist.
I think all the time about how I wish I had more photos of my mom and I when I was little…
or my Great Grandmother, mom, sisters, and I….
Uh, I would die to have photos like that on my walls and for my own children and grandchildren.
Unfortunately, I don’t. However, how amazing is it that I have been given the tremendous opportunity to capture these moments for other people?
Sigh. I love this job.

Wendy and Kayleigh have such a sweet relationship.
You know how you can look at some people and can just tell that they’ve always been there for each other?

Seriously. How adorable is Arianna????

Thank you, you gorgeous girls, you! ;]
I am so excited that you have updated photos of the most important people in your life…
I hope that we have started a new tradition :] xoxo

I am finallyyyyy blogging this adorable family – yay!
Sara contacted me at the end of the summer after seeing some her friend’s photos on my Facebook page.
We decided to shoot in September at Newcastle Commons. Despite the cold and wind, I was so happy with the results.
This family is so good looking I can hardly stand it!
Enjoy:

Here is the front of the Christmas card that Sara had us design for her:

I have to close with my favorite image from the entire day. Sara, you make me want to have a baby right now!
I hope this photo ends up on canvas somewhere in your house.
Every single time I look at it, I fall in love with the concept and blessing (that I have yet to experience) that is motherhood.
You are such a beautiful mom and your love for your boys (all three of them!) radiates from you in the most gorgeous way <3

Thank you for letting me be the one to capture these sweet moments for your beautiful family.
Can’t wait until next year – I’m sure we’ll start planning soon ;]
Infinite x’s and oh’s <3 <3 <3

I’ve gotten to capture these nine beautiful people <3

Hi internet friends…. first of all let me just say – I AM SO SORRY that I have been MIA for the past month. THings have been crazy busy and I’m loving every moment. Working full time, editing, and photoshoots are taking up all of my time and at the end of the day I think “Oops… I should have blogged.”

So today I will begin catching up on the past three months of shoots! Wish me luck!
And a very huge THANK YOU to all of my lovely, wonderful, very sweet clients who remain so very patient and understanding with me!

First of all, I hope you remember Shayla‘s maternity shoot. Well, Kadence was born and within a week we were able to grab some quick newborn shots of the little cutie before she and her mom moved down to North Carolina to be with Kadence’s daddy who has been serving our country overseas and now finally gets to meet his little girl!

Enjoy <3

Shayla is such a good mommy… I couldn’t believe how natural she was at it….

BIG yawn ;]

my favorite <3

Introducing… The adorable Reilly family :]
Heidi and my sister, Abbie are wonderful friends and have worked together for years and years.

Heidi and her husband, Brodie, have two precious girls: Haleigh and Ireland. Don’t you just love their names and the spellings???
Haleigh is six and Ireland is four… both so full of personality and each the spitting image (to me, anyways) of each of their parents (see if you can tell who looks like who) ;]

We had a wonderful time doing this shoot at the very end of June (I know, I know… I’m a little behind with my blogging… Lay off, I’m busy!)
and the weather was perfect.
Oh wait a minute – now that I’m thinking back I do recall a certain torrential downpour that came right in the middle of our shoot and forced us into the cars to wait it out…
and luckily we did, because it definitely turned beautiful again :]

Hope you enjoy this little family as much as I do… Here’s to the Reilly’s and a lot more blog posts coming to you in the near future…
I even have a wedding to shoot tomorrow that you lovely readers can be on the lookout for. Happy Friday! :]

To begin… The perfect family portrait <3

And mom and dad :]

I would soooo have this as a canvas in my house ;]

Some individual shots of the beautiful girls… Haleigh:

and Ireland:

I tried to talk Ireland into letting her big sister kiss her in a photo… this is the outcome…

Hahahaha. Here’s “a sweet one for mommy and daddy <3″

And then some more of Heidi and Brodie…

(meanwhile)

Family!

Can you even handle this cuteness?!

I so wish I had a picture like this of my sisters and I when we were little:

Hellooooo baby blue eyes!

Possibly my favorite:

Heidi, you are such a hot mama!

Love these…

And to finish up… a couple more sweet ones of Heidi and Brodie <3

If you’re new to reading my blog – you may not know how much I love my adorable niece, Madison ;]
(you can read about her here – you know, if you’re curious)

Madison is getting a new baby brother at the end of this month and I’m not quite sure she knows what’s coming.
It goes without saying that my whole family is beyond thrilled for my brother and his beautiful wife…
Who wouldn’t be excited about someone else in the family to love and spoil?!

I don’t know if it’s because Maddie is my only niece – but it sure is hard to imagine loving any child more than I love her.
And yet, I know that when James gets here I will love him just as much.
Jeeze – I can’t even imagine what it must feel like to have your own babies!

I will of course update my blog with precious baby pictures after he arrives… but hopefully he will stay safe and sound for a few more weeks.

I still find it hard to imagine a bond stronger than that first one with the first little person in your life.

Dear Madison,

You are growing so much every day and getting more beautiful by the second.
Your personality is already so strong and it’s amazing the qualities I find I have in common with you (must be the genes).
And your brain! Oh my goodness – you have to be the smartest girl in the whole world.
Today you came over to my house to play and you knew my dogs by name… Okay… so maybe you called Lola “Oscar”, too…
But I know you were kidding. That’s how smart you are – you already have a killer sense of humor like your aunt! ;]

I love you more than life. I will always be here for you and would do anything for you.
You are such a joy and a gift from God. I am so thankful you are part of my family.

Stay sweet, baby girl. Grow up to be the loving, honest, beautiful woman I know you will be <3

All my heart,
Auntie Rach

And James,

Keep growing strong and big in your mommy’s belly.
You already have the biggest fan club waiting on you. How lucky you will be to be born in to so much love!

I love you, little boy. I can’t wait to meet you. xoxo.

Love always,
Your auntie <3

Oh – and you’re already so photogenic!

As with any big move across the country, a few changes to every aspect of life are somewhat inevitable.
Fortunately, the one I’m going to tell you about today is a good change :]

One of the biggest changes that Rachel Halsey Photography has already begun experiencing is the joy and AMAINGNESS of having a second shooter.
I’m hoping that very soon I will be able to offer this awesome add on to every single shoot I book – but this is especially important for engagement sessions and weddings -
that additional point of view and shot is PRICELESS.
Lucky for me – I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to guarantee such a thing, especially considering the wonderful second shooter I have wrapped around my finger (okay – that’s a joke.)…
Are you ready?! Make sure you’re ready!
Here we go… Let me introduce to you… dum dum dummmmm:
My older sister, Abbie Tolley!


No. We’re nothing alike. Why would you ask?? ;]

Okay but seriously. Abbie is more than my sister. She’s one of my best friends in the whole world.
The peanut butter to my jelly.
The milk to my cereal.
The extra ice to my diet dr. pepper… I kid you not.
And she also happens to be on time where I’m known for being “fashionably late”…
She excels at Excel spreadsheets and I’m lucky I know how to blog and check my Facebook ;]
Needless to say, although we might drive each other crazy – as most siblings do at some point – we make a pretty awesome team.
I’m more than thrilled about sharing one more aspect of life with her – a business.
I know that her talent and skill will be a vital part in watching this endeavor grow.
So brides-to-be – rest assured that if you are thinking of booking a session with me – you will get TWICE the photos, twice the angles, and twice the love.
Now, what are you waiting for??
And a huge thank you to Abbie – for being awesome enough to put up with me, and patient enough to put the time and energy into a “new” business where the visible rewards for our hard work might take a little while to see.
I love you. You make my job super easy.

A little tease of some things around the corner… It’s going to be a busy week on the blog!
Stay tuned for these lovely shoots that took place while I was in New Hampshire this past weekend.

There will be the Coffey family:



And my sister, Abbie & her husband, Nick:

And the “little” Oliver family:



And my lovely parents :]

And last but not least, there will be my little sister, Libby & her sweet boyfriend, Mike:

Of what I am doing this weekend :]

This is my lovely mom and adorable niece, Madison. Two of the prettiest girls you will ever meet in your life.

Stay tuned for lots more.