five years married

Posted by Rachel on Mar 26, 2013 in personal | 0 comments

Ali and I recently celebrated five years of marriage by getting back into our wedding clothes and doing a wetplate collodium portrait (three second exposure!) with Giles Clement.

My friend Gwyneth just relocated to Portland (yay!) and we asked her to help out with my hair (in addition to being a very talented photographer, she went to beauty school). Isn’t the hair fabulous and period? We also asked her to do some portraits of us in the home before we went out for our session with Giles.

photo: Gwyneth Colleen

Gwyn had the idea to recreate one of our favorite photos she took on our wedding day in 2008. The one on the left is her 2008 version in San Francisco’s Chinatown. The right is her 2013 version in Portland’s Chinatown. HOT TUB TIME MACHINE*

photo: Gwyneth Colleen

* note: I have never seen that movie but my husband and I like to shout that to one another every once in awhile

it’s been quiet around here!

Posted by Rachel on Feb 7, 2013 in boudoir, Portland | 0 comments

Wondering why I’ve been so quiet? Becoming a mother changed my life! This first year has been truly challenging and all-consuming of my energy and creativity. At the moment I’m on sabbatical, but still photographing in the home. I am also collaborating with a few great people throughout this year – the musicians of Resonance Ensemble whose music continues to bring tears to my eyes with every program – plus the brilliant minds behind Portland Made to photograph makers and shakers in Portland. FUN!

photo: Samantha Shorey

interview with Rachel featured on Portland Family Magazine site

Posted by Rachel on Jul 5, 2012 in Portland, press | 0 comments

Rachel’s casual interview with Janna Lopez, the editor of Portland Family Magazine. (Not-so-flattering still… but the interview is casual and cute.)

another mama baby session

Posted by Rachel on Jun 30, 2012 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

I’m getting good at these
Book a double session for maternity boudoir-  and get the followup mama baby portraits too…
rachel at rachelhadiashar.com

Rachel’s work featured by Portland MamaBaby Center

Posted by Rachel on Jun 12, 2012 in press | 0 comments

Terah shares her birth story on the Portland MamaBaby Center blog, using images from her portrait sessions in our studio.

It cannot measure beauty, talent, purpose, life force, possibility, strength, or love.

Posted by Rachel on Jun 1, 2012 in boudoir, inspiration | 0 comments

“Get Off The Scale!

You are beautiful. Your beauty, just like your capacity for life, happiness, and success, is immeasurable. Day after day, countless people across the globe get on a scale in search of validation of beauty and social acceptance.

Get off the scale! I have yet to see a scale that can tell you how enchanting your eyes are. I have yet to see a scale that can show you how wonderful your hair looks when the sun shines its glorious rays on it. I have yet to see a scale that can thank you for your compassion, sense of humor, and contagious smile. Get off the scale because I have yet to see one that can admire you for your perseverance when challenged in life.

It’s true, the scale can only give you a numerical reflection of your relationship with gravity. That’s it. It cannot measure beauty, talent, purpose, life force, possibility, strength, or love. Don’t give the scale more power than it has earned. Take note of the number, then get off the scale and live your life. You are beautiful!”

― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

mama baby boudoir

Posted by Rachel on Apr 23, 2012 in boudoir, Portland, promotions | 0 comments

A new offering – mama baby boudoir! Sounds weird, but it’s awesome. New mamas come in with their babies and get intimate, lovely portraits in the gorgeous natural light. I AM NOT A BABY PHOTOGRAPHER though… this is more about the mom than the kid. This is paired with a maternity boudoir session with the baby bump in month 8 or 9 of the pregnancy.