Meet Rachel White | Photographer & Film-maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachel White and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When I became a photographer almost 10 years ago, it was just another extension of my artistic nature. Fast-forward to now, and I have been able to take this full-time and be successful. That ultimately became the goal around the that I was 18 years old. I have always loved being an artist, and being able to give my clients their memories in photograph form is so fulfilling!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I love to be creative in so many different ways and always have. While my source of income is photography, I dabble in interior design and have played classical piano since the age of four. I also play guitar …and sometimes sing in the shower. 🙂

My constant leaning towards nostalgia is sets me apart with various artistic mediums. I have always loved the mid-century era and get much of my inspiration from artists from the past like Ansel Adams, Andy Warhol, and more.

What brought me to where I am today as an accomplished musician and photographer was putting in the work. I am self taught in every area of art that I work in, and have come to be successful because I am curious and unafraid to try unique things. Failure only happens when you quit. Working hard to meet your goals is never an easy journey, but it is worth it if you know what you want to say. I, just like every artist, have been met with challenges at different points in my career. Examples are lack of motivation, scarce resources, or too few client-leads to pay the bills, but I strongly believe that as long as an individual has the mind to do something, they can overcome almost every blockade that may come their way. Creating art is worth the trouble if you have something to say.

I want all people to know that their story matters and they deserve to be heard. My goal as an artist to make other feel valued and seen. I like to think I bring out authenticity in people, whether it be through my camera lens or by playing a song I’ve written that resonates with them.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
One of my favorite places in Atlanta is the High Museum. I would certainly take a friend there, and then perhaps to an outdoor concert for one of my favorite music artists like Lana Del Rey, Jason Isbell, or any classic rock band. It would be the best if they played at Shaky Knees so that I could get in for free with my tattoo of their logo. 😉 Favorite food places in the city so far are Taqueria del Sol, Provino’s Italian Restaurant, and Gocha’s Breakfast Bar. Piedmont park is also a notable spot, and on the way I’d take my friend to Rockit Vintage in Midtown. I always go to vintage and thrift stores when I get to a new place.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The person who comes to mind as the most helpful, most supportive, and most encouraging whenever it has been hard to keep working to my goals is my partner of 7 years, Gabriel. I would also love to highlight that some of the most pivotal life lessons I have learned through the years came from a book called, “How to Be an Adult in Love” by David Richo. It taught me a lot of lessons about healthy boundaries in all different types of relationships.

I also cannot write this without giving a shoutout to my group of amazing friends Amanda, Caroline, Jordan, Clara, Adriana, and Skay who taught me the value of friendship in adulthood and what it means to be a feminist, how to stand up for myself, and that I am valued in so many ways by those around me.

Website: www.papillon-visuals.com

Instagram: @papillon.visuals

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-white-88645b45/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/papillon.visuals/

Other: Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/papillonvisuals

Image Credits
These are all my photos that either I took, my partner (who doesn’t need to receive credit), or a photographer friend who doesn’t want credit (pic of me and partner with pink sky behind us) and where no contract was involved. (Izzy Hudgins, based out of Savannah GA)