#thefrontstepsproject - Plano Family Photographer

***EDIT: At this time, my Front Steps Project has been suspended as the cases of Covid19 in the DFW area are expecting to surge and a state-wide stay-at-home order is in place. Thanks to all who participated - together we raised nearly $1000 for the North Texas Food Bank!!***

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I’ve been heartbroken for over a week, not because my own business is essentially stalled to a halt, but because there are so many amazing people in our community who are either at risk of facing unprecedented financial hardship due to the closure of their businesses or risking their health to help others as medical professionals, first responders and serving the critical needs of the community.

Tonight, I heard about an amazing idea started by Cara Soulia in Needham, Massachusetts called #thefrontporchproject. She said it best - as a photographer of families, my role is to capture the joy you share as a family. And in times like this, even amidst the uncertainty we are all facing in light of the COVID-19 Virus, there are beautiful memories happening inside your homes.

Whether you’re spending time communing in nature, building forts in your living room or sharing popcorn snuggled up under a blanket for family movie night, we are giving our kids the gift of extra time with family, the gift of play, the gift of finding beauty in our imperfect world.

I am so lucky that I’m able to use my skills and my passion to help others. Each year, I hold at least one big fundraiser, and this year, it looks like we’re starting early!

Starting this week, I am offering to take five minute “Front Steps Portraits” of Plano residents.  After our quick session, I will share the digital file of your family portrait.  In exchange, I am asking you to make a good faith donation to the North Texas Food Bank through this GoFundMe Fundraising Campaign.

I will be posting these images on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #thefrontstepsproject.  Please share these posts. Let’s spread the word! Together we can come together to do some good during a time when we are feeling isolated.

I will be taking images outside ONLY and from at least 10 feet away, if not further - you on the porch, me back near the curb or in the street. These sessions are come-as-you-are, simple portraits to capture this moment in time. No need for coordinated outfits, professional hair and makeup, anything fancy. It could even be just mom and the kids! Just BE YOU.

I’ll be photographing these sessions at least one day per week for as long as we’re home, likely based on the weather forecast. Please feel free to spread the word amongst your friends in West Plano!

Are you in?

Please sign up below, and I’ll contact you about setting up a time as soon as I can!

Don’t forget to donate to the North Texas Food Bank through the GoFundMe campaign!

***At this point, I’m opening registration for the following West Plano neighborhoods: Avignon Windhaven, Windhaven Farms, Lakeside on Preston, White Rock Estates, Castlemere***

For those outside this area, please feel free to share, and if you find 3 families (yours included) who want to participate, I’ll drive your way.

Now Introducing - Valentines Day Petite Sessions!

Hey y’all! Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and I’m so excited to announce Valentines Day petite sessions for little ones on the morning of February 1.

These luxury petite sessions are a fun and fabulous way to capture your kiddo at their current age and stage! The sessions will be quick and easy for your little one - in 10-15 minutes, we will capture a variety of expressions and emotions, and then you’ll select a favorite image from the session for one of two options:

• a set of 25 Valentine’s Day cards ready to pass out to friends at school or send to family and friends

• a gorgeous framed 5x7 print of your choice!

These sessions will include optional use of the timeless clothing options in my studio wardrobe for kids up to size 6! Petite sessions are meant for one or two children - families of 3+ should plan to book two back-to-back sessions. Upgrades will be available when you receive your viewing gallery for families wishing to order multiple sets of cards for each child, additional frames and other wall art or digital images.

As an added bonus, for every Valentine’s Day petite session booked, Rachel Friedman Photography will donate $20 to The Children’s Heart Foundation to support congenital heart defect (CHD) research.

To book your session, simply select your time in the scheduler below and pay the session retainer. Within 48 hours, you will receive a contract and pre-session form via email that will finalize the booking of your session!

If you have questions, please feel free to email me at rachelfriedman1@gmail.com. I can’t wait to celebrate LOVE DAY with you!

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Rachel Friedman Photography is a boutique photography studio serving families across Plano and the Dallas Forth Worth metroplex for maternity, newborn, baby, child and family photography. She offers custom portrait sessions in her studio, outdoors in the field or in the comfort of your home, and travels throughout the DFW area, including but not limited to North Dallas, Highland Park, University Park, Preston Hollow, Lake Highlands, Addison, Richardson, Plano, Frisco, Carrollton, Colleyville, Grapevine, Southlake, Little Elm, Lewisville, The Colony, Allen, McKinney, Prosper, Aubrey and beyond.

Why location matters...and doesn't! | Best Plano Family Photographer

If you’re looking for one of the best Plano family photographers, hi! I can’t wait to meet you. I’m Rachel, the artist and photographer behind the lens at Rachel Friedman Photographer. Please scroll down to see if my style and vision for what makes an amazing Plano family photography session matches what you are looking for. And please, don’t be shy! I’d love to connect with you if you have questions or want more information about capturing your family’s story. Please contact me here, via email at rachelfriedman1@gmail.com or call me at 440-821-5999.

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Today I’m here talking about location. When it comes to planning your session, as a mom there are three things you need to figure out before your session. You need: a photographer, outfits for your family and a location. Stay tuned for another post all about wardrobe, but today is all about location.

We’ve all heard it before. Location, location, location. Coming to Plano, Texas after years operating my business across the country, I knew that location scouting would be key, as I wanted to find the perfect place to bring my clients for gorgeous light-drenched photos where their adorable faces and personalities would shine.

There are two things I was watching out for that would put a location on my “no” list. First, HUGE crowds. When you’re trying to interact authentically with your kids to draw natural smiles and interactions, having 1000 distractions of other families with kids, photographers with all sorts of prop setups and loud noise, it’s nearly impossible. One trip to Arbor Hills Nature Preserve in peak season showed me that while lovely, it isn’t my number 1 choice for Plano family photos.

The second red flag for me is when the parking lot or the photo location itself is too close to a playground. Try telling a two year old you’re going to do anything but climb and play when you can see a playground in their line of sight - not gonna happen.

So then what makes a good location? I love a field that is off the beaten path, with non-manicured grass and trees that filter the sun as it sets to the west. There are people who chase ponds and bridges and cows and bails of hay and all sorts of other things, but a beautiful empty field is where it’s at. And you know why? Because when I’m looking at your family portrait, I want to see YOU. I want to see your gorgeous faces, your sweet and silly expressions, the way you engage with each other and the way light wraps around you to tell the story of your family’s love. So while there are popular destinations with all sorts of architectural and landscape features that may make the location “popular”, like the Dallas Arboretum, Adriatica in McKinney or the Las Colinas Canals, 9 times out of 10, I’d pick a gorgeous empty field like the one pictured below. This field with its yellow grass, lush green trees and insanely perfect light lets families from Plano and across the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex truly shine. Scroll down to see what I mean.

As we inch toward the holiday season, it’s not too late to schedule a family photography session with me in Plano and the surrounding areas. From access to the studio wardrobe, relieving all of the “what to wear stress” to customizing your session to be sure we capture everything you’ll envision, whether in my Plano studio, the field or in the comfort of your home, together we can create something beautiful together.

Please click here for details about the process, and if you’d like to be in touch, contact me here via the website or you can reach me at either rachelfriedman1@gmail.com or 440-821-5999.

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In case you missed it, I’m offering Holiday Mini Sessions for a Cause again this year, with 100% of session fees benefitting Dallas Tornado Relief via the American Red Cross. They’ll be on November 9 and 17, and will be $125 for your 10 minute session and one digital image. For more details, please visit this post!

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Rachel Friedman Photography specializes in family photography in Plano and also specializes in maternity, newborn, and baby, and family photography in the Dallas area, including but not limited to Plano, Frisco, Richardson, Carrollton, Addison, McKinney, Allen and beyond.

RFP Gives Back | Dallas Tornado Relief Holiday Mini Sessions

Hi mamas. Are you feeling as overwhelmed as I am about the destruction so many of our friends and neighbors are facing in the wake of the tornados that struck northwest Dallas, Richardson and the greater DFW metroplex?

In keeping with the Rachel Friedman Photography tradition of holiday mini sessions with a charitable twist (past beneficiaries have included CURE: Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy, the Small Bones Foundation, Dancing While Cancering: The Maddie Kramer Foundation and more), this year I am proud to announce that I’ll be hosting another year of Holiday Mini Sessions for a Cause.

Here’s the scoop: On November 9 and 17, I will be offering mini sessions for families in my Plano studio. The session retainer is $125 + tax, and the entire $125 retainer will be donated to the American Red Cross and the City of Dallas Emergency Assistance Fund. Sessions will include 10 minutes of time spent together in studio and one digital image from a gallery of at least 10 images, with the option to purchase additional images. This is the perfect opportunity to give back to a critical cause in our community while getting an updated family photo for your annual holiday card.

Whether you want to bring your kids in holiday themed pajamas, the whole family all dressed up or anything in between, we can create something beautiful together, all while raising funds for tornado relief. Because of the quick “mini” session nature of the event, clients will not be able to access the RFP studio wardrobe, but I’ll be sending all participating families detailed wardrobe guides with access to my online styling site that helps you quickly and easily figure out what to wear. The light and airy white studio is the perfect canvas for your family to shine. Immediate families only please.

To register, please follow the steps below, selecting your date (either November 9 from 3-6 or November 17 from 9:30-12), inputting your contact information and then paying online (payment directs you to pay via credit card through PayPal - you do not need a PayPal account to pay, you can check out as a guest). Your registration will not reserve your time slot until you follow all of the steps and click submit.

Thank you in advance to all of the wonderful families that will join me in the 3rd annual Holiday Mini Sessions for a Cause. If you have any questions or are having trouble registering online, please contact me directly at rachelfriedman1@gmail.com or at 440-821-5999.