Zany Week, April 12th Edition

Hey, y'all! Checking in. Spring has sprung hard over here at Ye Olde RSP Industries (not my actual business name but it sounds kinda cool, right?) and I feel like I've been running like an unstoppable maniac for the last week and change. Since last Saturday, I've had...


—5 portrait sessions

—2 headshot sessions

—A camping trip that included an underwater maternity session (and it was so so awesome!)

—2 other underwater sessions with a couple of super rad new models

—1 engagement session

—2 venue walk-throughs with upcoming wedding couples to nail down specifics for their events

—1 planning meeting with a brand new wedding couple

—Working on deposits and set planning for the Halloween minis

—Just an insane amount of editing and a handful of print orders

—Appointment planning for the next 5 weeks, which will contain 15 portraits, 4 engagement sessions, 2 weddings, at least 7 underwater sessions, and a whole mess of editing and post-production

—Not nearly enough sleep (which is nothing new, really)


It has been a crazy handful of days. I feel like I haven’t stopped moving since last Saturday. Wooooof.


But man, do I love my job.


Thanks to everyone who makes this weird wonderful wacky life of mine possible. I have the best clients in the world and I never forget that for a second!


Head down and soldiering on...although I'm hoping to grab a nap tomorrow in between sessions and editing and my paltry attempt at a social life. Ha!

Emerging from Hibernation

Okay, so, the title of this blog isn't totally accurate. I've definitely not been hibernating--I wish, because then maybe I would have caught up on sleep. But alas, winter was still crazy busy, and as is apparently my yearly tradition, I neglected keeping fresh entries going here for the blog. Sigh. At least I'm consistent.





Hi! Happy Spring, y'all! Life is rolling merrily along and no matter how much I think January and February will be "quieter" months, I'm always wrong. (It's not a bad thing and I'm of course not complaining.)





Now, the weather is warming up and the busy spring season is getting ready to start in earnest. We are ready to go and have a ton of stuff on deck for the spring and summer. We're about to kick off our first contest of 2017, gearing up for all our spring weddings, maternity, newborns, and family sessions, and organizing our first open water mermaid sessions, which I'm incredibly excited (and a little nervous) for.





We hope you're having a good spring so far and can't wait to see everyone's smiling faces for your sessions and events. For now, enjoy some of our favorite images from the past couple of months!

Exhaustion and Gratitude

Spring has brought its usual flurry of activity. I am nearly finished up with one wedding and about to dig into the editing for two more, all while doing pre-work and prep for an additional four that are coming up and have yet to be actually shot. That is on top of three boudoir sessions, a handful of portraits, a few engagement sessions, a smattering of head shots, and a couple of other various events and things that need my attention. As always, I am not complaining, because busy is good and busy is completely preferable to bored. I am feeling a deep and yet strangely satisfying form of exhaustion, the type of exhaustion that only comes from knowing that you are getting near the end of one project while several others wait, knowing that a lot of people are relying on you, and feeling intensely glad for all of these things. My job and my life are never boring, never dull, perpetually busy, and always full of blessings. For this, I am grateful despite the deep tiredness inherent in these things and this workload. I can handle it. 

Coiling Up for Spring

Oh yes. You see what I did there? Coiling up? Ha! I slay me. But in all seriousness, the year is flying by, and as such, spring 2015 is on my doorstep.

Yeah, I'm aware it's only February, but in Florida, February means we're jusssst about out of the season where we might have to think about legitimately cold weather, and we're jusssst about into spring. I'm glad. And intimidated. Because spring is going to be so super busy that I think I can't quite fathom it yet. In 1.5 months of time, I'll have 6 weddings, 10 portrait sessions, 3 events, 2 sets of visitors coming in from out of town, and a handful of social things on my calendar, and that's just what I have scheduled as of right now. February has been (deliberately!) pretty calm, aside from a few portraits and some pre-session and pre-wedding planning stuff, along with a week up in Chicago to visit some clients and some of the most beloved people in my world, but otherwise, month #2 of this year has been serene. I've reacquainted myself with my house. My dogs remember what I look like when not in a flurry of motion to get out the door. I've had time for baking and trying some new recipes. I've even had time for some gardening. (I know. Whaaaaaat?) I would be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying the calm before the storm, so I've been trying to take advantage of this brief period of semi-tranquility before I get hit in the face with my second busiest time of the year. (Second busiest, of course, because let's be honest, nothing will ever come close the mania that is my fall season. Whoa.)

Am I complaining? Not for a second. I remain, as always, grateful that I get to do this for a living and I know how very lucky I am. But I would be dumb to not be a little bit intimidated by my calendar for the next few months. I think that the best way to describe what I'm feeling is this: you know when you're about to go under the water and swim for a bit without surfacing, and you're taking a few big cleansing breaths to get yourself ready, and then you take that one big final gulp of air in anticipation of the plunge? That's where I am right now. I'm enjoying my (relatively) quiet last days of February, taking a few big deep breaths, and prepping myself for the proverbial plunge.

Here we go...deep breath in, and I'm ready. Almost. There are a few more days before the season gets underway and my garden isn't going to tend itself.

Spring Flings

With a sigh I realize yet again that I've been neglecting my blog. Apologies, gentle reader. Life seems to get away with me more than I ever expect.

We are having a record breaking year so far; more portraits and weddings than ever. (You won't hear me complaining.) This past weekend we shot a wedding redux for a pair of dear friends; Josh and Marisol had a second wedding 4 years after their first go-around because they'd never done it in the church before. Saturday they had an intimate ceremony at Holy Family Catholic in Orlando, surrounded by their families, and we were honored to be on hand to capture their day for them. You may know Josh and Marisol from some of our past portrait sessions with Miss Evie; she is their now 2 year old daughter. They are an awesome family and it was great to get to help them celebrate as they said their "I Do"s again.

Keep an eye on us over on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/rachelsullivanphotography) for all the latest news and photos. We hope you and yours are having a happy healthy year so far. Happy Spring!

A Year in the Life of Olivia Jean

I am at the end of a year of incredibly rewarding photography--little Miss Olivia has reached her first birthday.

It seems like just yesterday we were waiting for her to make her debut, and now we're more than a year past that point, watching her grow, walk, learn, and change every day.

Capturing milestones for babies and their families is always a tall order and always special, and Olivia was no exception to this rule. From her very first session, I knew this baby would be a delight and a challenge...she was trying to sit up during her newborn session! She's always been a few steps ahead and a lively little bundle, and I'm thankful for every little moment during what ended up totaling 15 sessions over the course of her first year; newborn portraits, a session for each of her months one through eleven after that, two sessions for her twelve month milestone, and a sweet session we shot with a photojournalistic approach, cataloging a "normal day" with Olivia and her family, going about their day as we documented the proceedings in a more candid and casual way.

All of this led up to her first birthday party, where Olivia, surrounded by her family and friends (and her favorite photographer, naturally), decided it was high time she took her first steps. She literally started walking, with her adoring crowd watching and cheering her on, on her very first birthday. Never let it be said that this girl wasn't born to be in front of the camera!

It doesn't end here; we now get to watch as Olivia keeps on growing, learning, playing, and amazing her family every step of the way. It's bittersweet, in a way, to know that she's growing up, but in another way, it's so exciting to know we'll get to watch her as she continues on her journey.

Happy birthday, Sweet Olivia Jean, with love from your Personal Paparazzi. We can't wait to see what the world has in store for you next!