I find it amazing how pictures can inspire feelings and emotions. If taken by the right photographer, at the right time of day, at just the right angle, the result can be a very powerful image. Just looking at it can cause you to feel a gentle breeze, grass beneath your feet, or even sunshine on your shoulders. Other photographs can cause you to reflect and look within yourself for answers to questions you didn’t realize existed. You can suddenly be surrounded by sounds and smells of far away locations, even though you never left your house. Of course, these aren’t places you’ve actually been, they are just so well conveyed in the four corners of the photograph, you can easily imagine what they are like.
Rachel from Rae of Light Photography believes that beauty can be found in the little things – small parts of nature that can often go over looked, cars or houses that have fallen into disrepair, or even a simple set of doors. These are places and things you might pass by each and every day, but don’t take the time to appreciate. Or maybe at first glance, these aren’t the most gorgeous of landscapes. Using her lens and just the right amount of light, she highlights how special these places and things are. Her photography embraces minimalism and the effect that time has on objects. It’s engaging. Just scrolling through her shop, you can smell the blooming flowers and you begin to wonder about the story behind that simple set of doors. How did they get so weathered? Any one of her prints will force you to stop and think, but each in their own way. For Rachel, photography started as an attempt to slow down and enjoy nature, but it has grown into something much bigger – A passion to get people to slow down and enjoy the world around them.
Now that you know a little about Rachel and Rae of Light, allow me to introduce you to her work. Like this autumn inspired print:
The lighting is just perfect and captures the serenity and beauty of a fall day. It’s so inviting that it almost makes you want to go up and knock on the door. I wonder about who used to live there, what their family story was, and if anyone lives there now. Great photography can make you wonder about people and places you ordinarily wouldn’t .
Or sometimes it can get you to think about your life and your place in the world. Like the peace and solitude captured in these photos:
And here are those doors I was telling you so much about earlier. I just love the color.
These photographs remind me of summer and all the fun that goes with it. They almost get me excited about the summer (although, I’m most definitely not excited for the heat that comes with summer).
For some reason, pictures of snow always seem so quiet and serene. Almost as if no person has ever been there before.
This photograph titled “Flowers on Fifth Street” is no doubt my favorite. It reminds me of a trip that I took to Charleston, SC several years ago and all the private gardens that they have there. When I see this photo, I can almost feel the cobblestone under my feet and smell the sweet flowers.
Love these photos? There are tons more to choose from. Want a chance to win one? Great, because Rachel from Rae of Light has graciously offered one lucky reader an 8×10 of their choice from her shop! Just fill out the rafflecopter form for your chance to win. If you can’t wait to win, use the promo code “IHEARTU” for 10% off your print order.
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