Fine Art Portraits: Capturing Your Journey, Your Passion, Your Story
Every portrait is intentionally crafted to reflect who you are, what you love, and the moments you never want to forget—whether celebrating a performer’s passion or preserving the fleeting magic of childhood.
"The session I had with Rachel was so beautiful and FUN. She is so attentive and thoughtful with her work and really cares about her clients. Truly inspiring and a wonderful experience."
- Mabel V.
Emotion. Beauty. Artistry. A fine art portrait is more than an image: it’s a legacy, a story, a moment frozen in time.
Grace. Emotion. Legacy.
A portrait is more than a photograph—it is a work of art, a reflection of love, and a legacy that lasts for generations.
At Rachel Smook Photography, I create fine art portraits that are designed to be more than just images. They are heirlooms—crafted with intention, infused with emotion, and brought to life through museum-quality prints.
Whether it’s the delicate grace of a dancer, the deep bond between family members, or the quiet beauty of childhood, my work is about capturing the essence of each moment with authenticity and elegance.
With a focus on luxury, craftsmanship, and storytelling, my fine art portrait experience ensures that you walk away with something truly remarkable—a cherished moment, transformed into art.
More Than a Portrait—A Work of Art
In today’s fast-paced digital world, we take thousands of images that are forgotten as quickly as they are captured. But some moments deserve more. Some moments deserve to be preserved, printed, and displayed as art.
When you invest in fine art photography, you are investing in:
✦ A Luxury Experience – From the first consultation to the final delivery, every detail is designed for elegance and ease.
✦ Authentic, Storytelling Portraits – Natural, emotive, and deeply personal, each portrait is crafted to capture genuine moments with lasting artistry.
✦ Heirloom-Quality Artwork – Custom-designed wall art, handcrafted albums, and museum-grade prints that last for generations.
Every portrait I create is carefully designed to reflect your story, your beauty, and your legacy.
The days go by so fast. The years go faster. Capture this moment to keep.
The Fine Art Photography Experience
A Seamless, Personalized, and Meaningful Experience
My process is designed to be seamless, personalized, and deeply meaningful. From the moment we begin, my goal is to ensure that you feel relaxed, confident, and celebrated.
1. Consultation & Vision Planning
Before your session, we collaborate to design a portrait experience that reflects your style, personality, and vision. This includes:
✦ Wardrobe and styling guidance
✦ Selecting a location or backdrop that enhances the artistic feel
✦ Understanding the mood and emotion you want to capture
Each session is carefully planned so that when the day arrives, you can simply enjoy the experience and let the magic unfold.
2. The Portrait Session
A fine art photography session is not rushed. It is an experience—a time to slow down, connect, and let your natural beauty shine.
With gentle direction, I guide you through the session, ensuring that each pose, movement, and expression is effortless yet intentional. Whether we are capturing the elegance of a dancer, the warmth of a mother’s embrace, or the playful spirit of childhood, my goal is to create images that feel organic, refined, and timeless.
“Rachel’s sessions are unlike any other photography experience. Every moment feels natural, artistic, and completely stress-free.”
— A Happy Client
3. The Reveal & Artwork Selection
Once your portraits are ready, we meet for a private artwork selection session where you can see your images for the first time. This is where you choose which of your memories become tangible works of art.
Together, we select the perfect way to display your portraits—whether through:
✦ Handcrafted, museum-quality prints
✦ Luxury heirloom albums to be enjoyed through all the years to come
✦ Fine art wall pieces that turn your portraits into statement pieces
In a world filled with fleeting snapshots and passing moments, fine art photography brings permanence and beauty to your most precious memories.
Our Mission
It is our honor and purpose to tell your story in beautiful keepsake artwork. We will craft images that capture the unique little details that make you YOU, and we’ll show you the beauty and joy of your family relationships. We’ll help you relax and enjoy yourself so that your images show your truest and most authentic self. After your session, we’ll offer you a selection of carefully curated products to preserve your images, including archival photographic prints, heirloom albums, and wall art that will last a lifetime. We stand behind our work and our products and are proud of our signature experience. Our goal is a happy client, every single time.
Artwork Collections
Your portrait session retainer is $250, and what you purchase from your artwork selection session is entirely up to you. Portrait clients can create a package of our most popular products or can build their own from our carefully curated a la carte menu. Most of our portrait clients choose to preserve their images in a custom portrait album, and usually select something for their walls at home as well. We include social-size digital copies of all purchased images so that you can share with your family and friends.
Keepsakes & Wall Art
We work closely with our photographic print labs to produce handcrafted heirloom artwork from our portrait and event sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
We have lots! We don’t reveal our locations until you book with us, because we have chosen them carefully and don’t want them to get crowded, but you can get a sense of our options from visiting our Instagram page. We’ll talk to you when you reserve your portrait session to find out what kind of look and experience appeals to you, and we’ll tailor our locations to your needs. While we love working outdoors in beautiful places, we can also do studio work if it’s a better fit for you.
I have some resources for choosing clothing that I will share with you when you reserve your session, and I’m happy to look over your choices before we start if you’d like. Generally, what I want to pay attention to is your face, not your clothes, so soft colors and neutrals work very well. We ask you to avoid busy patterns and graphics so that the focus is all on you. We’re happy to share lots more details when we begin planning your session!
Yes, we will do an in-person design meeting to plan your session, share our product samples, and get to know one another. This will help you feel more relaxed and comfortable during your session, and will let me design your session around your wishes and needs. It’s all a part of our signature custom approach!
We customize everything we do, so what you spend depends on your dreams and wishes. Once we have our consultation to identify your goals and desires for your portrait session, we will go over our investment menu and help you choose the package that most fits your needs.
We’ve got you! If it’s pouring, that’s too much of a risk for our equipment, and we’ll be glad to reschedule. We don’t generally cancel if it’s sprinkling, and some of the photos our clients have loved best have happened when there are occasional drizzles. We’re capturing your personality and your relationships, which shine through in any weather. Plus, the light right after it rains is absolutely magical. We’ll keep an eye on the weather together and will be in touch the day of your session to make decisions with you about whether to proceed if the skies are dicey.
Well, yes and no. We know how to take beautiful natural light portraits, and we are also confident and comfortable using supplemental lighting to create extra depth and dimensionality in your portraits. A photographer should never be limited by lighting conditions. We’ll do whatever we need to do to give you gorgeous, well-lit images no matter what weather or locations we’re working in.
Your session retainer covers the consultation we have to design your custom session, any assistance with choosing clothing, the session itself, custom editing of your images, and a reveal session where you will view your images and choose any that you’d like to purchase.
Absolutely not. I hate that, and I would never do that to a client. At your reveal session, I am there as your consultant, answering questions, helping to sort through the merits of one image over another, designing your wall art, and mainly just enjoying your reaction as you view your images for the first time. You are in total control over what you invest and I will never push you to spend more than you want to.
Oooh, you’re our favorite. Most people hate having their picture taken, and we are committed to making it fun for you to work with us! Most of our clients wrap up their sessions and events by saying, “That was more fun than I expected it to be,” and we love that. We have lots of tips and tricks to get you looking and feeling relaxed, and we take our time to make sure we capture beautiful images that leave you feeling good about your time with us.
First and foremost, we believe that photographs are meant to be seen. We want them out in your house, in your hands, in your daily experience. Also, technology changes so fast, and we don’t want you to look around in ten years and realize you can’t open your images anymore. Printed photographs are why we know what our grandparents looked like as newlyweds. We want the same for your family in later generations. This is also why we choose our labs so carefully. We only work with labs that are exclusive to professional photographers, using careful construction and archival papers and inks so that your artwork lasts. Our labs guarantee their products so that we can guarantee yours.
As soon as you know you need a photographer! While it’s always worth checking to see if we’re free at the last minute, it’s not uncommon for clients to book us a year or two ahead of their event dates and months before their portrait session dates.
Nope! Nobody wants a photo of Uncle Jim with one eye closed and food in his mouth. We carefully curate our images to present you with photos that you’ll be proud to display and share and keep. While you’ll have plenty of images to choose from, we’ll only deliver those that meet our high standards for image quality.
No, we only deliver fully finished images. Unedited files are like cake ingredients at a bakery. The finished product is what you hire us to produce, and we put time and energy into delivering the best images we can offer.
With pleasure. We support you, whoever you are, whoever you love, and however you’re celebrating, and we can’t wait to tell your unique story. Love has no limits.
Our products and packages are carefully curated and priced according to their value, so the short answer is no. That said, we want you to have exactly what you want, so we’re happy to create a custom package just for you. No matter what you choose to spend with us, you will receive our signature service and will receive heirloom products and images that will last for a lifetime.
Rachel is amazing. Her shots aren't just "pictures" - they capture the emotion and the life of the subject and the moment. Truly special photography. - Tylan G.
Fine Art Portraiture Resources
What to Wear for Your Family Portraits
How Family Photos Boost Your Child’s Self-Esteem
5 Questions to Ask a Potential Family Photographer
About Rachel Smook Photography
I’m Rachel, and I’m a wedding, portrait, and event photographer based in Massachusetts and willing to travel as far as your dreams will take you. As the parent of teenagers, I’ve learned that everything is better with some humor thrown in, and I’ve also learned how FAST life goes by. Photography gives me a way to stop time, both for my family and for yours. I’m a sucker for the little details: those tiny fingers wrapped around yours, the way he looks at you when you come down the aisle, the way you laughed at that little shimmy she did on the dance floor. It’s the little moments that make the sweetest memories, and I’m a feelings junkie, so I am THERE for them. I believe that laughter is good medicine, that love is love, and that memories are worth keeping.
