#photography

rachel leintz

Aug 6, 2018

one eye land features

Over the past few years, I've become an avid stalker of some major players in the photography biz. Most are internationally recognized wedding photographers like Ryan Schembri, Jerry Ghionis, and Sal Cincotta. But others are artists in the fashion photography world or portrait masters like Lindsay Adler, Sue Bryce and Miss Aniela. So when I happened upon Sal Cincotta's Wedding Photographer of the Year award from a group called One Eye Land, I was intrigued. Not only were the

rachel leintz

Dec 5, 2017

it's live!

Well, I'll be honest with you guys, posting deadlines are going to be missed left and right this month, because we all know how insane December is! But I wanted to do a quick post today to let you all know that the publication I've been dreaming of for months is finally live! I've partnered up with Modern Luxury Scottsdale and I couldn't be more thrilled that I'm featured as one of their Top 5 local vendors! Our Star Crossed shoot was also featured in the Details section for

rachel leintz

Sep 11, 2017

posing perfection series! - tip #1

I was chatting with one of my brides the other day and she said the following: "Do what you can. My face just isn't that photogenic. I'm not going to look like those other girls on your website." First off, that kind of broke my heart. Everyone is beautiful. It's true! We all have features that we want to highlight, maybe some we'd like to minimize, but everyone has a lovely, sparkling light in their face. The trick is just knowing how to capture it. And it can be quite trick

3 super simple "to do's" for stunning prep shots

rachel leintz

Mar 5, 2017

3 super simple "to do's" for stunning prep shots

You've picked out the perfect venue, your dress is to die for, and your groom's suit is stylin'! You're ready for your dream wedding! But before you tie a bow around all your pre-wedding prep, here are a few super simply "to-do's" you can check off your list to make your "getting ready" shots picture perfect: 1. A Little White Robe: White is perfect because it's super easy to find and it'll build anticipation in the album spread, creating visual suspense for the big reveal of

rachel leintz

Feb 27, 2017

sydney & jett

I can’t really remember a couple that was more full of energy and excitement on their wedding day than Sydney and Jett. Jett is a MLB player and he and Sydney is a counselor at a Catholic School. They had just recently moved to Arizona from California when I met them, over a year ago, to talk about their big day. The two met while working at the Boys and Girls club, during one of Jett’s off seasons and he surprised with her a proposal in front of the love sign here in Scotts

rachel leintz

Feb 20, 2017

the myth of the photogenic

A quick note tonight about a thought that’s been bouncing around in my head during these past few months of training. My whole life, probably since my awkward teenage years, I’ve never considered myself photogenic. Actually, to this date, I still am not super comfortable IN FRONT of the lens. But the more I learn about light and how true photographic artists use it to shape the face, I’m realizing more and more that there really is no such thing as a “photogenic.” It’s true!

rachel leintz

Feb 13, 2017

don't make the mistake i made

Eeek! Another posting deadline missed. But, in my defense, I did fly back from San Francisco last night AND it was the midseason premiere of the Walking Dead (I had to see the battle against Negan start!) So I’m sure you all forgive this one being a little late : ) Tonight, I wanted to share an insight I’ve had over the past year of shooting weddings. And it’s an insight into a mistake that I made as a bride, six years ago when I married my sweetie. I remember talking with my

warming to flash and the golden rules for posing

rachel leintz

Feb 5, 2017

warming to flash and the golden rules for posing

A quick update tonight on the training I've been taking through Creative Live with Roberto Valenzuela! I'm about two thirds of the way through now and I've see Roberto handle some problematic scenes and I've also learned some amazing, "gold rules" for posing! So I thought I'd share a few with you guys tonight! Amazing Light-Bulb Moment #1: 1. You don't have to memorize millions of poses to keep the creativity flowing Roberto spent quality time during this training, talking ab

rachel leintz

Jan 29, 2017

light bulbs galore!

The educational journey continues! This week, I embarked on an epic trip, captained by the magnificent Roberto Valenzuela. This intensive workshop is focused on the Roberto answering questions and fixing problems sent in from professional photographers all over the world, but it is really so much more than just “troubleshooting.” I’ve only made it through the first few hours of the workshop so far, but already I’ve learned to think about light differently. It’s a strange sens

rachel leintz

Jan 22, 2017

beautiful bridal boudoirs

The past few weeks I've been deep in training and education mode. Several of my brides have been asking me about boudoir shoots. While I haven't ventured into this realm of photography until recently, I love the concept behind it. Boudoir shoots are incredibly empowering and also make truly stunning images. And what better time to take these images than on the wedding day? You've got your hair and makeup all done up, you've probably got some fantastic heels to wear, and if yo

rachel leintz

Jan 8, 2017

the thing about first looks...

So here's the thing about first looks: You're probably think that since I'm a photographer, this is gonna be a post all about light, and yes! Having a first look makes it a lot easier to capture amazing couple shots before the ceremony. Yep, you'll get gorgeous soft light, it opens up a lot of shooting areas around the venue, the benefits from a photographic perspective go on and on. But there's another element about the first look that I think a lot of brides overlook. And t

rachel leintz

Jan 1, 2017

hello there, 2017!

Well, I know that lots of people out there are more than happy to see 2016 go, but for me, this has been quite the epic year! Not only did I get the chance to meet some wonderful new couples, but this year was also when I really started to find my artistic voice as a photographer. Each wedding was a new chance to tell a love story with light and with my own artistic flare. In the spring of this year, I started the blog. I started tracking my journey, for my clients, friends a

rachel leintz

Dec 19, 2016

Melissa & Ryan

Tonight, the blog is graced with the love story of Melissa and Ryan! But it doesn’t actually start with those two. Melissa’s dad, Graham, is the one who first contacted me. He found me on WeddingWire and told me he was actually in New Zealand (!) but that since he was a photographer in his own right, he had been tasked with finding the wedding photographer for his daughter’s big day. We chatted over email a bit, he sent my work off to the couple, and POOF! it was a magical, d

rachel leintz

Dec 4, 2016

edelmira & ted

I was lucky enough to meet these two at the WeddingWire Fall Fete this past October, where they entered to win a free engagement shoot I gave away : ) I was beyond stoked when I drew their name out of the entry box! Ted and “Edy” actually met 10 years ago at a restaurant. They dated for a while, but at the time, Ted was in business school and Edy was a flight attendant. Their hectic busy schedules just didn’t leave a whole lot of time for love at that point. The, five years l

rachel leintz

Nov 27, 2016

busy season :)

Been busy snapping away at back to back weddings the past few weekends, but wanted to share some fun captures :) Mel and Ryan had a little desert storm drop in on their wedding ceremony, but that's good luck! And it left us with an incredible desert storm sky for their couple shots! (stay tuned for more). My obsession with gorgeous window light and veils has continued! There really isn't anything more intoxicating than a bride wrapped in the translucent, sheer shell of a veil

rachel leintz

Nov 13, 2016

desert elegance

Laurel and Justin actually found me on Facebook! Gotta love my fellow millennials : ) When she first reached out, I found out that they were actually based in Chicago and that their wedding at the Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch would be a destination wedding for most of their friends and family. The couple flew out to meet vendors and get a feel for the Valley a few months later. I met them at the Cartel Coffee shop in Scottsdale and loved how prepared Laurel was! I fou

rachel leintz

Nov 6, 2016

the fete and pixieset!

Just a quick little note tonight to let you all know that the WeddingWire Fall Fete hit their blog today! If you missed it last month, the Fete was a fun little fall wedding vendor showcase that was free for engaged couples here in the valley. I'm beyond stoked that such a massive vendor company chose me to cover their event and that they showcased a bunch of my images on the blog! Check it out here. Also, more fun wedding photography tools have been added to the site! While

the challenge and reward of indoor ceremony locations

rachel leintz

Oct 26, 2016

the challenge and reward of indoor ceremony locations

It might just be happening to me, but I’m starting to see a trend running through several of my recent wedding bookings . . . indoor ceremony locations! (Cue the scary, dramatic music) Maybe now that it's cooling off for our wedding season here in Arizona, I'll be seeing less of it, but for now, let's talk about how to deal : ) There are a couple reasons most wedding photographers aren’t huge fans of indoor ceremony locations, but the main one is that usually, indoor locatio

three things every bride needs to remember on the big day

rachel leintz

Oct 24, 2016

three things every bride needs to remember on the big day

Woohoo! Wedding season is well underway and I’ve been busy capturing my couple’s smooches, laughs and tears. Because the hustle and bustle that happens before the big day is always pretty chaotic, I always try to send my brides a little checklist. If they are avid email-checkers, like me, I email it. If they are married to their phone (an who isn’t!?) I send it as a text. If their heads are ready to explode and I think that one more “reminder” might just make them scream, I s

rachel leintz

Oct 18, 2016

the hunt for luxurious light

A few weekends ago, I was fortunate enough to shoot, again, at the Royal Palms. Angela and David's wedding created an amazing mix of lighting environments for me to play with. I’m falling more and more in love with the dramatic directional lighting I used to capture the shots below in Angela’s bridal suite. But the Palms is also an amazing location because of all the soft, glorious light that pours in and through its outdoor corridors and walkways. And of course my veil obse