Plano Texas Family Photographer — Rachel Friedman Photography

Plano Texas Newborn Photographer | First Session Back

Plano Texas Newborn Photographer | First Session Back

I have a confession to make. My nerves were through the roof during my first session back. I drove to the field with butterflies in my stomach and drumming fingers, unconsciously trying to drum out the anxiety. Doing newborn sessions outside is out of the norm, to say the least and after not having taken any professional images in nearly 2 months, I couldn’t help but wonder and worry over how the session would work.

Little Elm Maternity Session | Plano Maternity Photographer

Little Elm Maternity Session | Plano Maternity Photographer

From the constant trips to the restroom, to morning sickness, not to mention the growing of a whole new being inside of you… pregnancy is a lot of work and definitely not the easiest feat. However, knowing that soon you will get to hold that adorable newborn squish makes every single kick to the ribs a bit easier. Many expecting mothers hesitate to reach out because of how they feel about their changing appearance, but truly, I wish that I had more photos of my own mother pregnant with me to look back on and cherish. I would have loved to show those photos to my children.

Top Fairview Texas Newborn Photographer | In Home Newborn Session

Top Fairview Texas Newborn Photographer | In Home Newborn Session

I don’t know about you, but being in quarantine has changed my perspective on some things. The unexpected downtime has been both welcomed and overwhelmingly stressful. It’s funny how such opposing and conflicting feelings/ideas can occupy your mind, and both be perfectly valid and true.

Dallas Milestone Photographer | Milestone Sneak Peek

Dallas Milestone Photographer | Milestone Sneak Peek

The first birthday is such a monumental moment. It marks one full year of having your sweet babe in your arms, through the tears and stress, through the good times and the hard times, and all the in between. Taking the time to capture this special time will be treasured for the rest of your years.

Dallas Fresh 48 Photographer | Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital

Dallas Fresh 48 Photographer | Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital

Fresh 48 sessions are secretly my favorite. There is something so magical about capturing the first few moments of being a new family, in such an intimate space, so soon after the biggest moment of most people’s lives and emotions are at their highest. While the maternity sessions are always so sweet, nothing beats meeting a brand new baby, so fresh into the world, let alone two.

Reopening after the COVID Shut-Down {Safe Dallas Newborn Photographer}

Hi mamas. Happy to connect over here after what seems like the world’s longest six weeks. In the 787 days that my kids have been home from school (has it really only been 46?) and the 30 official days of businesses being shut down, I’ve been reflecting a lot, not just about the past six weeks but the past year. I feel like I’ve lived a year in limbo. It was almost exactly a year ago that our debate began about whether we should move to Dallas for an amazing job opportunity for my husband.

At a time when my family and my business were thriving, the very thought of jumping off a proverbial cliff into the unknown (sing it in your head, channeling your inner Elsa) seemed insane. So insane that even though I knew it could be a huge upgrade for our family (weather, cost of living, quality of life shift), I was afraid. Afraid of ALL the change. For having to start our lives over from scratch. About making new friends. Getting my kids resettled in new schools. And of course, starting my business over from scratch.

dallas bluebonnet photographer

Taking a thriving business and moving 1,000 miles away from all of your clients might be classified as crazy. But the DFW community has blown me away with how welcoming everyone we have met has been. The community in Plano and north Dallas where we are establishing our new roots is warm, inclusive and as I’ve slowly relaunched here in DFW, the clients I have connected with have been incredible.

Cue COVID-19. Screeching halt, not just for my business but for everything. We all put life on pause, staying home and limiting contact with those around us to prevent the lethal spread of this virus that is so dangerous to the elderly, immunocompromised and even healthier folks among us, in order to flatten the curve. While we understood the importance, I am sure all the moms reading this can agree together - it was hard. So hard.

And now, as we slowly emerge from that bubble, I want you to know that I’m ready. I’m ready to get back to the days of the thriving business I know, love and miss dearly. I miss the hustle, I miss capturing your milestones and major life events. I MISS THE BUMPS AND THE BABIES, oh yeah, definitely the babies. And I know that if you have a baby (or one on the way soon), you’ve missed us photographers too.

covid-19 safe dallas newborn photographer

HERE IS THE PART YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!

In this post-COVID-shut down rebirth for my business, I am really hoping to hit the ground running to serve my community. There are so many moms who have spent the last six weeks unable to capture special milestones - your maternity portraits, newborn photos, milestone sessions, birthday cake smashes, family bluebonnet sessions. In celebrating the relaunch of my business here in Plano, I want to offer a series of FREE sessions. That’s right, free. My regular session fee will be waived, which includes our time preparing for and capturing your session as well as access to my extensive studio wardrobe.

Since Collin County was shut down officially for 30 days, I will be offering up to 30 complementary sessions for moms who are capturing maternity, newborn, milestone and first birthday sessions.

Digital images and printed artwork are purchased separately, with digital packages beginning at $275. Of course, we will do this carefully and safely. As much as I adore snuggling tiny babies, high-fiving with big siblings and giving mamas much needed hugs, I will be keeping my distance so that we can protect your precious family and my own. Here is an overview of the policies I’ll be upholding to make this safe and possible for all of us.

covid safety dallas newborn photographer

I’ll be photographing outdoor sessions with a 70-200mm long lens so I can capture gorgeous images from afar without compromising your family’s safety. Studio sessions will be limited to one every 48 hours and all indoor sessions including in-home lifestyle sessions will involve excessive hand washing and mask use for me. All wardrobe items will be cleaned and streamed and will be available for you to pick up from my porch in advance of your session, along with wraps and headbands for your newborn. And in lieu of in-person meetings after your session for your design and ordering appointment, we’ll stick to zoom meetings until it’s safe to meet in person. I can’t wait to work with you soon!

EDIT, 6/4/20: Thank you to all the lucky mamas who took advantage of this great promotion. It is now closed. I am still booking socially distanced sessions, and I’d love to work with you! Please click the contact button below for more information about booking a session with Rachel Friedman Photography.




The Ultimate Dallas Family Photographer Project: Designing our Heirloom Albums

There’s a saying that goes, “the cobbler’s children have no shoes.” As a photographer, in my case this refers more to family photos. Thank goodness, we have always prioritized having our photos taken. While I’m amazing with other people’s children, I know that trying to capture our whole circus on my own with a tripod is virtually impossible. So we’ve captured the images and have a handful of favorites on our walls, but my shortfall: getting the albums designed and printed. So many years have gone by, and in my busy-ness with creating these gorgeous works of art for my clients, my own images have done exactly what I caution my clients about: they’ve sat on my hard drive untouched. For years. Always lingering on my to-do list, being pushed from one Sunday list to the next. I suspect that you can relate.

While my iPhone photos are a whole ‘nother project that I’ve yet to tackle, I’m so excited that I’ve ordered my family’s albums and they are going to be gorgeous. Thick, lay-flat albums, artfully designed (by me 😀) that will last for generations. It might take a few weeks before my lab reopens to actually print them and send them my way, but I’m absolutely thrilled to have checked it off of my list! Here’s a sneak peek of a few of my favorite family albums of ours!

The first one I designed - I started with most recent and moved backward in time - is our incredible family session with Jessie Hearn Photography that we photographed three days before our big move to Dallas. She captured my kiddos and their wild-at-heart spirits so perfectly, and I included so many collages of their sweet moments together and with each of us.

DFW photographer family photo albums

In 2018, we skipped the fancy field photos and did something completely different that perfectly captured our chaos of life with three kids ages 5 and under. I knew deep down that we weren’t in an age and stage that would be conducive to capturing anything remotely practical in an outdoor session - my boys were SO WILD in this stage - so we hired a friend and fellow photographer Susan Ryan Kalina to do a documentary “day in the life” session where we did all of our favorite things as a family at home - playing outside, playing “chase” in our house, and capturing our precious LONG bedtime routine. It was so perfectly US.

Dallas family photography best albums

This one is from our amazing session with Rebecca Gould Photography back in 2017 at the VERY end of a cold fall in Chicago. I wanted to capture our session as close to Leila’s first birthday in late November as we could without literally freezing into blocks of ice!

Dallas Family Photographer Heirloom Albums

2016 was the year of a zillion photos, and our family album is overflowing with cuteness - from our annual family photo session, this time with my friend Vlad from Yofi Photography, and then a maternity modeling session for the insanely talented Cherise Kiel Photography from Arizona, and Leila’s newborn session with Bethany Hope Photography - a true artist. If you haven’t noticed, our family has used a TON of different photographers. I love learning through experience from the many talented artists and business owners around me, and there are so many whom I admire for all sorts of different reasons. So our photos shift in style, from more posed, to more lifestyle, with lighter edits and darker edits and everything in between!

Dallas newborn family photographer near me

If you’ve made it this far, I hope you enjoyed a peek into our family’s history. All of these albums will be printed in stunning 12 by 12 inch albums so that my kids will be able to soak up these sweet memories long after my hard drive (or my external hard drive or the cloud) crashes.

And if you are reading this, thinking about how many images are still crowding your hard drive and you’d like to outsource this task, I just might be your girl. Whether I use the photographs from your family or newborn photo session with ME, or you have a print release from another photographer but need help from someone more hands-on who can help you to create these family heirlooms, I’d love to help. I offer either a simpler design service for ordering your album yourself or you can work with me to custom design your heirloom album that will be ordered through my world-class professional printing lab with lay-flat pages, archival inks and gorgeous leather, linen or velvet cover options for the cover. Albums will not ship until businesses reopen (since my print lab is part of the “non-essential” shut-down).

The beauty of this service is that it can be done completely remotely, so whether you’re in Dallas, the midwest or on the east or west coast, I’m happy to work with you without any risk to your health or mine!

If you’d like more information about this service, please email me at rachelfriedman1@gmail.com.

Stay well,

Rachel

Rachel is a fine art Family, Maternity and Newborn photographer in Plano, Texas, serving the entire Dallas Fort Worth metroplex via studio portrait sessions and outdoor on-location photography.

#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.

Plano family photography photographers photos

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!

best Plano family photos

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.

Reflections on an Incredible Work Retreat {Dallas Motherhood Photographer}

Last month, I had the amazing privilege of attending a retreat with The Motherhood Anthology, an amazing photography education platform led by three phenomenal photographers, Jenny Cruger, Allison Craig and Kim Box. As I am coming up on my business’s five year anniversary, I’m working hard to always be improving. Whether it’s pushing myself creatively, fine tuning my art, learning about the latest innovations in heirloom artwork and prints or improving my client experience, there is always so much to learn.

It was such a privilege getting to tour and utilize Jenny’s beautiful studio and field in Franklin, Tennessee - she has an incredible space and an incredible heart and was a joy to learn from. We had two styled shoots that I’ve shared below - the first was with this precious family celebrating their son’s first birthday. I loved having the opportunity to get creative and think outside the box a bit, playing with double exposures, reflections and more.

Our second shoot was in the studio, and it was so helpful getting some guidance from Allison about her technique for achieving gorgeous backlit images. We had the most stunning maternity model for this session - she’s welcoming her rainbow baby this spring after years of trying, and she was seriously the most patient person as all ten of us took turns photographing her in three different outfits and set ups.

We also got to chat with Kim about her gorgeous albums {Indie Print Co} and view so many beautiful samples of all of their different cover fabrics and styles, and we got to spend time with Hope of Brass and Boxes, strategizing about SEO, blogging, social media and more.

But more important that all of the above, I connected with so many incredible woman, all mothers, photographers and business owners who are at many different stages in their journey, and together we sat and stayed up into all hours of the night discussing our challenges, our victories, our ideas and how we can better serve our clients and grow our businesses. We captured updated headshots for each other too, so I thought it would be fun to introduce you to my new work village.

Pictured from left to right: Ryane Rice based in Birmingham, Alabama, Esther Ziegler of Esther Ziegler Photography based in Springfield, Missouri and Bev Wade of Bev Wade Images in Memphis, Tennessee. Photos above taken by the fabulous Jen Godshall, pictured below.

Again, from left to right: Jen Godshall of Jen Godshall Photography in Sarasota, Florida, Lisa Tait - my roommate and co-pilot of our rental care - of Lisa Tait Photography in Toronto, and Jessie Roffer of Jessie Roffer Photography in Tampa, Florida.

And then below, from left to right: Heather Mohr of Heather Mohr Photography in Edwardsville, IL/St. Louis and Erin Davison Boring of Erin Davison Photography in Northeast Ohio. Not pictured is Brooke Hebert-Tennant of Petite Magnolia Photography in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

It was such an incredible weekend with this crew in Tennessee. I can’t wait to see how we all grow and improve in the year to come and am so glad I invested in myself for this experience with The Motherhood Anthology.

30+ Ideas for activities with your kids at home {Plano Children's Photographer}

Hey y’all! It seems we are all facing an unprecedented change to our regular day-to-day life with schools and daycares across the DFW metroplex closing in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus. For those who have not seen, I’ve shared my updated heath policy here on the blog, but that’s not why I’m writing here today. While there are many more qualified sources for up-to-date information on the COVID-19 pandemic (here, here and here), today I’m writing as a mom of three who is excited to share a GIANT list of ideas for you as you may be considering (or have already started) social distancing for the upcoming weeks. As schools close, we’ll all be spending A LOT of time trapped indoors with our little ones.

While this comes with a lot of love, everyone knows that the days are long with little ones at home (and while the years are short, I will suspect that these next few weeks will feel VERY LONG). So here is a list of 30+ fun ideas for activities at home with your young children!

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Picture book challenge ideas:

See if you can read every picture book in the house - let the kids take turns selecting books.

Let your preschooler “read” the stories to you, dictating the story based on the pictures.

Act out the stories of your favorite children’s books, dressing up in dress up clothes and using silly voices.

Create a craft or cooking project inspired by your favorite story.

Build a fort and read with flash lights under the blankets.

Have the kids color pictures and dictate their “story” for you, so you can create a book together.

Craft ideas:

Use those Amazon boxes to build a rocketship, a house, a boat or anything your kids can imagine.

Use large boxes, cut up, as canvases for painting, for tracing and decorating an outline of their body, for using washi tape, duct tape or markers to create a race track to drive toy trains and cars.

Use empty toilet paper rolls to make and decorate binoculars and go for a treasure hunt in your house or in the backyard.

Practice stringing Cheerios or Fruit Loops onto pipe cleaners - it’s a great fine motor activity that makes for fun, edible creations.

Use tupperware or empty water bottles to make musical instruments with dry pasta or beans. Start a family band.

Try a kitchen science experiment! My kids absolutely loved this cool crafty experiment that just uses milk, food coloring and dish soap, and a kids volcano experiment is another classic hit at our house.

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Create paper snowflakes and pretend you’re snowed in! Using kids scissors is great for fine motor development!

My kids, beginning at age four, fell in LOVE with perler beads. I had forgotten how much I loved them as a child until we bought our first set, and now everyone is hooked!

Make homemade cards with any fun craft supplies you have at home and mail them to relatives who are also stuck at home!

Now is the time to bust out the messy art project that you might not love doing on a day-to-day basis! My favorite mom hack for this is doing the projects IN THE BATHTUB. It keeps the mess contained and allows for easy clean up! Play doh, kinetic sand, making slime, foam stickers, paint, etc! If the rain subsides, take the art party out to the back yard!

If ever there was a time to be baking cookies with your kids, this is the time! This is my favorite tried and true chocolate chip cookie recipe!

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Toys, Games and More:

Set up a cash wash station in your bathtub for your kids to wash their cars, and use the opportunity to sanitize any toys that you think could use a good scrubbing.

Have your kids create a picnic or tea party for their favorite stuffed animals or action figures.

Set up building challenges using legos, magnatiles or megablocks (who can build the coolest car, the tallest tower, the best house for your Barbie, etc.). Magnatiles in our house have been known to build race tracks, apartment buildings for action figures, space ships and more.

Don’t be afraid to try board games with your really young kids. My three year old can already play Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, Sorry, Uno and she’s learning how to play the card game War. You can always modify/streamline the rules to make games a bit faster and more little kid friendly.

Embrace your bathtub! Using regular toys as non-traditional bath toys, you can make bath time fun happen anytime! Just be sure to take everything out after to lay on a towel to dry. My kids also LOVE turning their bath water crazy colors with these Color My Bath tablets.

Make an indoor relay race! Set up stations and time your kiddo with how long it takes them to do each step (throw a ball into a hamper, jump ten times, crawl through a tunnel, anything you can imagine!).

INTERACTIVE Screen Time Ideas:

Look up hand washing videos on YouTube. Watch them together & vote on your favorite. Discuss why each one is good, helpful, funny.

Try a photo scavenger hunt for your little ones. Using your photo app on your phone or iPad, ask them to find and photograph something red. The yellow. Make your way through the colors, or do this activity with the alphabet “take a picture of three things that start with A”.

Check out the app: Go Noodle! There are all sorts of interactive dances, movement activities, and DIY activities on there with step-by-step instructions.

Look up childrens yoga videos on YouTube - our favorite is Cosmic Kids!

YouTube kid-friendly karaoke songs and rock out with a family sing along or dance party.

For kids in pre-K and up, try a kids podcast - popular ones include Smash Boom Best and Wow in the World.

Let Alexa entertain your children for a while - here’s a link to an amazing comprehensive list of cool things Alexa can do with your kids :)

Make FaceTime dates with family!

And of course, when all else fails:

It’s okay to turn on Netflix or Disney+. I promise I won’t judge (and I can guarantee that a couple of weeks of increased screen time won’t have lasting developmental effects!).

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My three littles will be home for the next couple of weeks too, so from one mom to another, I wish you luck! Please feel free to comment below or on social media with all of your best ideas and tips for keeping little ones happy and occupied at home!

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Rachel is a premier newborn and family photographer in Plano serving the Dallas Forth Worth metroplex. For more information about sessions, please visit this page, contact her through this link or email her directly at rachelfriedman1@gmail.com

Keeping Your Family Safe - Health Policy Update {Plano Newborn and Family Photographer}

In life, there is nothing more important than family. Which is why I value your family’s health and safety as well as my own. As the owner, operator and photographer of my business, I’ve always maintained certain policies that keep my clients’ health and wellness in mind:

I always clean the studio and sanitize surfaces that will be touched by your babies and children (including all newborn props, clothing and studio toys), and I wash my hands before sessions (and regularly sanitize throughout newborn sessions). In addition, I will always reschedule a session for a client who is ill or showing symptoms of illness - not only for the sake of your own family’s health but for my family’s as well.

Given the seriousness of the current COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic, I wanted to update my policies in writing to reflect my commitment to keeping our families safe and being committed to the safety of our community at large. These are taken into account to reflect current updates from the CDC.

1) All session participants as well as the photographer must wash their hands for a full 20 seconds upon entering the studio, and follow up with hand sanitizer as necessary. The studio is sanitized before every session and professionally deep-cleaned on a weekly basis.

2) Only the active participants in your session are able to attend sessions - sessions will be limited to immediate family only unless an extended family has already booked a session, so that we decreased the risk of exposure and transmission of the virus.

3) If anyone in your family is showing any signs of illness, including but not limited to fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, sneezing, runny nose, headache, or chills, you will be asked to reschedule your session by a minimum of two weeks.

4) If anyone in my own household is showing any of the above symptoms, I will disclose this to my clients and reschedule for a time when we have all been healthy for two weeks.

5) If anyone in your family has traveled out of the country or on a cruise ship or has known exposure to someone diagnosed with the COVID-19 Coronavirus, you will be asked to reschedule for a minimum of 30 days after your return/exposure date.

Sessions that need to be delayed due to illness, potential exposure or travel risk can be rescheduled without penalty, with session retainers applying to sessions booked within one year of the original session date. I want to work hard to make sure that all of my clients are taken care of during this time, so I’m always happy to relocate your session to your home or a remote outdoor location where social distancing can be safely maintained.

Of course, I’m not all-knowing, and we are all following this situation closely. Sessions will be rescheduled at the photographer’s discretion as the situation evolves. As more information becomes available throughout this rapidly evolving global crisis, I will update these policies as necessary by updating this post. My ultimate goal is to keep your family, all of my clients families and my own family safe and healthy. I appreciate your understanding, and please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

xoxo,

Rachel

dallas plano  fine art photographer




Why Schedule a Motherhood Photo Session | Plano Motherhood Photographer

This is a guest post by Camille from Camille CD Photography. Camille focuses on maternity, newborn, motherhood and family photography on the Upper West Side in New York City. Her pure and classic portraits have been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Glamour.

 

 

Motherhood is an incredible journey! It opens your heart to the strongest, most incredible, unconditional love. Becoming a mom is the most beautiful (yet sometimes challenging) change that can happen in a woman’s life.

Mommy and me sessions focus on capturing the special bond that you share with your little ones and make it last forever.

Here a few reasons why you should book a Motherhood photo session:

- Moms are usually the ones in charge of documenting their family history, which means that they are often the ones behind the camera. A mother and child session allows moms to be, for once, at the center of the images.

- It is a great reason to have some ‘me time’ to get ready before the session (think manicure, blow out, professional makeup, etc.)

- It celebrates the most beautiful role of your life.

- It is a gift to yourself. When your babies grow up and leave the nest, you will treasure these portraits and memories of love with your children.

- It is a gift to your children to see how much they are loved and how special they are to you.

- Motherhood portraits will help you remember details that cannot be captured like the feeling of your baby tiny hand in yours or their delicious smell

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Make an investment that you will never regret and book a motherhood session to create beautiful portraits of you and your children! And if your partner is not inspired for Mother’s day, feel free to share this blog ;-)

 

 

Rachel is a newborn and family photographer, a mother of three little ones and a firm believer that these moments are meant to be captured and cherished. To book a photo session that celebrates your role as a mother (or to gif a session to YOUR mother with her babies and grandbabies), simply click the contact button below for more information on booking a session in my Plano studio or outdoors.

Best Dallas Family Photographer | 3 tips for a stress-free family photography session

Best Dallas Family Photographer | 3 tips for a stress-free family photography session

I know that as a mom, you want to look and feel beautiful if your photos. You want everyone to cooperate, have fun and be able to leave without having to wipe away tears or diffuse yet another sibling bickerfest. You want to leave the everyday stress at home, snuggle with your babies and feel seen, appreciated and loved by your partner. I get it. You want these photos to display on your walls, your coffee table, your desk at work or your phone background so that you will remember the beauty, the magic and the love of this stage, even if the day-to-day is such a blur that it’s hard to even remember what you ate for breakfast this morning. I know you because I AM you. And so today I’m sharing three great tips for a stress-free family photo session with the Best . Dallas Family Photographer, for your family and for YOU, mama.

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.

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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!


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.

Capturing Baby's First Year | Plano Baby Photographer

If you’re looking for a fabulous Plano baby photographer, hello! 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 baby 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.


My baby turned three this week. She’s my youngest of three, and to me, she will always be my baby. But as the diapers and the drooly kisses slip away in favor of brief moments of insightful conversation about Moana and hilarious opinions about her wardrobe, I grow wistful for the days of squishy snuggly baby moments.

Babyhood is fleeting. However exhausted I was in Leila’s first year, it’s hard to remember the fuzz on her head that lingered for ages and has now been replaced by a mop of wild curls. The way she’d nuzzle up and fall asleep in my arms.

Capture these days mama. Capture it, print it, display it, treasure it. They won’t get any smaller and they won’t stop growing, no matter how sweetly we ask. You’ll never regret investing in an amazing photography experience.

“Your little hands wrapped around my finger
And it's so quiet in the world tonight
Your little eyelids flutter cause you're dreaming
So I tuck you in and turn on your favorite nightlight

To you, everything's funny
You got nothing to regret
I'd give all I have honey
If you could stay like that

Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
It could stay this simple
I won't let nobody hurt you
Won't let no one break your heart
No one will desert you
Just try to never grow up
Never grow up”

~ the ever amazing Taylor Swift


Rachel is a skilled photographer specializing in maternity, newborns, babies, children and families both in her Plano studio and throughout the Dallas Fort Worth area, both outdoors and in her clients homes. All of her sessions include access to an extensive studio wardrobe for moms and babies, custom session planning and a personalized reveal and ordering appointment after your session to pick the perfect way to enjoy your finalized artwork from your session.

Areas she serves include but are not limited to Addison, Allen, Carrollton, Colleyville, Coppell, Dallas, Denton, Euless, Fairview, Farmers Branch, Flower Mound, Frisco, Garland, Grapevine, Hurst, Irving, Keller, Lewisville, McKinney, Plano, Richardson, Rockwall, Southlake and beyond.

Dallas Boss Babe | Dallas Headshot Photographer

One of the joys of working with families is that I get to connect with really cool parents who do really cool things. Whether they’re doctors saving lives, stars on the broadway stage, business owners, attorneys, teachers, homemakers with a side hustle and more, it’s amazing to see the many hats that my clients wear in addition to the title of “mom” or “dad”.

Plano Frisco Dallas headshot photographer

What many may not know about Rachel Friedman Photography is that I offer headshot and branding photography sessions. Whether you are looking for a quick session for an updated LinkedIn headshot or a more customized session for personal branding photos for your website and social media profiles, I’m happy to consult with you to see how I can best serve you.

DFW Dallas Fort Worth personal branding headshot photographer

As a Dallas headshot photographer, I love supporting entrepreneurs, and Jessica’s company is an amazing one. She started her business, Tasty Clean, when she encountered a problem that so many mamas face. She was out with her son, and his lollipop fell on the ground into the dirt. Cue the tears, right? In that moment, she dreamed of a magic spray she could stash in her purse to be able to clean it off and fend off the tantrum . that ensued…haven’t we all been there?

best Dallas headshot photography studio

That dream led to Tasty Clean, the natural flavored antibacterial spray that cleans anything that you put in your mouth, from pacifiers and dropped lollipops to mouth guards to instruments, camping gear and more. She and her husband are growing their business helping others solve similar conundrums. This boss babe is doing great things, and I was so honored to capture her headshots for an upcoming blog feature coming soon. You can find out more about Tasty Clean by following them on Instagram or visiting their webpage here.

Southlake Grapevine Addison headshot photographers

If you’re interested in a personal branding headshot session, either on location throughout the Dallas Forth Worth area or in my Plano photography studio, or for corporate headshots for individuals and groups, please contact me for a personalized quote. Rachel travels to clients throughout the DFW metroplex for headshots and branding photo sessions, including but not limited to Dallas, Plano, Frisco, Keller, Addison, Grapevine, Southlake, Colleyville, Carrollton, Irving, McKinney, Allen, Richardson, Garland and beyond.