rachelbellphotography.com

Where the heck are all the new photographs?!?!

rachel — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 22:47:46 +0000

i know, i openly admit that i have been a first-class blog slacker lately! it is actually a good thing..really…it means i have been crazy busy and will have LOTS of really great images to post…soon…i promise! in the meantime, i have been updating my facebook page so click HERE to come take a peek. i’ll be back in blog business soon! thank you, thank you for being patient with me.

{for my mom}

rachel — Wed, 19 May 2010 19:08:54 +0000

i lost my mom to cancer almost six years ago and still, not too many days go by that i don’t think about her…her kindness of spirit, her giving nature towards everyone, her infectious happiness. it used to be that mother’s day brought to light the emptiness of her loss, but now it reminds me of all the gifts and the light she brought to all of us during the very short time we were blessed to have her with us. so, on this mother’s day 2010 i want to share some of the lessons she passed on to me; that have shaped the person i have become and continue to aspire to be…

{this is NOT a dress rehearsal}

one of mom’s favorite sayings and one she lived true to. we’ve been given one body, one soul, one all too short life…why waste a drop of it? make every minute of each day count, learn something new, wake up thankful and go to bed each day feeling blessed and if you feel that life has become a rut, reflect on what you can change and find the happiness. when it’s your last day on this earth, don’t you want to look back and feel you have lived a full, rich life…that you have felt true happiness?

{this too shall pass}

during some difficult rounds of chemo, mom wouldn’t be feeling her best. i remember trying to help her find something she could eat, help her rest and she never complained…not ONE SINGLE TIME…ever. the only thing she would say when she felt her crummiest was {this too shall pass}. in all of life we will have the good and bad times and they will shift between the two as nothing ever stays static for too long. the trick is to fully embrace and enjoy the ride when it’s good and accept, with grace, when the road is difficult. even when you think you can’t take another step or go on another day…the knowledge that the worst of times won’t last forever and there will be good again gets us through.

{life is messy…don’t worry about trying to clean it all up}

have fun, play around, spend time with the kids building mud pies, don’t worry so much about them tracking the mud into the house. they won’t care that the house is perfectly clean…they’ll only care that they had your attention and loving time…and you’ll be glad you had that time as well because the teen years will come along all too soon and you’ll be chasing after them to get them to play with you…let alone notice you even exist in the world.

{family comes first…this is non-negotiable}

work wants attention, school wants attention, friends want attention, the bills want attention, the dog wants attention…sometimes it seems like the minute you wake up until the minute you go to sleep, life wants pieces of you until you think there’s none left to give. but above all these things, tasks, “to-do” lists comes your family. family is the greatest gift, the strongest bond and the people who will always be by your side…no matter what…with unconditional love. give of yourself first to the ones we love and hold dearest. the rest of the world can wait.

{laugh, play, be a fool sometimes}

what’s the purpose of living life if we’re not really living it? if we’re too careful to act a certain way, to refrain from saying what we really feel in our hearts, to hold back moments of pure joy and to stifle the need to feel profound sadness. that’s not living; it’s going through the motions. so no matter how wild the ride is…enjoy it fully and embrace the highs and lows. sometimes you may feel foolish or goofy, but no matter cause in the end you will be all the richer for the experience.

{share your love fully, without reserve}

this was my mother’s gift to those who were lucky enough to have know her. she gave fully of herself because she truly loved people. she taught me to never be afraid of love or shy away from it but rather to move towards it and hold on tight. to give completely of your heart is the deepest form of connection we can have as humans in this lifetime. and it’s not about what you get in return…it’s about unselfishly giving without a thought of getting something back. when you truly love someone the satisfaction comes from knowing you brought them, even a little slice, of happiness.

{never judge, keep an open mind and open heart to everyone}

you never know what amazing people you can meet in this world if you don’t give people a chance. never, never make snap judgments on a person’s character and always let them have the opportunity to be themselves and show the goodness that’s inside of them. you may not agree on things they believe or think but that doesn’t mean you can’t love them anyway. you come to love the essence of which a person is not just what’s on the surface. getting to know someone takes time and patience. take that time because you never know when you may be meeting someone who will have a profound impact on the rest of your life.

these are just a few of the many, many gifts my mom shared with me and the rest of the world. i couldn’t possibly list them all…that would take at least one book. i now pass these on to my three children. i will never perfect them and they will develop in me in their own way…as they will for my children. but i carry them in my heart as i carry all the cherished memories of my mom with me always.

i love you with all my heart…

this photograph is for you mom…a silly, beautiful, fun moment with aidan. it’s not glamorous or staged but a genuine moment of us having a blast…living it out loud!

{how do they grow so fast?}

rachel — Thu, 06 May 2010 17:59:53 +0000

going through life day to day, it is really easy to miss the subtle growth of my kids…then, one day…BAM…it hits you over the head just how much they have grown. off to the store to buy new pants because my boys look like they’re wearing capris…not the best fashion statement for a ‘tween’ age boy! But it’s the fact that they just LOOK older…gone is the baby face replaced by a wiser version of their little person selves…

i first met avalee at her parents’ wedding last summer. the intensity of the love bond between simon, amanda and avalee was immediately obvious…lots and lots of love there! avalee was this adorable little slip of a baby…just over a year. every part of her was tiny…tiny fingers, tiny feet…but always big soulful blue eyes. as soon as I saw her again for our shoot, there it was again…BAM…she is sooo much bigger! how did that happen so fast…seriously?? she has the features of a little girl now…bigger toes and feet but still those gorgeous soulful blue eyes!

thank you guys for letting me peek into your lives and see all the lovely new changes and moments. staying connected and getting to experience not only your wedding but the growing of your family is truly a gift. it’s a wonder why i love what i do so very much!

enjoy, enjoy!

rachel — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 00:21:22 +0000

{from small beginnings come great things…}

the arrival of spring happens quietly…a whisper hush; tip-toe feet that sneak up and gently tap you awake from your nap and when you open your eyes, the world has changed. gone is the snow, gone is the chill in the air, gone is the steel cold gray sky.

instead the world is replaced with the sweet smelling wind, the soft earth ready to be planted, the swelling of buds and the bursting forth of new flowers everywhere.

…it is the time i feel the hope of things to come and the joy of new beginnings…weddings, babies brand new, parts of the world i will be traveling for the first time…all precious gifts.

sitting barefoot, i daydream of what is and the journey that took me to this very moment and realize with complete certainty…

how completely and utterly blessed i am to be surrounded by so much life…

…and we are off!

rachel — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:01:47 +0000

i can’t imagine starting my season off with a sweeter couple! courtney and john are just so full of love and life…with gentle spirits. it’s impossible not to be happy in their presence!

i am so excited for the both of you and can’t wait to share your day with you. much love to you both!

{some people come into our lives,

leave footprints in our hearts,

and we are never ever the same…}

the great mommy escape…

rachel — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 21:34:13 +0000

“ma, mom, mama, mommy” the magic opening to many a sentence i hear each day…and i LOVE that…truly… but sometimes there are moments when you forget your given name and find yourself standing in the middle of a room, just standing there, glazed, while the kids run circles around you and all functioning goes out the window.

…ever been there?

enter, a quick trip to aruba with my best gal friend, another “ma, mom, mama, mommy” woman. bliss came in the form of lounging on the beach, lounging at the pool, most days lounging at the beach AND the pool, reading many books and eating at places where someone else did the cooking, cleaning and actually asked US what we would like…seriously refreshing.

but a curious thing started to happen. there was no one who needed anything, no requests, no to-do lists, no middle of the night bad dream wake-ups, no calls for water just when i settled in to bed…

…and I felt lonely, for the first time

in the middle of this wonderful trip with a great friend, i started missing my babies. missing their hugs, their kisses, their 7:30 wake-up as they crawl under the covers with me and nuzzles my cheek gently; missing their belly laughs and love of playing “mommy monster” and even missing the endless stream of needs because i knew, one day, in the very near future, they won’t need me like this anymore. that day won’t just arrive suddenly, it will happen subtly…little by little. i won’t be called “mommy” anymore and they will think they’re too old to crawl in bed with me and i will miss it terribly…

it was a fantastic , refreshing trip with the sweetest of homecomings. screams of “mommy, mom, mama!!” while getting tackled down to the floor and smothered with kisses…

i’m home and i’m in love…

headless chickens, eggshells and kitchen ice hockey…

rachel — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:31:34 +0000

the beginning of a new week brings interesting, unexpected little treats. bounced out of bed this morning ready to tackle a Monday staggered out of bed, bleary-eyed, groping in the daylight savings dark of early morning just hoping to find the bathroom so i could brush my teeth. in the dark I recoiled as I stepped on an unidentified squishy thing that let out a loud waterlogged squeeeekkkk….oh, julia’s headless chicken tub toy. i sat and stared at it for a while, pondering its existence and realizing I felt a strange connection to that rubber piece of poultry. i too run around with my head cut off a lot of the time and I too wish I could lie on the bathroom floor and take a brief little nap…preferable with head attached though.

it got me thinking that even in the craziness of everyday life, there are moments, little moment each and every day that take your breath away with sheer unbridled happiness. moments that happen so fast that we need to slow down, reattach our chicken heads and become a part of. this morning I watched my children make “eggie people” out of the cracked eggshells at breakfast. i had fun playing ice hockey with connor and aidan which consisted of moving all the dining room/kitchen furniture out of the way and batting ice cubes around with plastic waffle ball bats…and, of course, i had time to stare at the headless chicken and think of how much fun julia had playing with it in her “bubble-tubbies”. ..it is a rainy Monday, and I don’t care. I just have a silly contented grin on my face and I am happy…

happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply

to enjoy simply. to think freely. to risk living…

storm jameson

2011 Spokesmodel Search!

rachel — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:55:15 +0000

I have begun taking applications from the class of 2011 seniors who are interested in a free early photo-shoot. After all, it’s never too early to show off your style or practice your perfect pout in the mirror!

if you ARE…

outgoing and comfortable in front of the camera.

looking to have fun and get a free photo-shoot.

a fantastic student, athlete, musician, artist.

willing to spread the word to friends about your fabulous photographer!

the DEAL…

I’ll be selecting up to 2 students from each school who are interested in having an early senior session in exchange for sharing the love by telling all your friends about your great experience, giving out your model cards and sharing The Book - your custom designed modern book created to showcase a series of your session images.

what do YOU get…

free artistic session - spring/early summer

100 model cards to show off your gorgeous self to all your friends

“The Book” - an 8×8 or 9×6 custom designed modern book of your session images to enjoy and share with, well…everyone!

A feature on my blog and facebook page as well as a featured gallery on my website

$20 print credit for each booked referral

$600 Value!!

Interested??

Click on the spokesmodel application at the top of the page and send me your info. Then click here to become a fan on facebook for updates and specials!

Avery - Modeling Portfolio Session

rachel — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:38:50 +0000

I believe we should learn at least one new thing each day. Today I learned what it means to be able to walk gracefully, under any condition. Now while I learned this, I’m hard pressed to believe I can ACTUALLY do this myself. However, Avery was amazing in her ability to balance on the very tricky coastal rocks in 6 inch heels. I am in complete awe! She is not only stunningly beautiful on the outside but such a wonderful person on the inside as well. I loved watching Avery and her mom, Kelly, interact and it reminds me of my daughter Julia and I…well about 14 years down the road that is! Lots of joking and lots of love.

Thank you both for a simply amazing shoot! Enjoy…

Stephanie -Class of 2010 Greely High School

rachel — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:31:12 +0000

Stephanie, I had an absolute blast and love that you came to our shoot with boat loads of enthusiasm and artistic vision! I didn’t think anyone could get as excited about photographic ideas…but you do and that’s wonderful! Here are just a few images (there are so many incredible ones!) and I can’t wait to get the rest to you soon. Enjoy, enjoy and thank you so much for a great afternoon!