This first post back into blogging will be a bit “chatty” but let’s start from the beginning.
I have always loved art. I was definitely the artsy kid at school. I couldn’t wait for art class and always felt it went by too quickly. You would often find little doodles on my class notes or in any of my friend’s binders who asked for a “commissioned piece!”
In high school I started to discover photography. My small town school had a little darkroom in the loft of our Industrial Arts room. I absolutely loved going in there and magically watching my images appear on a piece of white photo paper as I swirled it around in a developing bath.
My fascination for the prairies and for taking photos of my horses had me spending lots of time outside with my camera often laying on my belly trying to focus in on a single wildflower blowing in the wind or annoying the crap out of my horses by following them around incessantly with a camera pointed right in their eye. (I will admit, I still do this often!)
After graduation, I went off to University enrolling in the college of Arts and Science at the University of Saskatchewan. I transferred into the Fine Arts program after my first year and came out with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Distinction, Majoring in Studio Art and Minoring in Art History.
Right after University I moved to Biggar to live with my boyfriend (now husband) and soon had to decide to take the plunge and start my own official photography business.
It was certainly a learning curve. University had focused more on the artistic side of photography and not the business side so trying to make sure I had done everything I needed to do to be “official” did not happen overnight and led to some frustrations and lessons learned. Nonetheless, Rachelle Hodgins Photography officially launched in early 2011!
I will always have a special space in my heart for all those early clients who took a chance on a newbie who felt like she was “winging” it a lot of the time. Heck, sometimes I still feel that way!
The best part about art and being a photographer is that you must keep changing and growing. Photography has pushed me out of my creative comfort zone more times than I can count.
For someone like myself who thrives off of feeling comfortable (total introvert/homebody here), I often need that little extra nudge once in awhile. This has led me to explore lots of new places and meet so many amazing people I wouldn’t have otherwise crossed paths with if not for photography pushing me out of my comfort zone.
I have learned a lot in the the last 10 years and looking back my style and skill have definitely evolved over time. I do still feel, however, like I can still track a theme through my photography over the years. Those core values and ideas may have changed in style and appearance but are essentially still the same. My fascination for our prairie landscape, my love for photographing the people who call it home and my need to create art have all stayed with me over the course of my career so far.
I still remember sitting down at our kitchen table to make my very first website. I had no idea what I was doing but I got my URL and created a free website. It probably had music and was more about showy little details and cool backgrounds than the actual photographs. I remember once it launched I was so excited about it. It made me feel “legit”, like my business was official and that I was ready to dive in to my new career head on.
Now here I am, ten years later and once again sitting at my kitchen table, writing this blog post that will go on my brand new website! This new website (created by, the very talented, Erin Bennetto) is a “business anniversary” gift to myself. A gift to celebrate a decade of art, business, capturing and sharing the stories of so many of the amazing people of the prairies!
I feel extra “legit” now!!
To all my clients, past and present: Thank you for letting me create some art by capturing a piece of your story. I hope you still look back on those photos and smile for years to come.
By inviting me to capture a little bit of your story you became a part of mine! I am so very grateful for that!
