🌈 ❤️🎨 OMG I absolutely adore being a LGBTQIA+ Photographer and Lydia, I had *so much fun* working with you!! We found ourselves in a Pride window display, retro candy store, sipping smoothies, checking out vinyls, and eventually even fleeing a rainbow tiger in a shopping cart! Lydia, I love your creativity, exuberance, authenticity and open-spirited ways! You make the world a brighter better place and I am honored to have photographed your LGBTQIA+ senior portraits!
Why Rhinehart Photography?
Lydia smiles, “The whole experience was so fun– Lisa is creative, flexible and kind!” I was nervous at first because I’m awkward haha, but at the end of the day it just felt like hanging out in town with cool people and doing fun things. We stopped to grab a smoothie and bubble gum– at times it felt a little like theater improv (“you are being chased by a tiger! Get out of your shopping cart!”)! The photographic results are awesome!
Lydia shares, “My family has been working with Lisa for a long time. I’ve always loved her photography, especially when she captured my siblings. Actually one of my favorite photos of myself as a kid was taken by Lisa, I was laying in a field and a butterfly landed on my head, she captured that moment!! The way Lisa does her work really put my anxieties at ease. I was very comfortable being my authentic self and truly enjoyed the entire process.”
I have photographed the Lyman family so many times and have loved watching their family grow and grow! You can check out a few of my sessions with them here 🙂
Lydia continues, “At the end of the day I was able to really explore myself, all the different sides of me and come out of the experience with all of these self-affirming images that capture this important time in my life in a tangible way that I can keep forever!”
A Parent’s Perspecitve
Amy, Lydia’s mom shares, “This photo shoot with Lisa Rhinehart was so wonderful for Lydia and for our family. When you have a Gender Queer child, it can be tricky to find ways for them to feel completely comfortable and express themselves authentically. Lisa created this space and experience for Lydia in these photos, and it means so much to us.”
She adds, “We have known Lisa for a long time. She first photographed our family over a decade ago, and has since done Senior photos for five of our kids, wedding photos for our son, and traveled to North Carolina to capture very important photos of my family with my parents, prior to losing my mom to dementia. We have so many cherished memories thanks to Lisa and her amazing talent.”
Amy smiles, “She has assisted and encouraged each of our kids to express who they really are in their photos and this has been especially true for Lydia. I can see Lydia’s authentic self in these pictures, and I can especially see joy, which for a mom of an LGBTQ+ child, is precious. Thank you Lisa!”
Why Miss Ruth’s Time Bomb?
Lydia says, “Lisa initially suggested the setting, and it really worked perfectly. I’ve always been very eclectic and unique in my way of expression and the setting really was able to bring that out perfectly. Visiting Miss Ruth’s Time Bomb was definitely a real highlight of the day and I will be back! I think my dad even bought a bowtie there!”
Shoutout to Miss Ruth’s Time Bomb for allowing us to photograph this LGBTQIA+ session! We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect location! That they had a window display fully decked out in rainbows and other pride stuff and allowed Lydia to climb in as if they were a mannequin was so so cool!
Concept: LGBTQIA+ Photographer
Lydia smiles, “I have always loved going to thrift and antique stores. They’re always an adventure of finding what you may not think you’ve needed. Which very much paralleled the openness of my life. Exploring, looking for something, but not knowing exactly what you’ll find!”
They add, “The thrift store was really perfect to be able to play with the masculine and the feminine in a very fun and safe environment.”
Yearbook: LGBTQIA+ Photographer
I love how Lydia embodied a classic 1960s dude in these photos!
Lydia laughs, “It was really fun to do the yearbook shot, that kind of traditional masculine figure was very fun to play with in the photos, haha!”
Who is Lydia?
They share, “Something I love about myself is my ability to be flexible and change perspective on things. I feel like this seeps into lots of aspects of my life. Like my humor and seeing a kind of joy when others don’t, and my patience.”
They say, “I would say I’m a very eclectic, bright person. I definitely tend to focus on the positive. While still being very much an overthinker, haha!”
I mustache you a question…
As we walked past you plant, I noticed how much the leaves look like little mustaches… I thought it was a fun way to play with gender…
I “mustache” you a question… Wonder Woman or Spiderman??
They say, “Definitely Spiderman!”
Wonder Woman or Spiderman?
Lydia says, “The movie theater was so fun! I enjoyed the whole process so much!”
They add, “I’m definitely leaning more toward Spiderman!”
Blue eyes, bubble gum, Gummy bear earrings, coneflowers, a pineapple smoothie!!
Lydia recalls, “Something I really liked about this shoot was that we were able to improvise and add to the shoot in genuine yet last-minute ways. Lisa thought of a bubble gum shot so we went to a candy store, bought bubble gum, and used it in a shot. I was thirsty so I bought a smoothie at a local place. We saw a colorful mural and a shopping cart and used that. These added bits were some of my favorite parts of the shoot because I think it really shows my personality of creativity and flexibility.”
Taking Flight: LGBTQIA+ photographer
Lydia shares, “Another thing we added during the shoot, was the idea of changing and moving forward. There have been a lot of changes in my life and I think it was great to be able to capture that.”
It’s you!! LGBTQIA+ photographer
I loved having this Open-ended time to explore Carlisle and connect with Lydia! I’ve been able to watch them grow since they were just a little kid! Spending this time with Lydia was not only fun but an absolute joy for me! I could see how brave honest open creative and authentic. They are as a human being and can also see that the world is a better place with them in it :-).
For me, being at the grand illusion, and having this creepy finger pointed straight towards her as she looked in the mirror was such a perfect image…
The process: 1. Fear
Lydia shares, “This process and being incredibly open about who I am and who I’m striving to become, was honestly a big leap for me.”
2. The process: Audacity
They continue, “I was scared at first, but became so much more comfortable as time went on.”
3. Acceptance
Lydia says, “Ultimately I’m incredibly happy I was able to make that leap.”
4. Joy: Shining bright!
They smile, “It was very freeing to be open and have that avenue to express who I am and such a full range of my personality and emotions!”
Lydia, you are such an amazing person! I hope this really makes you feel validated and seen and also see how awesome you are!!!
LGBTQIA+ Photographer – More Here:
Hungry for More?
Contact Me!
Are you or someone you know looking for a photographer for their weddings, portraits, business branding, etc? I’m your girl! Contact me here, I’d love to hear all about it!