Rae Curtis shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Rae, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ince breaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Most mornings, I’m up by 6, starting with a quiet thank you to God for another chance to get it right—or at least survive it with grace and coffee. I nurse that first cup like it’s holy water, letting prayer and reflection settle my spirit before the chaos kicks in. Breakfast gets made and I do my best to set the tone for a good day bare feet in the grass, eyes on the sunrise, trying to remember who I am before the emails and kid requests start rolling in. It’s slow, intentional, a little poetic, and perfectly imperfect—just like life.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Raechel—a documentary-style photographer obsessed with capturing honest human connection. My work lives in the in-between moments—the quiet glances, the real laughs, the stuff you can’t fake. Right now, I’m working on a branding series called Algorithm-Free Union, a visual rebellion against performative content and highlight reels. It’s all about presence over polish, depth over display.
Don’t hire me for “content.” I’m not your girl.
I shoot for the sake of unbranded love, unbranded life, and everything raw and real in between.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
What breaks the bond between people is often a lack of empathy—when we stop trying to understand each other’s experiences and start assuming our own perspective is the only truth. A lot gets lost in translation when we forget that we all process life through different lenses. What seems clear to one person might feel completely different to someone else.
Restoring that bond takes mutual willingness, honest communication, and a whole lot of grace. It requires seeing the other person not as the villain in your story, but as the lead in their own. As a photographer, I’m constantly reminded of this—two people can look at the same moment and feel something entirely different. Connection survives when we’re willing to look again, from the other angle
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I think I started hiding my pain right around the time I realized no one knew what to do with it—so I did what a lot of us do: I folded it into silence, made it look like strength, and kept moving. But somewhere along the way, I realized pain doesn’t lose power when you hide it—it multiplies. So I flipped the script.
I started speaking up not for attention, but for connection. Because once I realized I wasn’t the only one feeling isolated or overwhelmed, it made me want to be the kind of person I needed when I was in the thick of it.
There’s no worse feeling than believing you’re the only one hurting. So I crack the door open with my story, in case someone else needs to walk through it too. That’s what I try to do with my photography too—shine a little light on the real stuff. No filters, no faking. Just truth, tenderness, and a willingness to see what’s really there
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely—the public version of me is the real me. What you see is what you get. Authenticity isn’t just part of my brand; it’s how I live. I don’t believe in putting on a show or wearing a mask to make people more comfortable. I’ve walked through too much to pretend now. Being raw, honest, and present is the only way I know how to show up—for my work, for others, and for myself. Anything else would feel like fraud, and I’ve made a lifelong commitment to keep it real, always.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people say I was the friend who showed up—especially when it was dark, when they were low, when no one else would. That I didn’t turn away from the hard stuff, but sat beside them in it. I hope they remember me as someone who loved deeply, gave selflessly, and offered loyalty that didn’t waver. A mama to the soul, to the core.
I want to be known as a light-bringer—an and a vibe you could feel. Someone who made people laugh when they forgot how, reminded them they mattered, and believed in them even when they couldn’t see it themselves. If they say I helped make their world a little softer, a little brighter—I’ll know I did what I was here to do.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @clickwithrae
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raechel-curtis-283328233?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/19i2M5Qvfn/?mibextid=wwXIfr
