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Dec 11 2012

Without a Plan

Posted in Beautiful World, Personal

We have had an incredible year. As you may have noticed, the last two-an-a-half months have been less about my work with clients and more about figuring out the beauty of shooting without a plan. Getting shots on film sets, photographing friends over the holidays, freezing in the snow to get a great landscape… all of these things have added to the flame in my heart to find stunning and emotive images. But, aside from that I’ve been putting lots of energy into other creative things: painting, writing music, and going deeper with my husband.

You’ve been gracious and kind to encourage me forward. By asking what I’ve been working on or when my next blog will be posted, you remind me of how important it is for images to communicate the passage of time as we connect with the life around us. Thank you for that.

So, as I continue with my indefinite client hiatus, try not to forget that you’re the reason I love what I do. It’s always been about the people, the stories, the love, the innocence, the brokenness, the imperfections: it’s about the elements of life that bleed into a photo and make beauty.Rachel Hendrix Photography has had an incredible year. The last two-an-a-half months have been less about my work with clients and more about figuring out the beauty of shooting without a plan.
Posted in Beautiful World, Personal
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Tessa B - December 12, 2012 - 8:33 am

Inspiring, as always xxx

Jane - December 22, 2012 - 5:10 am

Thank you for all of your inspiring blog posts. You have given me that extra push to start photography and to continue to create in as many ways as possible; sharing my gifts with all those who care to receive it.

I hope you have a beautiful Christmas!

love & light, Jane

mark - February 4, 2013 - 10:24 am

your debut role in October baby was awesome! my wife and seven yr old daughter cried, as did I, just a little. I wish you continued success in photography, and acting. God bless.

Oct 01 2012

2nd Unit – Garden Route | South Africa

Posted in Beautiful World, Personal

Sometimes, there just aren’t words for things.

I’ve been trying to write the text for this post for about an hour now and I keep coming up dry. The fact that I’m in South Africa, filming a movie, is so bizarre to even say out-loud, and when I try to caption all these amazing photos that tell of our journey, I find it takes away from the experience.

Maybe I’m over-thinking it.

Maybe you can just enjoy.

Here are some shots from the 2nd unit across the Garden Route. We stopped along the way and found unique, hidden locations that were destined to be shot on film. From homes made of seashells for the homeless wondering vagabonds to perfect 3 foot waves along the coast-line, we made an effort to stop and soak in the atmosphere of what we wanted to capture on film. Yes, I rode an elephant. Yes, it was unforgettable.

Posted in Beautiful World, Personal
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Miranda - October 2, 2012 - 7:16 pm

These are magical. I’m so happy that you get to experience this!

Natascha - October 3, 2012 - 1:05 pm

wow love the pictures. Lookes like alot of fun. Enjoy it hun… cu

Allie - October 7, 2012 - 2:55 pm

Wow, how amazing is this!? These are great shots. I agree, sometimes words steal from a picture’s joy. Absolutely amazing post. Love it!

Annesti - December 11, 2012 - 2:45 pm

Hello Rachel
These are beautiful pictures! I live in SA (Western Cape actually) and was just wondering what towns you visited? Was the elephant visit in Knysna?
I love all your photographs!
(by the way, October Baby is a huge hit here in SA. Loved it! Thank you)

Sep 24 2012

Cape Town, South Africa

Posted in Personal

Days like this I enjoy feeling the movement towards creativity. I spent a good part of the morning in my favorite local coffee shop soaking up the freedom of the day and reflecting on the past four weeks that have seriously been some of the most enriching and challenging weeks of my life. Friendships have formed so quickly, and I know that a family has formed… the kind of family that is bound for life. The flipside of that is the guarantee that it will hurt deeply to leave. Thank goodness I’m three steps from the ocean most of the time so I can float into the peace and soak in the present. There’s something holy about being submerged in living, breathing, ice-cold water.

We have been doing so much traveling since I arrived in late August.  I want to photograph every bush, every tree, every wildflower! It’s Spring here so everything is in bloom. Twice now we’ve driven the famous Garden Route to Jeffries Bay, stopping along the way for surfing and various other “wow” factor shots needed for the film. Because of security reasons it’s been quite a challenge to bring my camera with me to all the locations where we are shooting. I’ve been advised not to walk around with an expensive camera around my neck even in very touristy places, so I am extra careful when I want to shoot. More often I just bring my phone and snap shots with Instagram to save the hassle of lugging around a bulky DSLR, but when beckoned, I can’t leave my baby behind. South Africa has truly stolen my heart and I hope these photos can convey why. It’s really about the beauty and the people in this place.

Posted in Personal
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Ashley - October 1, 2012 - 6:49 pm

aw Rach, I am so in love with how much you love South Africa, I knew it would steal your heart. It has a way like that, like the song, She has a way!! Your photos are so alive. They are beautiful and embody so much of the incredible country side you are getting to see. Maybe we can meet there someday and laugh and share a drink or two! Wouldn’t that be BLISS!! love you….. MASH

Annesti - December 11, 2012 - 2:51 pm

Hey Rachel
(me again) THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING South Africa SOUND SO GREAT! So many people get the wrong impression and see only parts of my beautiful country. :( you truly capture the beauty of parts of SA! Thank you!

Jul 06 2012

Rahel | Portraits

Posted in Portraits

We were sitting in a dimly lit room packed full of people the first time I heard Rahel sing. Accompanied by her band that consisted of a cellist, a painist, and a basist, she led the audience into an evening of full-bodied sounds and melodies that one could wrap up into with a fleece blanket. Her warm, Brazilian-jazz inspired vocals paired seamlessly with her original lyricas that were unlike anything I’d heard yet in Switzerland, and I found myself watching her and arriving in my head at the places she was singing into being. The words nature, light, movement, melancholy, earth, and freedom come to my mind when I think on the songs, and I remember being so moved and impressed with the music that I didn’t want it to be over. Luckily I have had the pleasure of getting to know Rahel these past few years and I always enjoy when I find myself in the same room with her and her microphone.

Naturally, when Rahel came to me about doing portraits for her upcoming EP release, I wanted so badly to capture a part of the musical experience with the images. It was the most important thing for both of us. Looking at the photos now I am thankful for the opportunity to have captured not only someone whom I greatly admire as an artist but also as a friend, as well as the chance to contribute to her moving forward into what I know will be a fruitful and exciting music career.

Posted in Portraits
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Jun 12 2012

Samuel | Children + Family Photography

Posted in Children, Family, Golden Hour Session

“Creative play is like a spring that bubbles up from deep within a child.”  ~ Joan Almon

Samuel’s parents and grandparents invited me to join them for an afternoon to photograph a typical time at their lovely home in Hägendorf.  A soft breeze seasoned with a perfect 70 degrees, an apero at my arrival, flowers in full bloom and and afternoon of chasing a cute little boy around as he played and laughed and wondered… it was an easy time. This was my second time photographing Samuel so he was familiar with having a long lens chasing him around for a couple of hours.  I’ve never seen such long, blonde eyelashes in my life! Here are some shots of their sweet family love.

Posted in Children, Family, Golden Hour Session
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Claudio - June 12, 2012 - 11:22 am

Nice shots!
Man, he’s growing fast.
I special like Sam the Mechanic and the barefoot climber.
The top one is very cute too.

Cia - June 12, 2012 - 1:34 pm

Nice!! I DO like the barefoot climber :)

Lajescha - June 19, 2012 - 1:09 am

Great job, Rachel! I love how you portray children…

Allie - October 7, 2012 - 3:17 pm

I love these photos…such a great example of God’s beautiful children. Love, love, love. You are such a creative photographer! Great shots. <3 Allie.

Jun 05 2012

Marc + Sandy | Wedding

Posted in Weddings

come close to me, too close for words
and still my beating heart.
i find your thoughts without one glance.
we’re going all the way.
tears sometimes fall upon my face
and join the oil of gladness.
how can it be, i’ve found this love?
a love that let me fly.


Posted in Weddings
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Vicky - June 6, 2012 - 6:46 pm

They get better and better……beautiful!

Matt - July 27, 2012 - 4:00 am

Outstanding shots Rachel. Wow!

Anne - January 23, 2013 - 2:19 pm

Your photography gallery is among the best that I have seen. I love how you use natural light and unique angles to capture the moment. Absolutely delightful.
God blessed you with so much talent! I first saw you in October Baby and had no idea you were also a professional photographer. Super cool!

God bless : )

May 07 2012

Timon + Ursula | Wedding

Posted in Pure Romance, Radiant Bride, Weddings

Summer is upon us. This is a beautiful thing for many reasons. One, the gray winter fog which seems to encapsulate Winterthur for months at a time has lifted and most of the days include some or mostly sunshine. While rain is a necessary and sometimes beautiful thing as well, I am happy to see the seasons are changing. Two, so many lovebirds marry this time of year which is always a joy for the atmosphere (and for me because I love what I do!).

As we enter into the wedding season, I am happy to present to you a lovely couple I had the pleasure of photographing in the Winter first for their engagement and now, their wedding. They kept me laughing the whole afternoon, and I’m sure Ursula thought I was crazy at some point because I kept checking the shots and making loud grunts because of how amazing they looked!

Timon and Ursula, please never stop laughing at and with each other. It’s the perfect medicine. Thank you for allowing me to share part of this day with you both. It was beautiful.

Posted in Pure Romance, Radiant Bride, Weddings
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Matt Anderson - May 7, 2012 - 11:38 pm

Very nice images Rachel! I especially like the shot where his hand is up near her neck (sounds creepy but looks great), and I really like the back-to-back pose. Great work!

May 02 2012

B Family | Love

Posted in Family, Portraits

The weather is finally changing into what I am hoping is a warm summer with lots of sunshine and green. Although the air is warmer, the alps still maintain their white coats of snow and every few days the cold wind from the north blows in an gets into my bones. Thankfully, we had one of the warmer days atop the Goldenberg in Winterthur, Switzerland where Jael and her six siblings gathered to make a photo for their father. What can I say other than that this family was full of life and contagious love.

Posted in Family, Portraits
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Mar 11 2012

W Family | Experiment

Posted in Children, Family, Golden Hour Session, Personal

“We teach children about life, but they teach us what life is about.”

There is so much I could say about my time with this family. I am happy and blessed to have been able to spend some serious quality time with these munchkins before heading up to Alabama for the October Baby promotional tour.  It was my Godson Elias’s (the oldest) 5th birthday and I was invited to join them in celebrating the little man’s birth. After almost two years of being away in Switzerland and unable to make something work to meet up, I could finally visit my long time sister-in-love and her family at their Orlando home for a few days. Because I knew I had some time, I tried something new with my photography.

For the past few weeks I’ve really admired the work of a particular photographer named Leah Zawadski who is currently concentrating on taking portraits of her children in their completely natural environment. Spending time with a dear friend, her husband and their three boys helped me get into a place where I could watch life happen a little differently than what I’m accustomed to and then document what I saw. It was more or less an exercise in seeing life through a different lens you could say. These first set of these images are part of my experiment to capture them as kids being kids while using the available light I have in the most creative way possible.  With only my Nikon body and a cheap 50mm lens to work with, I was limited in some ways but liberated in others since no time was wasted changing lenses.

It was a gift to have time with them for almost a week. I will cherish this trip and remember the way the light lit up their innocence with the freedom to be themselves.  Towards the end of my visit I took the family in the sun for a more typical golden hour photo session which was a session I’d been dreaming of for years.  I found much joy in looking back over these photos and watching them live out their childhood as uniquely as they are to me.

Posted in Children, Family, Golden Hour Session, Personal
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Miranda - March 11, 2012 - 2:21 pm

Oh! These melt my heart. I only wish that we could have gotten some together…and maybe that it was warm enough to wear a skirt :)

You are so fantastic. I’ll be hard pressed to find someone as amazing as you!! We miss you already and are SOOOOO impressed with how the photos turned out!! We love you!!

Molissa Snell - March 11, 2012 - 2:35 pm

Absolutely beautiful Rachel! You areso very talented. God has blessed you! Use your wonderful gifts to Glorify His Name!!

Christina Veit - March 11, 2012 - 3:37 pm

Rachel, these pictures put the biggest smile on my face. You captured the family truly being themselves . Your work is magical, thank you for sharing these photos!

Colleen Trusler - March 11, 2012 - 6:08 pm

Rach, you captured them perfectly! I felt so honored to have been able to be a part of your visit with them and get to know this beautiful family!

Audrey - March 11, 2012 - 6:32 pm

Oh wow! These took my breath away! Rachel, you are one super talented lady!

carolyn western - March 12, 2012 - 9:13 am

racheal the pictures you took of miranda and jon ,boys are just beautiful.when you get back to dothan gove me a call in chipley i love you this is miranda,s grandmother carolyn western

Anissa Western - March 12, 2012 - 2:34 pm

Rachel,this is Miranda’s aunt. I met you awhile back. These pictures are truly beautiful.Just keep using the talent that God gave you to be that witness he has called you to be. And they are a very special family indeed.

Eleanor Whitaker - March 13, 2012 - 7:16 pm

Rachel, Thanks for sharing such Beautiful Pictures of Jon,Miranda, and our precious Grands!! It has been nine months since we have seen our Babies!! They have grown and changed so much! I can’t wait to smother them with Kisses & Hugs in June!
May God continue to Bless you! I send my love!
Eleanor ( Jon’s mom & my third daughter’s mom)

Kate Wicker - March 13, 2012 - 7:29 pm

I loved catching a glimpse into the lives of Jon, Miranda, and the boys. The love is palpable. So is the energy and spirit in those boys. Then there’s Miranda. What a beauty.

These photos are amazing. And so are their subjects.

7 Quick Takes: The Hazardous Waste, Vanity, October Baby, & More Edition | Kate Wicker - March 23, 2012 - 2:08 am

[...] I also have selfish reasons for wanting to watch the movie to do well. A  good friend of mine is close friends with the film’s lead actress, Rachel Hendrix. In fact, Rachel, who’s also a very talented photographer, recently took photos of my friend’s beautiful family. [...]

Leia - December 23, 2012 - 7:06 pm

Great blog! Is your theme custom made or did you
download it from somewhere? A design like yours with a few
simple tweeks would really make my blog jump out. Please let me
know where you got your design. With thanks

Szilvia - January 13, 2013 - 2:50 pm

This photos impressed me. ;) Best wishes from Hungary! Szilvi

Feb 25 2012

Max + Madeline | Children Photography

Posted in Children, Golden Hour Session

It seems a bit like Winterthur is melting. The ice has turned mud puddles into mud puddles again, and I am too warm in my heavy winter coat. It’s possibly only a short invitation to spring, but I’m happy to take it. I had the privilege to shoot brother and sister Max & Madeline in this warm-ish Seen sun yesterday, and I’m happy to bring you photos that will hopefully warm your heart and give a small glimpse into the spirit of spring, their free personalities, and the warm weather most of us are longing for.

Posted in Children, Golden Hour Session
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Bettina Schwarzen - February 25, 2012 - 12:17 pm

Oh Rachel! They are wonderful. Thank you so much! I´ll have to upgrade to the package where I can have them all…
Talk soon.

Bettina Schwarzen - March 1, 2012 - 12:41 pm

My husband loves his birthday present! Thanks again for all your brilliant work and your kind and most generous help.

Albrecht Hofstaetter - March 2, 2012 - 1:24 pm

Marvellous photos! The proud grandfather

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