Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachelle Vance.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
At 13, I saved up and bought my first camera, a Vivitar 110 Pocket Camera. I planted a sunflower seed in the backyard, waited for it to bloom, then made a rather blurry photo of it. I still have that photo. It hangs in a bright yellow frame, to keep me, to remind me, to inspire me. Throughout the rest of my life, I balanced marriage, raising kids, and a full-time corporate job with my passion for photography. I was fortunate in that with my job came lots of travel, and I got to photograph so many beautiful places and discover how Beautiful America is!
I’ve enjoyed practicing creating long-exposure landscapes, Astro (milky way) photography, and portrait photography. I am a professional portrait photographer, specializing in natural light, and on-location portraits. I was honored to be invited by an Art Gallery to show my work in 2008, and had a corner in a shop on the beach in Ft. Lauderdale selling my “Florida Prints” “pre-pandemic”. I have a GETTY and an Adobe account, where they pay me pennies for my stock images. You can find me on Instagram: @RVance_Photography for my Portraits, and Rachelle Vance for my Landscapes. There are additional photography TIPS on my BLOG: Rachelle Vance Photography and lots of BIRD photography from when I earned my Wings Over Florida Certificate in 2013.
My most recent “project” is my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Zoey. Making the switch from people to pets was a huge learning curve, and I wanted to learn as much as I could. From my portrait experience, I knew that I was going to have to get the catchlight in her eyes, and “connect” with her on a level that the viewer can feel.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road, but suffering is just part of life. I found strength in the difficult times and was able to enjoy the easy times even more, having an abundance of appreciation.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a photographer, my camera guides me, and my heart guides me. I specialize in creative and artful portrait photography. I believe everyone is beautiful, and that the art of portrait photography is a collaboration.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love Crystal River! It has an Old Florida vibe and hasn’t been affected much by commercialism or big box stores.
Save Crystal River is doing amazing things to help the manatees survive and thrive.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Rachelle Vance Photography
- Facebook: Rachelle Vance Photography
Image Credits
Rachelle Vance Photography
