Today we’d like to introduce you to Elle Reaux.
Elle, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I got my start in the wedding industry working for a wedding planner, but I grew up around photography with a photojournalist dad and I always had a camera in hand since I was kid. After doing two internships with wedding photographers for a couple of years building my portfolio, it all just clicked into place. I opened Elle Reaux Photography in 2017. Now I am a published, international photographer capturing weddings in Texas and around the world.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As much as I would love to say it’s been easy all of these years, and in many ways it has been, there were so many lessons I have learned about becoming a business owner and photographer. One of the biggest challenges was balancing motherhood and my work. I had my first daughter in 2018, just one year after opening Elle Reaux Photography, and it was a huge adjustment to creating a healthy work-life balance that allowed me to feel fully present with my family as well as in my work.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a hybrid photographer, so I shoot both digital and film images. I love the way film looks and how it captures light and color, and I use that as inspiration for editing my digital work. I want all of my galleries to be true to color and full of life so they feel like a peice of artwork that my couples are investing in.
My couples are drawn to my work for having a good balance in both editing style and shooting approach and my use of color and light. Although I don’t love putting my photography into a box or label because it’s always evolving and growing, I would say that my photography is a good mix of editorial and documentary style and full of color.
I love capturing all of the beautiful details that vendors pour their hearts and souls into creating for a couple and making sure we’re capturing all of the elements of the day visually, but I also love capturing all of the emotions of a day and the messy in-between moments. I’m always trying to capture more of the imperfections of a wedding day to truly tell the story of not just what the day looks like, but what it feels like to be there, and I think that’s what I’m best known for.
There is so much to be proud of, but one thing I really beam with pride over is when I follow my creative instincts– It pays off 100% of the time and creates photos that both my clients and I truly adore and feel inspired by. Getting excited over a set of images that I took by following my creative intuition, or by taking a risk while playing with light, or with film, is truly something that keeps me absolutely enamored with my craft.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I think the wedding photography industry will continue to see a shift towards hyper-personalization and storytelling over perfection. Couples are definitely moving away from the Pinterest-perfect wedding photos and heading towards highly personal, narrative-driven imagery. I see a lot more of capturing genuine moments, subtle emotions, guest interactions, while steering away from the posing and strict photo lists. I think film is going to continue to surge along with the intentional imperfect aesthetics that feel super timeless yet nostalgic.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ellereaux.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/ellereauxphoto
Image Credits
Elle Reaux Photography
