Brandon and Serena: Save the Date!

Wrapping up the gallery for these two gorgeous people as they prep for their upcoming wedding--dealing with an unexpected temperature drop above the surface and the chill below the water with them for their engagement portraits was so very cold but so much fun, and they were absolute troopers despite the challenges Florida threw their way. Totally worth it for a session this awesome!







Congrats to this beautiful, fun, happy, intrepid couple. Thanks for letting me be a part of your story!

Another New Year

I usually try to post a collage of my favorite photos from the past year as a way of saying thanks on New Year's Eve, but I realized in trying to do that today that I'm not only attempting to express thanks to people from this year, but from the last ten since we're saying goodbye to a whole decade tonight. How do you narrow down and choose when you're trying to pay tribute to the best decade of your life? How do you pick which images make the cut when you have a whole decade to sift through? I found that I just couldn't do it, so I'll say simply: thank you.

You've let me into your homes and your families and allowed me to document your biggest moments. You've allowed me to be with you during the most important times of your lives--I've gotten to be there with you when you said your vows, when you wanted to share the news that a new family member was on the way, and for some of you, when those new family members actually made their debut into the world. I've been able to witness and photograph as your families have grown and gotten more and more awesome every day. I've been with some of you during moments of tragedy, and I've hopefully been able to provide some comfort in times of sorrow with photos of those who are no longer with us. You've cheerfully followed me underwater and helped me to develop a whole new arm (or fin?) for my company, putting your faith in me that I wouldn't let you drown. You've given me your business, your loyalty, and your trust, and even though you may not have realized it, every time you've chosen me to photograph something for you and every time you've been willing to lend me your hand or your face or your time, you've made every single moment of this weird, sometimes extremely stressful, always crazy rewarding, bizarre yet wonderful job of mine worth all the effort.

So, to sum it all up: thank you for making the past ten years phenomenal. When I took the leap to do this full-time, I wasn't completely sure what to expect, but all of you and your unwavering support have made Rachel Sullivan Photography an adventure I never could have expected in my wildest dreams. If I've never told you before, please know that I'm grateful.

Wishing you and yours the happiest of new years...please be safe tonight, however you choose to welcome 2020. I can't wait to see what the next decade brings.

Too Soon

"Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force."



When we were little girls and we would pretend to be in Star Wars while playing on the playground, we all wanted to be Princess Leia because she was beautiful and tough and because "she was the GIRL, duh". It wasn't until we got older that we really understood why we wanted to be her and why we should WANT to be her. A beauty and a badass through and through.

There's a meme that says "Here's a friendly reminder that Leia has lost her adoptive parents, her entire planet, her father, her husband, and her son, and has been abandoned by her brother, and she has never once been tempted by the Dark Side. Skywalker boys, take notice: y'all weak as shit". And that about sums it up. Carrie Fisher was more than Princess Leia but there's no denying that this was the role that defined her for so many of us. I can't believe she's gone. I don't often get totally crushed by celebrity deaths but this one is different. I am so sad.

Goodbye, Carrie. And thank you. Thank you for the memories, for giving of yourself to make others happy, and for the sacrifices you made. Thank you for giving us a strong female role model when we were too young to understand the reasons why you were so amazing, and thank you for showing us your human side when we were old enough to need to see your realness. You were one of a kind. You will be missed.

May the Force be with you, always. Goodnight, sweet Princess.