Life & Work with Rachel Rust

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Rust.

Hi Rachel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in East Tennessee and grew up in San Jose, California. I began my career through the entertainment business; acting, singing, and modeling. I performed at hundreds of events across the country and released two original songs in 2016: both written and produced by Brandon “Blue” Hamilton (Justin Bieber, Usher, Ciara, Robin Thicke, etc.).

In 2016, I decided to get an everyday camera to take photos of family and friends, which quickly grew into a passion. I decided to do a small business out of it in 2018 and quickly grew my business working with Nashville bloggers, musicians, and other major public figures.

I want to use my platform to represent all kinds of people. I want my story to resonate with people when it comes to my work and what I’m portraying to an audience. I want what I’m doing to really matter. I want my creations to inspire others. I want to stand up and speak about topics that many people are afraid to talk about (EX: immigrant rights, Black Lives Matter, LGBTQIA+ rights, mental health advocacy, body positivity, etc.) and things that others can relate to. Hopefully, my goal is to inspire others with my work by spreading words of empowerment, love, and positivity. I want to create lifelong memories and capture life’s greatest moments.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I moved to Nashville in 2018. For the most part, it’s been a smooth journey. While photography is a very competitive industry, especially in Nashville, I feel fortunate because I have a sister who happens to be a well-known blogger. She was my first “client.” Her sharing the images I took of her and crediting me really helped get my name out.

Since then, it’s been a somewhat steady journey. Just like any freelance work, it comes and goes. I hope to be able to transition into doing photography/videography full-time one day.

Regardless, I’m extremely thankful for the love and support I have continued to have from my friends and family over the years.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a freelance photographer and videographer based out of Franklin, Tennessee. I specialize in various photography styles, from creative portraits, families, and couples, to products, weddings, and events. I like to do a little bit of everything.

I’m most proud of the moments I was able to capture during COVID. So many people had to cancel or reschedule their weddings, and I felt incredibly lucky to have been able to not only get married myself in 2020 but to capture other couples doing the same. It’s such a great feeling seeing one of life’s greatest moments take place and being the person to capture every minute of it.

I think what sets me apart from others is my versatility and out-of-the-box creative thinking. I love exploring new things and collaborating with my clients to come up with these amazing concepts. I love creating moments with humans of all races, genders, sizes, sexualities, and backgrounds. Allowing others to express their creative sides and be their true authentic self.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was always super shy. This was ironic considering my passions in life became music, acting, and photography, amongst other things. I’m always interested in expressing my creative side in any way, shape, or form I could. Whether making music or taking photos of the flowers in my backyard, I always wanted to create. I’ve taken pretty much every kind of personality test you can take, and yes, I am right-brained. I’m also an enneagram 6w7, INFJ, and Sagittarius – for anyone who’s into that stuff.

My whole life has been centered around entertainment, creativity, and traveling. That’s what I hope to continue doing for the rest of my life alongside my husband, studying Music Producer and Audio Engineer from Berklee College of Music.

I’m extremely thankful to have a wonderful husband, dad, sister, and family as a whole who have been by my side every step of the way and encouraged my journey. I couldn’t do it without them.

Pricing:

• Portraits start at $150/hour
• Family Photos start at $200/hour
• Events start at $250/hour
• Lifestyle images start at $125/hour
• For wedding pricing, please see my wedding packages pdf from the pricing page on my website.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rachelnovakrust.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/rachelnovakrust.photography
• Facebook: facebook.com/rachelnovakmedia
• Others: instagram.com/rachel.novak