Blog

Be the first to see Tracy Rodriguez Photography’s latest Fairfield County, CT photo shoots.

Welcome, Mateo!

Please welcome to the world my little peanut, Mateo Thomas Forbes! He was born on August 25, 2017, sharing my late grandfather's birthday. We couldn't be more thrilled to have him here, sleepless nights and all. And while I've retreated into my "baby bubble" for a while, I promise to be back, posting all kinds of cuteness in the near future.

Thank you all foryour patience as I return emails a bit slower than usual. For questions on my maternity leave and what that means for photo shoots, take a look at my Maternity Leave Blog Post.

With so much love,

Tracy

My Gratitude List

15 years ago my Dad gave me our family Minolta film camera to use in my high school intro to photography class. I can't say at the time that I fully appreciated everything that gesture stood for. Reflecting back, I feel incredibly grateful to have such supportive parents who felt strongly about introducing their children to the arts, in all mediums, and who, over a decade later encouraged me to turn my passion into a career. Mentally and emotionally, I'm not sure I could have done it without their support. So while my gratitude list goes on for miles, filled with countless names and events, in this season of thanks, I wish to thank my family for the environment they created and for their continued support. And, of course, thanks to my Minolta, for teaching me the language of photography.

A Reflection On The First {Full Time} Year At Tracy Rodriguez Photography

When writing any self-reflective blog post, I always debate how far back to start. Do I write about how my interest in photography began 15 years ago with a semi-functioning Minolta film camera? Do I talk about how in 2004 I attended business school and went into corporate marketing there after because it just seemed like the right thing to do? And then how attending yoga teacher training in 2011 made me question my personal decisions? {read: made me question everything.}

Photograph by the lovely Nicole Baas Photography.

I started photographing yoga teachers and was fascinated by the incredible shapes the human body could make and even more by the passion and truth that yoga - not just the poses, but the entire practice and way of living - brought to so many of my new friends' lives. One very special yogi asked me to photograph her wedding and it opened my eyes to being a part of such an amazing time in two people's lives. ... It's such a long, interwoven and connected story that brought me here, to today.

One year ago today was my first Monday running Tracy Rodriguez Photography full time. Leaving my stable corporate job felt like such a leap of faith at the time, such a courageous and bold decision. But the truth is that the last year has felt very natural. My "work" is interwoven throughout my life so I'm not "working", I'm living. My clients are a part of my life. Many have become close friends. I practice yoga at many of the studios that I photograph and have become a part of their communities. I wrote down my core beliefs for my business last year and I realized they are actually just my beliefs for my way of living. Everything is interwoven.

And everyone has played a part. My biggest reflection over this past year is how grateful I feel. Grateful to my amazing clients - my wedding couples, my yogis and studio communities, my beautiful families - grateful to my family, my extended, to my husband, to my entire network, really. From my heart, from my soul, thank you. I could not do what I do without a huge community that believes in me doing this. I thank you for your support, encouragement and friendship. Here's to many more years!!

Exciting things are on the horizon but not quite ready to share so stay tuned here, on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram and my Instagram for yogis to be the first to find out what's coming next for Tracy Rodriguez Photography!

Photograph by the lovely Emily Leahy

I believe…

     … in being a good person, treating people with respect, and doing the right thing above all else.

     … every person has something unique that no one else has, something incredibly special. I value that. That's what I look to photograph.

     … showing someone their amazing self can instill self-confidence. And, your self-confident self can change the world.

 

Photo Shoot w/ Nicole Baas Photography

One of the best pieces of advice I've received as a photographer is to be photographed myself - often, and by different photographers. My goal is to step into my clients' shoes at least once a year so that I can experience the feeling of being photographed.

You'd think after 100's of photo shoots behind the camera, I'd feel comfortable on the other side. Well, let me tell you, it was a lot scarier than I thought! But the best thing about a great photographer, like Nicole Baas, is the ability to make someone feel at ease. We ended up having a lot of fun! 

Here are a few of the shots by the incredibly talented Nicole Baas Photography.