We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rachel Linkwald. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rachel below.

Hi Rachel, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

As a little girl visiting my grandparents, I saw portraits plastered all over their walls: both past generations and our current family. I felt so proud to see those pictures. I would literally count how many photos of me they had on display, it made me feel important and loved. When they passed away, we sorted through their belongings. I took those same portraits off the walls, held them in my arms, and brought them home.

That’s when I realized:

I was a professional photographer and I had no portraits of my own children on my walls. My clients were in the same position, I was flooding them with mediocre digitals, and ultimately they would have nothing to show their grandchildren. WHY don’t we have heirloom prints that can be passed down??! There were so many barriers!

I began to consider all the problems with modern day photography, and in honor of my grandparents, set my sights on solving them.

My goal is for your family to see yourselves as art in your home every day, and then pass those same portraits down to future generations.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’ve always worked in the arts. I began my career performing, and had a gap between shows. A friend introduced me to a photography company to fill my gaps, and I like to say they hazed me into the business. This was in 2004. Over time, photography became more conducive to my work/life/family/spirituality balance goals. But, honestly, I still wasn’t passionate about it. It’s easy for a photographer to be complacent, take hundreds of photos, pop a filter on, send them over, and pronounce themselves done. I began to push myself creatively, exploring light and post processing. Suddenly, it was about quality over quantity, it was about creating specific and vision-focused art.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I always start with the client discussing their goals. Where in their home do they imagine their artwork? Who do they want to feature? What story to they want to tell? Do they love the aesthetic of shooting in my studio, or it there a meaningful and beautiful location they have in mind? After the session, we sit together, make their selections, and discuss alterations to make it their perfect image, whether it’s incorporating colors from the room where it will be featured, or swapping heads on a kid to showcase a better side of their personality. Then we design the gallery to perfectly compliment their space. The rewarding moment? I come over, and install the finished artwork. When they call over the family, I hear their children squeal. They are so excited to see themselves, surrounded by love and beauty. That’s when I know I did my grandparents proud.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Photography was meant to be my “gap filler.” When I had a break between shows, I’d tell the company for which I freelanced to fill me up. And then I’d alert them when I booked a show, and would be busy for the next few months. It was perfect. Then, people started to take notice of the fact that I was shooting professionally, and asked for sessions. I tapped my chin, and said, “hmmmm, I should buy a camera, maybe…” I got my hands on an entry-level DSLR. Here’s something interesting… People often say, “nice picture, you must have a nice camera,” which is like saying, “nice cake, you must have a nice oven.” A camera, like an oven, is a tool you learn to master. You can have the nicest camera in the world, but if it’s set to “Auto,” it’s making the decisions, not you, and the results are no different than a camera phone. My first big milestone was to learn about the impact of my camera settings in order to execute my vision. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much to learn out there, and so many informational streams! From professional social media groups and YouTube tutorials, to hopping on a plane to shoot alongside a mentor, I began to see the bottomless ways to add depth, interest, and heart to an image.        

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shaynaimage.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachel_shayna_image/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShaynaImage
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-linkwald-shaynaimage/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@shaynaimage

Image Credits
Photography: Shayna Image Behind the Scenes: Yelena Hertzberg and Franca