Making Sense Of Technology in Multimedia

Photographers Notebook Series: Relationship Photography

• Daniel Douglas • Episode 7

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About This Episode

A photographer that photographs couples in their best state with an interesting and unusual twist on photography that she calls relationship photography!

 What to Listen For

  • What is Relationship Photography
  • How she got started 
  • How this genre of photography helps couples AND photographers alike

Check-in with ST Rappaport 

Shoutout To The Show

Relationship Photography

[00:00:00] Daniel: [00:00:00] Welcome to the making sense of podcasts. This is Daniel Douglas, your host, bringing strategies, tips, and interviews, covering technology, photography, video, and all things multimedia. It starts right now in my previous episodes, I spoke with the communications expert who helps people overcome their fear of public speaking and presenting on camera and a wedding and portrait photographer who loves the interaction with her clients.

I'm talking today with a photographer that has an unusual and very interesting twist on photography. So stay with me on this one. S T Rappaport is a relationship photographer and she says she photographs couples in their best state. Thank you for joining me today, [00:01:00] ST. 

ST: [00:01:01] Well, thank you, Daniel. It's very exciting to be here and speaking with you.

Daniel: [00:01:04] Yeah. And I, you know, I thought about this and I said, what am I going to talk about? You know, a re a relationship photographer. I don't know what that is. So let's just go ahead and jump right back, jump into this. And give us a little bit of your background as a relationship counseling. Let's start there.

Okay. 

ST: [00:01:27] So first of all, I am not a relationship counselor and not a relationship expert. I don't like. Big disclaimer. but I have studied psychology like a bit, and I do it mostly together with something called creative journal, expressive arts that comes more as a form of a facilitator coach. and then I mix it in together with the relationship photography that I do, but I'm no expert.

Daniel: [00:01:56] Okay. We got that cleared up. So your [00:02:00] expertise then more so is in photography. 

ST: [00:02:03] Yes and photography. And like I said together with this C J E a thing it's really interesting method of using your nondominant hand to access your subconscious and your emotions. So I started off with relationship photography and then moved on and mixing and this journaling together with 

Daniel: [00:02:25] okay.

And your nondominant hand, what is that?

ST: [00:02:29] A non-dominant does the hand that you don't usually use to write with. 

Daniel: [00:02:32] For someone like me I'm right handed. But sometimes I switch off and use my left hand just because I can.

ST: [00:02:40] Do you usually write with your right hand. 

Daniel: [00:02:42] Normally I do write with my right hand.

ST: [00:02:44] Okay. So then your nondominant hand would be your left hand. 

Daniel: [00:02:46] Okay. You also have a podcast show, correct? 

ST: [00:02:51] That's right 

Daniel: [00:02:52] let's talk about that for a little bit.

ST: [00:02:54] So, because I deal with relationships and the photography aspect in [00:03:00] a. CJA coaching aspects. I wanted to do more to just help couples. I find relationships really interesting, and because I'm not the expert, I instead interview all sorts of people.

So either, or the people who have a great relationship or a marriage therapist, and just literally pick their brains to find the best way to have an extraordinary relationship. 

Daniel: [00:03:27] What's the name of your podcast? 

ST: [00:03:30] Life Pix relationships. 

Daniel: [00:03:32] Okay. Help me out here. I'm a single guy. If I were in a relationship and let's just say the relationship was okay, but it could be better.

How would you coach me? What would be the process if I connect it with 

ST: [00:03:51] you? So together with photography? Yes. Okay. So. Do you want me to explain [00:04:00] first what the relationship photography aspect is? 

Daniel: [00:04:03] Yeah. I mean, we were going to get into that, but I think we should jump into that right now because 

ST: [00:04:08] it will be easier to other staff.

Okay. So relationship photography, which, by the way, you probably never heard of, like you said, because it's a term I just use to describe what I do. so most people don't know what it is, but. Basically is I take pictures of people in their ultimate state of love and connection. Right? So going back to that example, if you are in a relationship where it was okay, but I want it to be better, would take, I would help you get to the state of that real law of that intimacy, that connection, or whatever other emotion you want in your relationship.

Take a picture of it and then choose your favorite. Want to hang up on the wall? Like a vision board. 

Daniel: [00:04:54] At vision board, how do you, and with the group, I'm trying to understand this. [00:05:00] How would you with the group, with the photographs? It would there be a followup with that? A followup session, sit down and say, Hey, look, listen, here are the images that we took or that I took.

And here's your different States of love, connection or 

ST: [00:05:17] emotions, 

Daniel: [00:05:17] emotions. Okay. I see where you're going with this. but I'm confused as to how I'm trying to put myself in that, in that position. So let's back up a little bit. I'm in a relationship it's okay. But it could be better. We connect with you and the.

Person or persons that you partner with and we talk about our relationship and how we think it could be better. So from that point, where would you kick in? Okay. 

ST: [00:05:53] So today I am like gonna mix going back to your original question. That was before, just to [00:06:00] explain it, like the whole process altogether, I would start with the journaling part with.

Really journaling and coaching them through the journaling of a really understanding what they want in a relationship. Because many times you say you want a better relationship, but you don't know what that is. Like, you can't describe it. So like you tell someone what they want. They'll tell you everything they don't want.

I don't want this. I don't want that, but they can't put into words what they do. So by journaling with your nondominant hand, drawing pictures, painting, getting old creative. With the nondominant hand, then you access the subconscious and get really clear in your mind what you are going to want your relationship to look like.

Yeah. After we have like two or three sessions of that, then we go and we work on what we want in the photo. Shoot. What do you really want to express in the photo? Shoot? What sort of emotions take them [00:07:00] pictures, which is a blast because you already worked through what you want your relationship to look like and you know, what sort of emotions and you want to portray in this photo shoot.

So we're not strangers here. Like when we forwarded this relationship with photography, I would. Many times it'd be the first time I would meet the people, especially if it's the kids or something of the store. And here, everybody know me. We're much more comfortable. It's much easier to get comfortable and get those emotions out.

Then after the photo shoot, they choose the favorite picture. A favorite pictures that they're going to want to hang up on their wall. The vision board will train their subconscious and just their mind to know what they want, what they're looking for and constantly help them get there. And we continue journaling with the pictures and doing all sorts of art activity with the pictures to overcome blockages or [00:08:00] challenges or anything that's in the way of helping you get that relationship.

Daniel: [00:08:04] Okay. So it's, it's a lot clearer to me now. So here's a followup question for you. Do you see couples that are engaged to be married? 

ST: [00:08:17] Yeah, they don't have to be married as long as they're in a committed release. Okay. 

Daniel: [00:08:21] How has that worked out? Let me just back up for a minute, because I used to shoot weddings a lot as you were talking.

Of course, my brain was spinning and I smell of smoke now. I'm saying that wedding photographers could actually use this information because one of the things, when you, when you meet a couple and you're trying to book them for their engagement shoot in their, their wedding, it's, it's more of a relationship building.

They have to trust you as the photographer and you have to feel comfortable with that couple as well. So I can see [00:09:00] some of your methods actually helping photographers, not only wedding photographers, but portrait photographers as well. Do you see that 

ST: [00:09:08] for sure? Because like you said, there's that relationship that's there before.

There's that trust that's there before you're coming much more prepared and much more open to the action? Well, photo shoot. 

Daniel: [00:09:20] How did you get started all of this? I think you mentioned that before. I'm not sure. 

ST: [00:09:27] Was a process that happened over time. So I was always into photography since I was a little kid.

Like I started getting paid for it probably since I was 12. in college, I rented a studio and did photo shoots there as I was doing, the photo shoots are really is my favorite part of it was that emotions part, seeing the real emotion come out and the place you see that most is in a relationship. So I decided to go into that and I started with a vision boards, [00:10:00] but vision boards are great, but they don't actually solve the problems.

So as doing just the vision boards for some time, and it's like, okay, I need to do something else. And then I was just looking out for them, different things. And when I came across this CJ a thing, then I was like, okay, this is cool. I'm going to add this to what I do. 

Daniel: [00:10:18] What is the CJ. C a 

ST: [00:10:21] C J E a. Yes, I did  not make up the name.

It's really long it's book stands for creative journal, expressive arts. It's a method base, that dr. Luchea kept Kioni created 

Daniel: [00:10:35] it's based on 

ST: [00:10:37] she like out, see like made it out, but she discovered it while she was chronically ill healed herself from it. And then did. Real research afterwards, based on Rogerson Sperry's research of the right and left side of the brain and things like that.

Daniel: [00:10:54] Okay. So this is really, this is different for me. You [00:11:00] started photography young, like a lot of us have, before you branched into the relationship side of photography, what were you doing photographically then? 

ST: [00:11:12] So there was a point I was doing lifestyle photography. Okay. And I was doing, portraits, like family portraits and modeling of it also.

Daniel: [00:11:24] So how, how is it now with the pandemic? And I know things are, they were pretty bad in, in New Jersey at a time. And, and down here in the Washington D C area, how is the photography? So how has business in general for you? 

ST: [00:11:42] Coaching part is able to move all over zoom. That was no problem. The hard part was doing the actual photo shoots.

So during the time when I really couldn't go out, then we would either. Use [00:12:00] pictures they have from the past, like literally anyone who's listening could do the same, like take wedding pictures or just the picture that really shows that emotions and worked with that. but as soon as things started opening up a bit, then we were able to start to have photo shoots, like stink, faraway.

Cause you know, you don't have to be that close to the person. 

Daniel: [00:12:20] Do you have anything to add that we didn't cover or something that we should know about what you do and. The type of photography, 

ST: [00:12:30] I think you got it all.

Daniel: [00:12:32] That's impossible. 

ST: [00:12:35] Nobody. I could also like talk forever. You know, like if you ask more questions, I could answer it, but I think you pretty much covered everything.

Daniel: [00:12:42] Did you think about other ways that you could do the photography side? And for example, I, I read something somewhere and I wish I could remember who it was so I could give that person credit. But they were talking about doing remote photography. 

ST: [00:12:58] Yes. I [00:13:00] actually heard that, heard about that and was suggested by that.

I didn't see that, especially working with the clients that I was working with, if somebody that would want to do that, I'd be more than glad, but because I had to make do somehow in the past, right? Like with finding old pictures or stuff or other, such things, then I think we'll continue working with that.

If we need. If hopefully not, but if there's a second wave, then that's what we'll do. 

Daniel: [00:13:29] Right. Okay. Well, ST really, again, I really do appreciate you coming on the show, and explaining that to us. I want to make sure that people go to your podcast. And, so if you can just give us the URL to the podcast and any other links that you have, and we'll also include those in the show notes.

ST: [00:13:52] Awesome. Yeah, the podcasts you could go to, like I said, life picks relationships. That's what the X, L I F P I [00:14:00] X relationships on all platforms are all major platforms I should say. and if you want to speak with me, you could go to life, picks relationships that a S that M E and I'd love to speak to you there.

Cool. 

Daniel: [00:14:14] Again, ST I really do appreciate you coming on the show. 

ST: [00:14:18] Well, thank you for having me. It was great speaking to you 

Daniel: [00:14:20] If you like this show, please subscribe and leave me a review on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google podcasts, or your favorite podcasting app. You can also leave me a message about this episode or suggest new content.

Go to speakpipe.com/makingsenseof, or click on the link in the show notes and leave a brief audio message. That's it for today. Thank you for listening. And I'll catch you next time.

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