Rachel Tamling Photography

09/07/2026

While I wait for the full gallery to finish uploading, I had to share one of my favorites.

That sun and sky absolutely showed off for us.

09/05/2026

Thurgood | Senior Sneak Peek

Mother Nature really made us work for this session. 😂 After a few reschedules, we finally got Thurgood in front of my camera. Through every change of plans, he was exactly who he always is: patient, easy-going, and completely willing to roll with it.

And I think the wait was more than worth it.

Honestly, that sums up Thurgood pretty well. He’s one of those rare kids who just has a calming presence about him. He’s kind, respectful, dependable, and an incredibly loyal friend. He’s always seemed like a bit of an old soul to me. He has a genuinely good circle of people around him too, and I think that says a lot about the kind of person he is.

He’s spent his high school years representing the North Crawford Trojans on the football field while also earning High Honors academically. But as impressive as those accomplishments are, I think the things that will never show up on a stat sheet or honor roll say even more about him.

The way he treats people. The friendships he keeps. His quiet confidence. His ability to take things as they come. He’s just genuinely a good kid, and the kind of person you’re glad to have in your corner.

And for someone who is definitely not the most comfortable being in front of a camera, he absolutely nailed this session. He trusted me, went along with everything I threw at him, and I think we ended up capturing him rather than trying to make him into someone he isn’t.

I’ve had the privilege of knowing Thurgood for quite a while, so getting to capture this chapter of his life was a little extra special for me. I hope these photos show even a little bit of that quiet, old-soul personality that makes him who he is.

Mother Nature may have made us wait, but looking at these, I think she knew what she was doing. 🤎

Thurgood | North Crawford

09/03/2026

The worst part of finishing a gallery? THIS. 😭

Even though being sick put me a little behind this week, I’m officially uploading another senior gallery!

And before anyone thinks I’ve completely lost my mind, 😂 there are 398 photos from the session. Each gallery gets separate social media + print-sized folders, with both color + black & white versions, which is why Google Drive is currently fighting for its life uploading nearly 750 files.

Now comes the painful part... waiting. I just want to SEND THEM ALREADY. 😂

Hopefully they’re worth the wait.

09/03/2026

A little update from me 🤍

I want to apologize for being a bit quiet this week and for the delay in responding to messages. Unfortunately, I was pretty much bedridden with a stomach virus (or something along those lines) and wasn’t even able to eat for over two days.

I’m finally feeling much better and getting back to messages, editing, and everything else today. Being down for a few days did put me a little behind, so I really appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding while I get caught back up.

At the end of the day, I’m a one-woman business, and sometimes I have to call in sick too. 😅

Thank you for giving me a little grace this week. I’m happy to be back at it. 🤍

08/29/2026

Peak fall color season might be coming a little earlier this year 👀

Of course, Mother Nature can change her mind at any point, so nothing is set in stone. I’ll still have my alerts on and will be watching the foliage closely as we get closer.

But if you’ve been thinking about photos surrounded by peak fall colors, this is your sign to start thinking about dates. 🍁 My September and October calendar is already starting to fill up, and peak season will be here before we know it.

I’ll keep everyone updated as the colors start changing!

~Peak Fall Foliage 2026~

In the Upper Midwest, the dry summer will likely lead to an early-to-average peak for fall foliage. Trees are already beginning to change color in some areas as they experience stress from the lack of moisture. As a result, peak colors could arrive in as little as 2–3 weeks. Farther south, beneficial rainfall over the past few months should support a more average timeframe for peak foliage, along with more vibrant colors than those expected farther north. The absence of early frosts should also help preserve the quality and intensity of the fall colors. The primary negative factors to watch will be periods of windy conditions, which could cause leaves to fall prematurely, as well as the potential for early-season snow across parts of the Corn Belt in October. Overall, however, conditions appear favorable for a relatively good fall foliage season, particularly farther south.

08/29/2026

✨ UPDATED: 9/7/26 ✨

September weekends are filling up!

A few weekend dates are already spoken for, so if you’ve been thinking about getting a September session on the calendar, now’s a good time to reach out!

Seniors, families, couples, or just because. Weekday availability is still pretty open, too.

I’ll be updating this graphic as dates get booked, so you can always check back to see which September dates are still up for grabs. 📅

And we’re getting closer to my FAVORITE time of year. 🍂 I’m so excited for peak fall color, and I’ll be keeping a very close eye on the leaves, so we can take full advantage of them when they decide to show off.

Message me and we’ll get something planned. 🤎

08/26/2026

I’ll take a genuine laugh over a perfectly posed photo every single time. 🖤

Check out the progression here. This was probably half a second in real life. A look turns into a smile, the smile breaks, and suddenly they’re both laughing.

Hence why I always keep that shutter going.

You can pose a body. You can place hands. You can tell someone where to look. But you can’t pose connection.

Those tiny in-between moments, the looks, the smiles you can’t hold back, the genuine laughs, bring a sparkle and light to a photo that you just can’t manufacture.

And that’s the good stuff. ✨

08/26/2026

Rainy days aren’t always a bad thing, as crazy as that may sound. The clouds gave us exactly the soft, moody light we were hoping for, and these two did the rest.

Gavin is getting ready to head to UW–Platteville for his first year of college, and Alivia wanted to make sure we got these photos done before he left. As his stepmom, I get it. After a year full of “lasts,” somehow him actually moving away for college is the part that still doesn’t quite feel real.

This is a new chapter for these two, too, but I have so much faith in them.

Alivia brought all the emotion... that stunning smile, the cute laughs, the little looks. She absolutely glows, and she gave me so much to work with. And Gavin? This is the same kid who used to HATE having his picture taken. Now he’s a grown man the camera absolutely loves, and he brought every bit of that same emotion. Seriously, the way he looks at her… 🥹

I didn’t have to create the connection between them. I just got to document it, and that is pretty special.

Two beautiful people, inside and out, right before life changes a little. And I’m really, really glad we captured this version of right now.

08/20/2026

Apparently, there are quite a few more of you here than the last time I introduced myself. 😉

So, hi! I’m Rachel, the person behind the camera at Rachel Tamling Photography. 📷

I started this little adventure in 2025, and I’m still kind of blown away by how many people have followed along, trusted me with their memories, shared my work, recommended me, or simply stuck around to see what I photograph next.

If you’re new here, please swipe through to get to know me, my work, and the way I approach photography a little better.

And whether you’ve been here from the beginning or just found my page yesterday -- THANK YOU. Truly. I’m incredibly excited to see where this keeps going. 🤍

And as always: Come as you are. I’ll take care of the rest.