Some BIG Rachael Dean Photography News! | Virginia Portrait and Wedding Photographer

Alright, y'all, I know that it's been pretty quiet on the home front since my recent return from our epic worldwide adventure, and you're getting antsy for some updates and new photos. Well, friends, the wait is over, and I'm breaking my radio silence with some big news:

Rachael Dean Photography is relocating to Virginia Beach!

As sad as I was leaving the wonderful clients that have become like friends here in the D.C. area, I am excited to make a new home in Virginia Beach. I found out while living on the beach in New Zealand that it's quite a relaxed and laid back way of life, and I'm pretty pumped to get some quality beach and water photography under my belt! And of course, I'm also stoked to get to know all the beautiful families of Virginia Beach -- and help them capture some great memories!

To help spread the word about my relocation, I am offering a limited-time referral bonus to current clients - from now through June 30:

• Refer a new client in Virginia Beach to me, and receive a FREE desk print (8x10 or smaller) of your choice from any of your past sessions!
• To top it off, if your referral books a session with me, they will also receive a FREE desk print (8x10 or smaller) of choice from their session!

So help me spread the word about my big move -- and I'll help you decorate a little bit of your family room, living room, or even your office desk!

A Personal Journey | Virginia Landscape and Travel Photographer

Hello again, loyal RDP fans! (And though it's a little late, Happy New Year!)

Sheesh, it's been quite a while since my last post! While I don't normally include my personal efforts in The Blog, I want to explain why you haven't been hearing much from me lately.  (By my count, just about seven months. Yikes!)

About a year ago, my husband, Rob, and I started thinking more deeply about the direction our lives were taking here in Northern Virginia and what we truly wanted to get out of life in general. We had causally toyed with the idea of long-term travel in the past, and we talked (and talked and talked and talked) about the idea for quite some time. I'll spare you from the gory details of our decision making process, but ultimately, we just took a leap of faith and went all in. Beginning in July, we embarked on a six month journey through New Zealand, Thailand, and China.

A little scary and a lot intimidating at first, in the end this turned out to be one of the best decisions we have ever made. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that exceeded any expectations we had boarding that first plane bound for New Zealand. Through our months on the road we got to know new cultures and parts of the world in a way that no standard two-week vacation could have ever let us. We met amazing people and we saw sights in person that we never thought we'd see outside of a Google image search; we cooked new foods, drove on the "wrong" side of the road, and saw single houses with histories longer than our entire country's. We learned that the world really is smaller than it seems, and that thinking outside the box every once in a while can lead to rewards greater than you can imagine.

While Rob and I mainly took this opportunity to pursue answers to some more personal life questions, I also wanted to use the time to develop the side of my photography that doesn't see much light of day in my portrait and wedding business: landscapes. And what better places to do this but New Zealand, Thailand, and China?! Needless to say, I took thousands of photos over our seven months abroad, and it was pretty tough to cull them down to just a few highlights. These are my personal favorites from each country of our trip. Back stories for each photo are in the captions!

New Zealand

Intricate and delicate, a sure sign of springtime in New Zealand is the unfurling fern. (Even tiny) bright green leaves and sunshine were welcome sights after 5 weeks of rainy days!

Stirling Falls in Milford Sound, New Zealand. These falls cascade over 155 meters to the glass water of the sound from a hanging valley that was carved by a glacier's slow march to the sea over thousands of years. The sight is breathtaking, and this photo in no way captures the full scale of its size and beauty!

Mirror Lakes in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand.  The perfectly still water of the lakes reflects the majestic peaks towering behind them.

The Pancake Rocks, Punakaiki, New Zealand. These unique rock formations look like stacks of pancakes above the water (hence the name) - and form huge caverns below the surface! When the winds and tide are just right, the sea is forced out through blowholes for a spectacular show.

Sunset over the Tasman Sea, West Coast, New Zealand. No two sunsets on the West Coast are the same!!

Sunset from the hidden beach on the Truman Track, Punakaiki, New Zealand. This beach is only accessible at low tide, so catching a sunset from here is tricky. But when the timing works, it's pure magic.

Thailand

Gold Buddha in a temple, Chiang Mai, Thailand. The pure symmetry inside each Thai Buddhist temple is a photographer's dream. The lush colors and moody lighting aren't bad, either.

Scenes straight out of movies like Jurassic Park and The Beach abound where the limestone cliff-islands rise out of the Andaman Sea in south Thailand.

Again, symmetry, lush colors, and intricate details adorn Thai temples - and create amazing views chock full of texture!

A relaxing afternoon on the island of Ko Lanta in south Thailand. The calm water, perfect sand, and beautiful cloudscapes undeniably make this beach paradise.

The Thai are experts on layering texture, color, and perspective in their temples. A step to the left or right of the middle often offers a unique and entirely new perspective on the traditional Buddha displays.

China

A decorated pagoda in Jingshiang Park, Beijing, China.

A lone watchtower along the Great Wall outside Beijing, China. This section of the wall is only partially restored, and you can see the decaying, crumbling section being reclaimed by the foliage in the foreground.

A fish pond in the Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai, China. The fish were huge!

A girl in red walks through the narrow cobblestone alleys in Zhouzhuang Ancient Water Town, China. This town has houses that belong to families with histories older than the entire history of the United States. Unreal!

The narrow alleys and ancient houses line a maze-like network of canals in Zhouzhuang, China. The lights reflecting in the ultra smooth surface of the canals create a beautiful illusion at night.

Rob and I kept a blog of our adventures as a way to capture our memories before they faded. If you're interested in reading more about our travel experience, or want to see more images, feel free to mosey on over to our blog, R2D2Backpacking. We'd love to have you stop by!

P.S. If you liked any of the images in this post, I have some good news for you! I'm going to be offering limited-edition prints of selected images from our travel. Each print will be 11 in X 14 in and will be discontinued after five are made. Ordering details will be announced next week!

Cassi and Steve are Married! | Maryland and Virginia Wedding Photographer

I am so blessed to have been a part of this beautiful, fun, and elegant wedding! Cassi and Steve were married on Saturday afternoon in my lovely hometown of Cumberland, and they had a spectacular day with a bright blue sky and picturesque puffy white clouds. Steve and Cassi are English and History professors, and their Victorian-themed wedding fit their personalities perfectly. I just LOVED all of the Victorian details, from the long coattails that the groom and his men wore, to the bride's gloves and the delicate rose color of the bridesmaids dresses, to the vintage centerpieces at the reception.

Want to know the best part about this wedding, though? This adorable couple's absolute dedication to each other and the beauty of marriage. It's so clear that they are completely in love with each other, and so happy to be married!

Congrats, Cassi and Steve, and enjoy your honeymoon!

The Cali Family | Expecting | Leesburg, VA Maternity Photographer

I met the Calis in Leesburg for a family maternity session this past weekend, and I could not have asked for yummier light, better weather, or a more natural and serene expecting momma! I can't believe it's been a little over a year since I met this fun family for Nora's first birthday cake smash, and boy, has Nora grown so much in the past year. Now that she's walking, she kept us running after geese and looking for monkeys in the trees. I just love spending time with them, and seeing how natural they are with each other in front of the camera is incredibly heartwarming. Annika radiates with a calm, expectant beauty, and it's clear to see that they all can't wait to meet the newest addition to their family. I'm so glad to have helped the Calis document their last few months as a family of three!