Hannah’s approach to real estate is much like finding a dating setup: start with a wonderful client, and know that their perfect match is out there… it’s her job to bring the two together. She has a broad understanding of Atlanta (just ask her about free activities to do with your family!) and what makes it special.

We crafted her session for here at the Shayna Image studio, with the goal of showcasing her glowing personality, professionalism, and the backdrop of her specialty.

Hannah Fleshel Headshots 2020-9520-BlueEdit-Edit.jpg

Reach out to Hannah via her website: www.hannahsells.com
And check out the fantastic video created by FilmTribe she made that showcases all that Jewish Atlanta has to offer!

Co-conspirator

Melissa is an artist. Not by trade or practice, but creatively, in her mind. By trade and practice she’s a Maharat, a leader, and a guide. But she gets these incredible creative bursts, and I get to execute them! She saw my headshot, and wanted a twist for herself. My favorite messages are from her, saying “I just had this crazy idea for a photoshoot…” See one here.

Darker, more dramatic background? Or brighter? What do you think?

We wanted something rich, dramatic, but still as colorful and vibrant as Melissa! The only purple in the original image was in her headband, but I infused the color into our backdrop and her necklace to build cohesion.

Here’s the setup behind the scenes!

More to come!

Alexandra is an artist. When she reached out to me, there was a perfect understanding of what we are trying to accomplish when you work with me. She wanted us to build art together. She did, however, throw me for a loop when she asked about the process of booking three sessions in a year.

I told her I have a two-session discount that could easily be adapted…but why three sessions? Clearly there was a goal…

She mumbled a bit, talked about capturing different environments… then came out with it: she was expecting!! She imagined a gallery in their home that tells the story of their evolving family through this time: a family of three, a family maternity session, and as a family of four.

I definitely squealed through the rest of our consultation.

Our session was delightful, learning all about Adam’s work as Executive director of local synagogue Or VeShalom, which I had the pleasure of attending for a few years, and getting Stella’s full spunk. They are such a dynamic family! But what was truly fun was capturing this image, with Stella completely unaware of why we were taking it:

We’ve been waiting all these months until Chanukah to finally make the announcement. May this family have nothing but joy going forward.

Speaking of going forward… it’s almost time for their second session!!

Mary Turner

Location location location!

Mary Turner is all about location. Passionate about travel, she mulled over the possibility of becoming a Landscape Photographer. But at the moment, she’s turned her attention towards other locations: helping commercial real estate clients.

I can’t wait to watch Mary’s adventures!

ClientsRachel LinkwaldDecember 11, 2020atlanta, atlanta real estate, commercial real estate, headshot, headshots, head shot, atlanta headshot, keller williams Comment

The Bat Mitzvah Girl, Then & Now

MAZAL TOV to the Wenger family, on Gila’s Bat Mitzvah!! Everyone was so excited to celebrate her, even if the plans had to be carefully rethought. I’ve had the opportunity to capture this family through the years, and seeing Gila evolve into such a poised young woman was stunning. Leading up to the event, we strategized the best methods to memorialize the occasion with family as lasting art in the safest way possible.

Click each image to enlarge.

Each of the girls radiate. Strong individuality, but all emanate kindness.

The Wengers were able to celebrate, albeit in a non-traditional way, with those they love most.

From the beginning, they knew they what they wanted for their home. We planned out the galleries that they will enjoy daily and for a lifetime to come.

The girls in the hallway (image unedited for mockup)

The images to the side are for individual bedrooms.

They wanted images from our previous sessions in 2012 and 2017 to be incorporated. I can’t stress enough, as a photographer, the importance in investing in backup data systems and being organized about it. I was able to pull up the original images from both years, and spruce up both so that their gallery would look more cohesive.

In my own home, I have a gallery with prints from multiple years, and I confess I often spend time reveling in the growth of my own littles. I’m thrilled that the Wengers will be able to admire the story of their family in their living room.

May they have many more celebrations to come!!

Update 1/12/2021!

We were pushed off a couple of weeks due to HSL, but were thrilled to complete the installation today!!

ClientsRachel LinkwaldNovember 27, 2020bat mitzvah, simcha, simcha portraits, portraiture, portraits, family, family photography, generations, generational art, sistersComment

Tinisha

Tinisha is delightful. Effervescent. Ready to listen and share. Dedicated to her family, her teenage children, and ready to be dedicated to yours as she helps you find your home.

And a shout-out to LUCY for making the connection!!

ClientsRachel LinkwaldNovember 20, 2020atlanta real estate, atlanta photographer, Atlanta head shot, atlanta, new home, head shot, headshot, headshots, keller williams, branding, photography, photographer, realtor, shayna imageComment

Evolution

Adrienne and I continue to evolve together, both in friendship and artistically, through the years. We first bonded in middle school choir. Decades later, she’s making a living as in interior designer and muralist. And we keep hiring each other! Beginning with murals in my children’s old rooms, most recently she’s the artistic brain behind my photography studio (hire her!) And I’ve had the chance to create her maternity, newborn, and last year’s family picture. Which brings us to this year!

Mike, who tours with the band, Hinder, playing bass, endures Adrienne’s and my endless reminiscence year after year. He has such a softness with his girls.

ClientsRachel LinkwaldNovember 16, 2020atlanta, atlanta photographer, art, children, design, editing, heirloom, family photography, friends, family, growth, gallery, gallery design, holiday cards, home art, kids, sisters, love, living room art, nature, marriage, outdoors, portraiture, photography, photographer, photoshop, siblings, sister, woods, waterComment

Turningpoints

I’m on to you Lucy. Every time someone new to the office needs a headshot, you send them my way. Are you the best? You are the best.

This time, Lucy told John to give me a call. He’s in my husband’s Realtor coaching program. Long time New Yorker’s, four years ago he and his wife called do-over. They loved Atlanta: the pace, the people. He craved a new chapter. So here he is, learning how to guide his clients, explain the market, and loving every moment of settling into Life Chapter Two.

ClientsRachel LinkwaldOctober 6, 2020atlanta, atlanta real estate, Atlanta head shot, atlanta photographer, art, headshot, headshots, head shot, keller williams, photography, roswell, realtor, shayna imageComment

Architect, Aesthete

I actually answered an unknown number. It wasn’t a car warranty, for once, but it was Michael Smith, who heard from Falynn that I was the person to call for headshots. A fellow Architect at OTJ Architects, he specializes in biomedical science facilities. But we clicked immediately over cowboy boots and wall art.

His home galleries are spectacular, but he’s one of the few who doesn’t need my process to arrange a spectacular array on his walls! There are definitely some perks to the field.

ClientsRachel LinkwaldSeptember 18, 2020atlanta, architect, atlanta photographer, Atlanta head shot, art, design, gallery, head shot, headshot, headshots, otj architects, portraiture, photography, photographer, studio, home studioComment

Happy Firsts!

“No pressure, but do you guys think we can finish the remodel on this studio in time for this sweet baby’s first birthday session?”

The construction team put the pedal to the metal, and we pulled it off in time for two firsts:

My first session in the new studio!
Solomon’s first birthday!

It felt like a true celebration of firsts when this amazing baby beamed his mega-watt smile at me. I was floored. “THIS is the kid I get in the studio today?? Can I be this lucky??” I told him he needed to save the grins for the session, nervous he’d wear himself out— it never happened. The smiles persisted: his, and so, of course, mine. He was a rockstar and an angel.

Speaking of new things worth celebrating, this family just moved into a new home! And this art will get to decorate the new walls! We’ve selected a 20x30 canvas to adorn their staircase.

Screen+Shot+2020-09-03+at+1.30.34+PM.jpg

But what’s probably most incredible about this story isn’t what’s new: it’s what’s old. When his mom reached out to me, she told me about the sentimental and expansive family galleries that bedecked their old home. Pictures of her brother and grandfather as babies that she wished to mirror (and we literally got three of the exact same poses!), and lots of images they had brought over from the “old country” that they had restored. This is EXACTLY why I do what I do!! The cheap print labs aren’t archival, and thus the art can’t be passed down. But I create heirloom pieces. So not only will baby Solomon join the family wall amongst generations of pictures, but he, too, can be passed down with them for generations to come.

Screen Shot 2020-09-08 at 10.10.46 AM.png

**Update!

We had designed his piece for their old home, but when they unexpectedly moved sooner than expected, we delayed installation until they were settled. What’s great about the size they selected, is that it looks perfect in the new stairway, too!

Mira and Matthew

Matthew and Mira were adorable, curled up on my couch, sipping sparkling apple from my own nuptial flutes, and poring over wedding materials with me. We chatted about how they met, the evolution of their relationship. They enjoyed each other so much. She told her mom that she knew nothing about what she wanted her wedding to be like, EXCEPT that she wanted Shayna Image to capture it. I’ve never been so flattered, and I wanted to blow them away.

Their wedding was March 1st.

The world shut down for Covid-19 March 13th.

We were scheduled to have our reveal party on the 22nd. We wanted so much to get together in person, enjoy celebrating and reliving the evening together, so we opted to postpone until we could view the images in person. But come August, we couldn’t take it any longer, and gathered with both sets of parents for a virtual viewing. The wait was agonizing!

They are both blessed with large, local families with abundant personalities. The energy that day communicated that this couple has a support system that runs deep. If you are a part of that support system, the family would love to share their complete online gallery with you: be in touch with them for instructions and password!

May the couple always feel encapsulated in the love of that day.

Heal with Hanna

Hanna hears you. Life is full of struggles and transitions, and she invites you to breathe through it all with her. Check out her Yoga and Healing practice, with zoom offerings during this time, at http://healwithhanna.com/ , https://www.facebook.com/healwithhanna, and https://www.instagram.com/healwithhanna/

Nice To Meet You!

Q: Rachel, how do you get most of your clients?

A: Via Instagram, Stacie messaged me, and said she got my name on NextDoor. So the answer? I get my clients through YOU!

Stacie was looking for a referral, because she’s going through a TON of transitions, and needed a refresh on her headshot that reflected these next steps in life. Work in plastics manufacturing, a new home, and a new little walker under her new roof! I’m thrilled that someone made the connection for us, and it was so energizing to end our dynamic session excitedly discussing future sessions and her friends’ photography needs! Now she gets to pass it on.

ClientsRachel LinkwaldJuly 3, 2020atlanta, atlanta photographer, growth, headshot, headshots, introduction, moving, portraiture, photography, photographer, shayna image, true to you, manufacturing, head shot, Atlanta head shotComment

Easy going

Brian is someone who makes an easy connection, and rolls with the punches. He’s launching his career with Keller Williams, and upon meeting it’s easy to imagine how enjoyable he would make the entire home-buying process.

ClientsRachel LinkwaldJune 29, 2020atlanta, atlanta real estate, atlanta photographer, art, headshot, headshots, keller williams, new home, outdoors, portraiture, photographer, photography, roswell, realtor, shayna image

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.

Screen Shot 2020-06-24 at 12.12.24 PM.png

Bold

Falynn is a heavily pursued architect, who recently transitioned firms and was ultimately wooed by OTJ Architects.

Falynn Facebook-Falynn Headshots-025-Edit.jpg

Her ingenuity keeps her creating and building both professionally and personally. Based out of Washington D.C. and Atlanta, she’s continuously impacting both her work and her community. I’m proud to have been a project of hers myself, one could say, and be able to admire her not just as a brilliant woman but as a dear friend.

ClientsRachel LinkwaldJune 4, 2020atlanta, atlanta photographer, best atlanta photographer, headshot, headshots, friends, growth, introduction, photography, photographer, studio, Jewish, architect, otj architectsComment

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:

Screen Shot 2020-05-04 at 8.49.43 PM.png

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!

Screen Shot 2020-01-16 at 10.05.04 PM.png

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.

In the Nick of Time

A personal referral goes a long way! Denisse was looking for a publicity image for The Lewis Group, a realty team out of Keller Williams Realty First Atlanta. She was disappointed by much of what she saw available- until she saw The Peter’s Company picture, and reached out to them directly to find out who was behind it.

Weather forecast was unfortunate, so Denisse went scouting, and found the perfect spot in the neighboring office’s lobby. We were so grateful they allowed us to use their space- providing we worked FAST!

After some giggles followed by whispers, we captured this in record time:

Thanks to BOTH The Lewis Group and The Peter’s Company for keeping me on my toes!!

ClientsRachel LinkwaldFebruary 20, 2020atlanta photographer, atlanta real estate, atlanta, best atlanta photographer, branding, keller williams, locations, photography, real estate team, realtor, team photoComment