Photo Friend

All photos by Rachel Porter

Some of our friends got engaged last year, and one day on Facebook popped up the most ecellent photographs of the two of them--a sort of engagement photo shoot, and I just loved everything about them. For one thing, the subjects are two fun, wonderful, adorable people, so you just can't help but smile as you think about them together. The photos were also so unique and so personal--they really capture the couple's personalities, and I'd never seen anything quite like them.

When we found out we were pregnant, I knew I wanted to get some professional photos done of me and Aaron and the baby bump--just not some of those weird, awkward photos like those pictured here. (Seriously, click this link. Be prepared to laugh for a bit.) So I sent the aforementioned bride a message and asked about her photographer.



And so we happened upon Rachel Porter! We set up some time with Rachel in October of last year to capture some of the great fall colors and shots of us around Kansas City. I knew I was going to like this girl when she emailed me a few days before the scheduled shoot to tell me not to be alarmed when she showed up at our house--she was going to be sporting hair extensions and covered in temporary tattoos because she was headed to a Halloween party as Kat Von D later that evening.

Rachel took us to 17th and Summit, to Hi Hat Coffee, and to Loose Park. She made us feel SO comfortable even though both Aaron and I felt a little silly posing for photos--she kept us chatting and laughing, and kept coming up with interesting backgrounds and angles for us. We were kind of sad when the afternoon ended, but the pictures are PERFECT.

A major bonus has been getting to know Rachel as a friend--she's one of those people who is so cool and fun you can't help but want to spend more time with her. She's creative, friendly, and she exudes positivity. As we've been getting to know her we've learned that her sweet little family (she's married and has an adorable one year old little girl) is raising funds to adopt a baby, and using her photography services is helping them reach their goal! Please let me know if you'd like to connect with her for your very own photo shoot--she's reasonably priced and the results are amazing.

We decided to book more time with Rachel to capture newborn Izzy, and we've just loved them so much we want to keep getting them done as Izzy grows!



You can follow along with Rachel's little family on their adoption journey at the Love is Rising blog, and you can visit the Love is Rising Etsy Shop for some great accessories that also help the Porter family in their efforts.

We can't wait to see what she captures next, and we're anxious for her family to meet their fundraising goals and bring home that new baby!