Rachel Weaver

Rachel Weaver has perfected the “candid” style. Her work is described as “finding the joy in the hidden and messy places — about helping others see the beauty in themselves, the days, families, and worlds they create — and the homes that hold them.”

We just had to know more! We got together with Rachel and asked her if we could tag along on a session, and she said, “Sure! Come Shoot With Me!” Some of the scans from that session are in the gallery below.

The love for Rachel doesn’t stop there. We got to know Rachel a little bit more and dive into her portfolio.

Every artist has an origin story, and here’s Rachel’s:

“I started my photography business about nine years ago and for the first few years I made most of my actual money shooting weddings. But after the pandemic, I moved away from weddings (though I still do a couple a year usually) and started offering Long Form Sessions, which are photography experiences where I come and stay in people’s homes for between 24-36 hours. These aren’t day-in-the-life sessions so much as a time to co-create with people in a way that allows for deep presence and connection and a generally darn good time. I’ve also moved into the teaching/ mentoring/ workshop space because I love getting to connect with other photographers that way.”

The way that Rachel captures these families in not only images, but with words, is beautiful. It’s no surprise that writing is what got her into photography.

“In 2012 after my third child was born I wanted a place to write and blogs were more of a thing then. I bought a camera because I wanted images to go along with the words. What I found was that words can be hard to grab on to in a noisy house, but I could make pictures in the chaos. It was an art form that allowed me to embrace my life as it currently was versus feeling frustrated that I couldn’t create in the chaos of motherhood. I came to film because I realized that all the photographers and images I was drawn to were taken on film. It seemed to capture a quality I couldn’t replicate on digital. I know lots of people talk about the magic of film, but for me it feels deeply human. Film seems to allow for fallibility and imperfection.”

It can all be overwhelming sometimes, but we are so glad that Rachel found her way to film. Even some sessions can be a lot, so we asked Rachel what she looks for when shooting.

“I like the moment when it feels like a person is open — it can sometimes almost read as vulnerability — there is something about the expression, the posture, the light — that feels like it connects me and them and the divine.”

There were so many scans from Rachel that we fell in love with, it was almost impossible for us to narrow it down for this long gallery. She must have so many memories behind each one, we wonder what the story is behind her most memorable shot and her most memorable mistake?

“I got to create with a photographer I adore in England. I love their nearly 200 year old house and getting to picnic with them in their yard and swimming in the sea with them. It was everything I have ever wanted from a Long Form Session.”
“I’ve had lots of flops — like the time at the beginning of my business when I thought it was a good idea to partner with a local pet boutique and offer pet portraits despite the fact that I don’t actually like dogs (I know — blasphemous. Admitting this might go down as my second most memorable mistake). All the pictures were just people with extended arms while their dog is pulling them around.”

Rachel has spent so many hours out shooting, what happens after? Where doe she go over her scans and get ready to make magic with another family?

“My ‘workspace’ is the northeast corner of our beaten up pine dining room table. I usually work early in the morning and I can watch a little sliver of the sunrise over the Chesapeake Bay from that spot. There are a few piles of books basically at my feet and I tuck my computer, notebook, books away at dinner. It works for me because I like creating in the middle of the living — I don’t need to tuck away in a room of my own — which is good because I have five kids and live in a relatively small house so there is no space for me.”

Let’s talk tech. 35mm or 120? Color or BW?

“These either or’s are so HARD! I guess 35mm because I enjoy not being too precious. There’s something about them that feels approachable and they’re cheaper and you don’t have to reload as often. I like bringing a camera to the beach, which I know lots of folks think is absolute sacrilege, but I try to spend as much time at the beach as possible so I need a camera for that. I like that Nikon f100’s aren’t so $$$ that I have to be afraid of living with them.”
“I would HATE to have to choose, but I’d say color.”

Frontier or Noritsu? What about the gear used during shoots?

“Noritsu because I like saying the name.”
“I am a minimal kit sort of lady. I shoot with a Nikon f100 and a Pentax 645n. They both feel pretty unsexy — they are about the equivalent of a mini-van when it comes to cameras, but I also drive a minivan so it’s on brand.”

Favorite film stock? Push or pull your film?

“Portra 400 because it’s versatile and I hate making decisions. I am pretty inconsistent in lots of ways as a film shooter, so having a consistent stock helps reign me in a bit.”
“If I plan to push film, I’m not shooting at box speed, but other than that, yeah, it’s mostly at box speed. I’ve never been afraid of a muddy shadow or a little grain and I feel like most of the folks who are shooting below box speed are going for a brighter look than I tend towards. I push film semi-regularly because I do a lot of shoots in-homes and I really need an extra stop or two. In my perfect world there would be an 800 or 1600 ISO color film that I loved to work with, but there isn’t. (Cinestill is too cool for my taste and Porta 800 really feels like it needs to be shot at 400 for my taste.)”

When asked to describe her style in three words, Rachel said:

“Honest.
Compassionate.
Personal.”

Rachel is one of our biggest inspirations, but what about her’s? Who does she gather inspiration from, and who does she hope it goes to?

“Oh, that’s tough. I really try to be intentional about how I consume inspiration- my piles of photography books might be on the list of non-living things I would grab from my burning house. Nicholas Nixon, Jessica Todd Harper, and Peggy Nolan come to mind.”
“Is it too corny to say that I feel like I have already gotten to create with so many of my one-time dream clients? Though if I’m being honest, I do dream of getting a patron who has me come and create a body of work surrounding their family but who is in effect subsidizing a larger body of work that would explore motherhood and caregiving across a much broader spectrum.”

Working with all of these clients time and time again must have given Rachel some wisdom. We asked her for the most important lesson she’s learned.

“People want to be given a chance to be seen — that they want to have their lives and work and relationships acknowledged and honored and celebrated. Life can be lonely, but photography is one way of connecting.”

Rachel Weaver is someone that a lot of film photographers look up to and get not only creative, but personal inspiration from. We had to know: if young Rachel was around, what piece of wisdom does she need to hear the most?

“I think she would like to hear that she’s not as flakey as she thinks she is — that when she finds what she really wants to do with her life, she’s going to stick with it and see it through. I might also suggest she buy a couple of Contax G2’s while they’re affordable.”