Rachel Gray Photography - Twin Cities wedding and lifestyle photographer

maya . minneapolis family photographer

Rachel — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 14:13:03 +0000

sweet little maya was born on her due date three months before we took these photos. i’d been anxiously waiting to meet her since the plan was to take her newborn photos, and her mama booked months before she was born. but we waited until now to meet which i was just fine with. that meant i got to see her sweet personality.

i loved our location for this session.. i had just been on a river boat cruise for ian and sarah’s wedding, and each time we went under the hennepin avenue bridge i kept thinking “this would make a great session location, i’m going to suggest it to a client soon”. a few days later i talked to allie to make final plans… would you believe where she suggested we have our session?! that very spot! it was meant to be!

little lamby . minneapolis family portraits

Rachel — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 14:17:39 +0000

this adorable little girl held tight to her lamby for our session. i don’t blame her, a crazy lady with a huge black box in front of her face was chasing her around for an hour. we were able to get some sweet smiles without lamby too. i’m so glad the sun came out for our session after a gloomy weekend. the evening was just gorgeous and we caught the last of the fall colors before the leaves all fell to the ground.

life in the gray home . october

Rachel — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 15:06:15 +0000

while i love my job and the freedom and flexibility it gives me, one of the hardest parts of being a photographer is the fall months. it’s my busy season, and while i’m thankful for work, it means my family time suffers a bit this time of year. with this being the busiest year so far we missed out on both the apple orchard and the pumpkin patch family trips.

we did manage to squeeze in trick-or-treating again this year, but i was a bit disappointed. we live in a neighborhood that doesn’t trick-or-treat so we look for other places to celebrate. last year we did the minnesota children’s museum member night and this year we tried out the como zoo “zoo boo”. i had no idea we couldn’t see the animals and that we’d be outside only allowed to follow the path they laid out for us. we were not dressed for cold. and it was crowded. boo. i took the girls to the mall of america on halloween night since nick was at a church youth group party. that was a little better. indoors and we had freedom. the crowds got crazy as we were finishing, and it was a late night, but we scored better candy and stayed warm.

lana was dedicated and church this month and is so close to crawling. mariah has mastered the computer and loves to do her little preschool program for a bit each afternoon.

now that my weekends are less full and i have less editing to do, i’m able to soak in more family time and i’m so grateful for each moment with them.

sarah + ian . minneapolis wedding photography

Rachel — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 17:01:56 +0000

i think sarah and ian are proof that opposites attract. she’s outgoing and spunky, he’s calm and reserved. but together they make a perfect pair. both of them are sentimental and sweet as can be to each other. i loved watching them open their gifts and read the letters they wrote to each other…it got me a little teary too. and they’re not only sweet to each other, they’re beyond kind, welcoming and inviting to their friends and family as well. cruising along the mississippi with their closest loved ones was a perfect way to spend a saturday morning.

on a personal note….sarah got ready at the grand hotel in downtown minneapolis, where i got ready for my wedding as well. and would you know, her makeup artist did MY make up 7 years ago! it was fun to catch up with sarah again and take a little trip down memory lane that morning.

life in the gray home . september

Rachel — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 14:22:02 +0000

a rather warm september this year, but every few days we got a hint of fall. enough to make a trip to the apple orchard with some girlfriends and their little ones for our monthly playdate. and of course mariah and i had to bake an apple pie the next day. perhaps the most exciting day in september, was when the vikings returned. oh were those girls happy!

dancing girlies . saint paul family photographer

Rachel — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 18:52:49 +0000

it’s so fun to watch families grow. and i can’t believe how fast time has gone since little ella was just a newborn. and wasn’t i just at their house last week when she turned six months old? wow. now these sweet little blondies are 2 and 4! we had a fun morning dancing and exploring. i also learned just how good a gummy bear bribe can be…worked like a charm every. single. time.

zach is one . saint paul family photography

Rachel — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 01:49:08 +0000

so…this summer i (re)discovered that i’m in love with willow trees. there’s just something magical about them. and oh how i love the light when it shines through them. i’m guessing my love comes from growing up in that little yellow rancher (rambler for the minnestotans) where i had a willow tree in my front yard. it was small, but i loved it. and while i was home last month i did two sessions at one of my favorite childhood places which has willows everywhere.

so i’m thankful that “my lake”…you know the one i can walk to from my current home… is surrounded by willow trees too.

***

zach’s a year old now…my how he’s grown!

corley family . lakeville family photographer

Rachel — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 19:32:33 +0000

five adorable kiddos, two parents in love, and a perfect minnesota end of summer evening. i couldn’t ask for more. there was lots of tackling, giggling and all out fun with a little bit of the crankies mixed in too. that’s real life and what i love to capture.

life in the gray home . august

Rachel — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 18:55:21 +0000

the first of the month i headed east with my girls for a trip to visit yaya and pappy in virginia. i’ve said it before, but it’s hard living in minneapolis without any family around. so when we are around our loved ones, i enjoy every moment and love being able to relax and hand duties over to my mom and dad who are more than happy to take them on.

while i was home i caught up with a few friends and took pictures of a few friends too…the perfect mix of work and relaxation.

dustin + lindsay . minnesota state fair

Rachel — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 00:00:16 +0000

when i set up my monthly project, i immediately decided august had to be a state fair session. then as it got closer i got really nervous about it. what was i thinking?! those crowds! i’d have to be on top of my couple in order to get photos of them. luckily i was wrong. saturday morning is the perfect time for a session at the fair. and i’ve decided it’s the only time i’m ever going to go again. yes, it’s an odd time to eat the yummy foods, but it’ll save me money, right?

dustin and lindsay made the morning fun as we wandered around the fairgrounds and were clearly not die hard fair goers. lindsay is a photographer too and i’m excited to have her take our family portraits this year! check her out HERE.