Last week I was interviewed on VoyageATL, this week I’m a featured expert for Redfin's Apartment Guide, discussing creating a photographic gallery wall in your home.

Check out the article, along with tips from eight other experts, to help you design a stunning gallery wall that reflects your unique taste and creativity. And then reach out to me to help you create your own photographic masterpiece! Be sure to check out Artful Arangements: 9 Expert Tips for Crafting Your Apartment’s Gallery Wall. https://www.apartmentguide.com/blog/apartment-gallery-wall/

And then check out my process here: http://www.shaynaimage.com/shayna-image-process

EducationalRachel LinkwaldJune 25, 2024redfin, gallery, gallery design, home gallery, article

The First Steps in a Journey

My first memory of Miri was seeing her push her single buggy past my home on her regular strolls with her husband. Little did I know soon she’d have a double-stroller, and they’d one day make my home/studio the destination to capture her beautiful family.

She began talking to me about a session soon after the birth of her second. She came to the studio to check out the artwork in person, and talk through all our options. As he neared his first birthday, she was ready, and so were her kiddos, with their beaming smiles.

I know it can be intimidating, bringing littles, hoping it works out. This was the day after the time change, so they were already in their “witching hour,” and naps hadn’t been successful. But when our goal is focused, rather than our goal just being to make them perform for an hour, then we can put our energy into nailing what we need, and stop shooting at the first signs of angst.

We shot the first images on the trails in the woods behind the studio, and then ran to the front of the house to chase the sun for individuals of the kids.

Miri had the perfect space for her collection. We had a great time exploring the different sizing and configuration options.

She loved the funky vibe of the square prints, but wanted a touch more room and emphasis on the whole family. These will be matte floating metals.

Next? I send to print, and then head over there to install them! I can’t wait to see them up. A journey worth every step.

Not Annual Nor Insane

I call our yearly family self portrait the “annual insanity.” But I can’t use the term anymore, I’m afraid.

Our synagogue is asking everyone to submit family portraits for a mosaic project (which I’m so excited about!). I was editing portraits for two other families at that moment, and I realized I haven’t done ours since the beach two years ago! The shoemaker’s children have no shoes!

I add every year to our wall gallery - how did I skip a whole year??

Even more so, I realized we needed to update ours mere days before my daughter left for her first time at summer camp for a month, so with no time, I grabbed items from everyone’s closet, and hauled my tripod and lights to the front yard.

The top portrait will move to the stairs, and the new gallery wrap will take its place:

This is where I normally post a hilarious outtake. But there are none. Because my kids crushed it. So I guess I can’t call it “Annual” OR “Insanity” anymore!
(But I WILL do better! Every year or bust!)

Update! Galleries updated!

PersonalRachel LinkwaldJuly 3, 2023atlanta family photographer, atlanta photographer, family photography, gallery, gallery design, home gallery, self portrait Comment

Can't Hold Her Down

Jules enters my world and turns it upside down. She likes to do that. Tell it like it is, make you laugh, shake things up a bit. She moved to Atlanta less than a year ago with a vast knowledge of an insane number of industries, from arts to medical. She made instant friends, and whittled her family into the fabric of the community. Just as she was getting the family settled, her husband was finishing his first year teaching at a new school, she was switching companies, and she was about to jet to Israel for her son’s Bar Mitzvah, her own world turned upside down.

Despite how busy she was, she couldn’t ignore her difficulty breathing, her cough. A scan revealed a 10 cm mass from middle of her chest: lymphoma.

Her community immediately rallied, and you can, too. Will you please daven (pray) for Aviva Ariel bas Dafna?

Her three week Israel celebration for her son was switched to one week, so she can go between chemo treatments. They had planned to take pictures while there, but she felt an urgency to capture this moment, before the start of treatments.

*We’re printing it as a 18x24 floating matte metal, to hang over the mantel in the living room.*

Her treatment schedule is brutal, but her diagnosis comes with a 90% CURE rate. Give this lady everything you’ve got!

ClientsRachel LinkwaldJune 26, 2023cancer, lymphoma, photography, gallery, home art, home gallery, atlanta photographer, atlanta family photographerComment

The Next Generation of Dimples

Remember THIS GORGEOUS LADY?

When her daughter needed a yearbook headshot, she decided to crank it up a notch and turn it into a celebration. This way, she gets to submit something extra special and customized, AND start building a gallery home of her family at home.

Shira sparkles, just like her mom.

2/3

We’re 2/3s of our way through documenting the Kofinas year of growth. Remember this session??

Alexandra and I are building a gallery wall that chronicals the growth of her family over the course of this year: from family of three, to maternity, to family of four.

That leaves us with one session to go for the year… and my heart is pounding just thinking about it.

ClientsRachel LinkwaldJanuary 14, 2021atlanta, atlanta photographer, atlanta family photographer, best atlanta photographer, galler, gallery design, home gallery, story, storytelling, portraiture, pregnancy, pregnancy announcement, maternity, maternity portrait, maternity photoshoot, siblingsComment

Test drive

A couple of nights ago, we tiptoed down to the almost completed studio. I wanted to test lens length in the space, so asked kids to stand in. Didn't have a single light set up, no backdrop: just my new space, natural light in the evening in the rain. This is the result. Back of camera, as unedited as it comes.

Connection

Elisheva bid on a session with me at an auction to support The Jewish Fertility Foundation some time ago. We got together for a socially distanced session at her home, in front of her favorite tree.

Among her favorite things, which include a passion for helping children, American Sign Language, and promoting exercise health, is snuggling her sweet children and puppy. The images that made her coo weren’t perfectly posed, but rather when there was a connection. She loved this image, but unfortunately, puppy Oreo’s face was hidden behind them. That’s why you hire a photographer who can photoshop! I can’t wait to see her face when she holds the finished mounted print.

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Best of the Situation

Remember this friend/client, who convinced me to do my version of a corona porchtrait for her?

It was a beautiful session. Perfect weather. She had great ideas in mind. And seeing her children again, even if many feet apart, was bliss.

That first picture? It’s actually a composite of three different images:

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As I left, her amazing daughter asked, repetitiously, “When the sickness is over, can we come to your house? Can we come one day, when it’s over??”

I feel like this whole experience is a constant contrast of tender and heartbreaking. A craving and appreciation of connection.

Reunited with Wonder Woman

Rebekah was a dear friend in college, we bonded performing in a production of Tommy. Fast forward, the lady is rocking as owner of the Center Stage Arts Studio in Ohio, is the proud mama of 6, and military wife.

She and her family (four brothers), were gathering outside of Atlanta for Thanksgiving, and she wanted to take advantage of the gathering. I was equally excited to make art with her as I was to simply catch up with someone who has always been a magnetic match.

This week, some metals are shipping out to Vegas, for her brother and sister-in-law!

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Rebekah is the queen of keeping it real, and pushing for her dreams. A true Wonder Woman.

The Fine Art Home portrait

I’ve been shying from requests from front porch/yard portraits during this time. I want to stay true to the custom art that my clients expect, I want to be meticulous about safety, and I want to make sure my own family is holding it together.

Then, a repeat client who had been amongst those inquiring hit me hard last night with a: “THIS TIME IS CRAZY! AND I WANT TO REMEMBER IT! I want to add it to our home gallery, because it’s a great way to remember this insane time beautifully.”

After processing it with her, I realized I can indeed accomplish all three while creating art with my clients and neighbors to commemorate this period.

$400 includes:

Photography session outdoors on your porch or in your yard, from a safe distance.
Virtual consultation where you select your portrait, and we envision custom alterations.
Optional gallery design included: see your image(s) in different sizes and configurations in your actual space.
A calibrated, heirloom, mounted 8x10 art print, with the accompanying 8x10 digital image.
Option to change print size, material, and add additional images. Upgrading your mounted print to wall art begins at an additional $235.

SIGN UP FOR A SLOT ON SUNDAY, MAY 3RD, AND RECEIVE $35 OFF.

The first three images were combined to create the final portrait.

Sign up for your slot here. We will chat on the phone afterwards to discuss your vision, narrow down timing, and answer questions.

For Always

When the cousins come to play from the other side of the world, you make sure the memories last.

Proud Grandma is so excited to admire her sweet babies on her walls daily (on standout Matte Metals), and gift a mini album to her own mother.

Designed for her wall using the unedited images.

If you are a parent, or a grandparent, you know the struggle of getting multiple children engaged in the same moment. I hold your hand through the process, and help you envision your ultimate image. One that captures the spirit of each of your loved ones.

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Update! The gallery has been installed!

Last of the strands

I have such a soft spot for pre/post upshern sessions. It’s such a sweet, sentimental session: the last moment of your baby truly being a baby! That soft, feathery, uncut hair. And then the dramatic transformation after the ceremony.

(You definitely want to click each image to expand)

And here’s our plan for their living room!:

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Even more exciting? We have our follow-up session to come! You’ll have to hold tight a few months to see this sweet big boy with his new do’.

This family was a referral from Melissa, and there’s nothing like working with someone who is there because they trust someone that loved their experience and art, and are ready to embrace the same. Thank you to everyone who shares my name and work.

The Ultimate Selfie

Creating art requires a tremendous amount of control.

Something you totally lose when you decide to not only capture an image, but simultaneously jump to the other side of the camera, try to look good, and wrangle your kids. I admit it: every year, I struggle taking my own family portrait for our walls. And then every year, I say, I’m another year wiser, they are another year older, let’s give it a go!

This year, rather than going epic, like I enjoy doing for my clients, I said, let’s keep it really streamlined. Just us, in the new studio. Not my usual style, but a greater likelihood for less stress.

HAHHHAAAAAAHHAHAHAHA! It was a terrible experience! But we got this gem at the end:

Which works for me, since these were some of our other images:

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Next year, I will once again say, “I’m another year wiser, they’re another year older, why not?”

LOLOLOL! (*cry)

Authentic

My third shoot with the Marvelous Rabba Melissa, and I’ve learned about what she craves: authenticity. She wants gorgeous art on her walls, but she isn’t looking for everyone looking perfectly catalogue chic. She wants the expressions and moments that speak to her everyday life in this phase. The “pouty snuggle face,” the “I’m just silly,” the “I’m totally teenager.” She wants to remember everyone, exactly as they are.

When she knew her brother and nephew were coming to town, she said it was an occasion to be remembered and documented. Our next step together is to mount her gallery wall with images we’ve printed together from this shoot, last year, and occasions before we were blessed to know each other when the littles were littler, and their wedding day. Their growth so far, to be added to for years to come.

The Best of Each

“My sister and her family are visiting us and our parents from Argentina! Let’s have a photography session, so that we can each hang a piece of art of all of us together in our homes! But… with five grandchildren, how are you going to get everyone smiling??”

Honestly? I’m not.

But if you are going to admire a piece of art every day in your home, and pass it down, it should show every single person at their best. That’s why each piece is a carefully constructed custom art piece. Before, and after:

Can you count the changes? Comment below!

These were some of the sweetest kids. Sam’s smile pushed me over the edge. But you know the drill: out of routine, something chaotic and exciting and new, kids feel and show every moment of it. That’s why it’s my job to show the BEST of each precious human.

Soon, these will look like this on their walls!

The Grandkids

Coming this week to your wall, Tracey!!

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I can’t wait to hang this metal of your angels with you.

…And see how your mom is loving her gallery down in Florida! Capturing cousins is magical.

House a Home

We moved! One by one, we’re tearing through the boxes, putting things in their new spot, and figuring out what has yet to be found. Settling in. For me, what transitions my new house into my new home is putting the family art up on the walls. So while I have much more to go, tonight we decided to begin to make our mark on our space.

These are images printed on matte standout metals, and assembled from two different family sessions.

Just a hundred pictures left to go!
Another step closer. The transformation is incredible.

What to Wear Part 3

Two Fridays ago, I mentioned that I like thinking about styling a client in one of three categories:

In Designer’s Dream, your focus is on your finished product and how it interacts with your space. Is your style modern? minimalist? shabby chic? nautical? Do you have prominent colors that echo through your space? Do you want a piece of art that not only features your family, but compliments you home style?

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You are looking for fabrics with movement and texture. Everyone doesn’t need to precisely match one another nor your room, but should be in complimentary color groups. When we design your shoot, I can guide you into the color group that is flattering both to you AND your room!