about rachel

Above Photo: Relaxing in Rajasthan, India
Below: Rachel trekking with her Mamacita on the
Quilotoa Loop in Central Ecuador

 “Whatever you can do or dream, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”

 Goethe

I feel grateful on a daily basis to be living this creative life! Through words, images, and music I revel in my connection with incredible artists, musicians, writers, photographers, athletes, dancers, and families. Part of my process as a photographer is developing a connection with the incredible people whom I have the opportunity to photograph. I strive to not only create vivid, timeless images but to also make this process a beautiful, magical experience in which my clients feel not only beautiful and more alive, but more deeply connected with their own inner divine beauty and with that of their partners, friends, and family.

As Longfellow once put it, "Life is short but art is long." I'm grateful for the opportunity to connect with amazing men and women and to be creating beautiful, timeless  work.


So here it is. You asked for it... I’m a Midwesterner born and raised (and supremely proud of it!) and I made my way after college serendipitously to the West where my heart and spirit absolutely sing!

I worked as a river guide, wilderness guide, and Outward Bound Instructor for five years throughout the American West and along both borders before landing in Santa Barbara to feed my creative muse. I've traveled around the world since I was a teenager and have been to six of the seven continents. Travel is, has been, and will always be an essential part of my life. If you visit either my writing or my photography sites, you'll see my passion for travel reflected in both. 

I am blessed to call Santa Barbara home (woohoo!) and have felt so creatively and musically inspired here during the past eleven years.  I have had more than a decade of experience as a travel and lifestyle photographer and freelance writer. My work has been featured in national publications (L.A. Times, Santa Barbara Magazine, Food and Wine), advertisements, on websites, cds, and promotional flyers, and books. I earned my Masters in Writing from U.S.C. I have been giving public multi-media travel slideshows for over a decade. My love of exotic locales infuses my photography with a sublime sensuality and whimsy.

Music and dance are also a HUGE part of my life and have been since I was young and I followed my Mother on stage during her early performances as a Turkish-Egyptian Dancer (check out her fabulous website here).

One of my greatest joys in this lifes come from dancing and singing. I have been performing for the past nine plus years as a lead vocalist (and cowbell player extraordinaire!) for the locally celebrated Retro Rock n’ Roll Band King Bee. And I am doubly blessed to have dance in my life! I’ve been performing for the past couple of years with Lisa Beck and Panzumo as a West African-Cali Dancer and hope to be performing Bollywood soon as well!

And as Paul Simon says, “These are the days of miracles and wonders…this is the long distance call….”

I am supremely blessed to be living this life as an artist, photographer, dancer, singer, and creative, loving, loved being! I am surrounded by supremely talented, inspiring men and women and my path continues to magically unfold on a daily basis….

With Love, 

Rachel