Behind the Camera | Evidence of Life Photography | Seattle Portrait Photographers

A little Glimpse in to the lives of the ladies behind the lenses...

Rachael Reis (left) with her soul-mutt, Gulliver-the-Professional-Cuddler,
and Heather Reis Fike (right) with her soul-mutt, Lola-the-Guard Dog.

HEATHER REIS FIKE, FOUNDER, OWNER AND PHOTOGRAPHER

I got my first camera when I was sevenish, it was this old 1970’s thing that takes 110 film. I think my mom got it for a few cents at a yard sale, or she may have found it in a vacant apartment, I got a LOT of stuff that way. Anyways, the point is I fell in love. Even then, I liked to photograph people--anyone I had access to, pretty much got their picture taken. It evolved into this deep love for capturing life. And when I say life, I mean every aspect of it. From maternity to newborn to children to seniors and weddings--it’s all part of the dynamic of human life. Capturing the essence of each person’s story is absolutely amazing--from the single mom and her child, to the same sex couple and their littles, to two foster parents adopting children who have already been entrusted to them--such different stories, but all so powerful and worthy of being captured.

When my sister became a teenager, she began to develop this amazing eye for photography, and she went from assistant, to second shooter, and now we shoot weddings together exclusively. It’s perfect: We can basically read each other's minds, and she tends to be the strength to my weak points, which is so amazing. She’s a free spirit, and a totally unique soul, and her eye for photojournalism is the perfect complement for my love for portraiture. We’re good together, and for our weddings, we’re completely unstoppable.

RACHAEL REIS, SISTER & CO-PHOTOGRAPHER

I like to capture happiness. People show their true happiness while making art, being with the ones they love, and while dancing--and I love the vibe from people dancing, because I believe it helps them open up and feel more comfortable--enough so that you’ll find me out on the floor dancing and capturing moments at the same time. I’m not a huge fan of posed photography, because shooting people in action, in those REAL moments, while they’re creating, dancing, making music, that’s what calls to me.

I started shooting when I was around seven. I’d line up my toys and take pictures with a disposable. When I was a teenager, I started taking classes for it, and then my sister let me tag along for shoots, and we just kind of went from there. She’s definitely one of the most driven, hard working people I know. She’s good at being the boss-and she’s amazing at natural looking, emotive portraits, whereas I excel in the candid, photojournalistic aspect. It makes the best dynamic for shooting something as special and emotional as a wedding.

Why yes, we do have matching camera tattoos.