
I first noticed Rachel Lee Young on Facebook, not initially because of her extraordinary photography skills and her distinct love for taking stunning images of landscapes and hummingbirds; I noticed Rachel because of her romance story.
I guess when I think back, it was not atypical. Here is how it goes. Woman is in an unhappy marriage. Woman divorces. Woman rediscovers herself and a healing romance. Woman falls in love with life again. What was unconventional though was how Rachel and her new partner, James Solomon (also an accomplished photographer) were not at all shy about sharing their blossoming relationship on Facebook.
There were sweet and fun images from the beach, missing you captions, personal stories and photographs of glasses of prosecco and meals sitting lonely on a table while one of the two travelled. The entire Internet was cheering on their story. Fast forward 4 years later and Rachel, who is former engineer, and James have found new ways to keep the flames lit, through a shared passion for photography that has led them to the production of an extensive and exquisite line of homeware and textiles featuring the world’s most coveted backyard bird.
When I saw Rachel’s – and James’- collection (under the brand Rapso Imaging) I was surprised at the extent and thoughtful depth of the brand. The line includes clothing, cards, tea towels, napkins, soft furnishings, and the massively popular cushion covers.
When I visited Rachel at the Diego Martin home and production space, which she shares with James, I wanted to know how does a photographer become a consummate brand queen and manufacture such an incredible body of work for retail. I also wanted to know what’s it’s like working so closely with someone you love. Turns out both take self-awareness and care.
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wONDERFUL article. Im very proud of you and all you have accomplished is such a short time…..Keep up the great work….As you know I am a huge fan 🙂
Rachel would be so happy to read this, thank you for your gracious comment.