About – Anna Reynal

Welcome!

I'm Anna

It’s no secret I’m here for the warm, sunny colors, fields of flowers, and a good garden metaphor. Like Dolly Parton sings, wildflowers don’t care where they grow.

I’m a creative photographer who wants both adventure and safe spaces. I can’t actually see into your soul, but I am going to see where you light up and find the truest parts of you and make something magical out of it all.

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Lessons learned the hard way

What I'd tell my past self

I feel you if you've ever...

...Followed a path to "success" that wasn't yours

I wish I could tell my past self that the answers aren't outside of me, they're inside. Following other people's path to success will lead to what they see as success, not what you truly desire. Success is being free to be completely yourself.

...Rolled straight through hustle into burnout

I wish I could tell my past self that my hobbies don't HAVE TO turn into businesses, that it's okay that I don't use my music degree because there is still joy in singing in the shower. The greatest gift you can give yourself is to do the things you love, only for yourself, because YOU love them.

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...Given your time to peeps who didn't value it

I wish I could tell my younger self that your value isn't in how perfect, how giving, how small, how invisible, or how little you can work for. The the jobs I took when I felt most vulnerable and scared (ahem, retail, real estate photography) were the ones that took advantage of my fear of not being enough. Your value is inherent, your needs are normal, and you deserve to receive reasonable compensation for the work that you do.

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...Made people pleasing your full-time gig

If my greatest strength is also my greatest weakness, I wish I could tell my younger self that you don't have to feed your addictions to people-pleasing, perfectionism, and rule-following by abusing your empathy, integrity, and compassion.

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...Been frustrated AF by the creative process

I wish I could soothe my past self by reminding her that creativity requires a lot of space and time, and if you don't make space for feeling your feelings, they will eventually find you anyway. What helps the most is making time to write, to read, to do whatever it is that brings you joy at being in your body.

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>> Oh wait, did you come here to read the highlight reel? >>

The highlight reel

A few things I'm proud of

If you’re here to make sure I’m a fully competent professional, let me list some accomplishments to reassure you:

I spent eight years as a wedding photographer while living in Maryland and photographed over 200 weddings. (Read that as: I can make anything work.) During the pandemic, I photographed over 300 properties for real estate agents.

Magazines and blogs love my work. You want me to name drop? Okay here goes...I've had photos on the covers and inside of local wedding magazines (Baltimore Bride, Washingtonian), and photographed styled content for The Everygirl, Glitter Guide and their partnerships, and have had my photos featured by: A Beautiful Mess' Oui Fresh Beauty Box, the One Room Challenge, Rock and Roll Bride, Cement Tile Shop, Artifact Uprising, CB2, and Framebridge.

I've also worked with many small business owners and artists. Their stories are unique and genuine, and giving them beautiful photos that show the details of their art and the communities that support them is deeply rewarding. You can see my work on the websites and instagram feeds of Katie Pumphrey, Karacotta, Ruah Yoga, Dane's Body Shop, the Mama Notes, and numerous florists and event planners in the DC/Baltimore metro area.

After moving to Austin, I briefly flirted with building the Cheerful Print Shop. If you are looking for art to brighten your walls, you can still shop prints right here.

And if you'd like to license some of my past work to use for your own brand, you can find it over on Stocksy.

And some semi-work related things I’ve done:

I've hiked the entire Maryland section of the AT and a section through Shenandoah National Park, half of the West Highland Way in Scotland, the Coastal Causeway in Northern Ireland, most of Cinque Terre in Italy, and the Romero Canyon Trail in Tucson. You wouldn't know it from that list, but walking along rocky cliffs is scary AF and might be the fear I'm most proud of facing.

I escaped a Maryland winter and spent a month in Sayulita, Mexico learning to teach yoga (200 hour RYT). I've used a lot of what I learned to understand bodies and guide and direct people in photos, but it hasn't improved my ability to tell right from left.

While I was burned out after moving to Austin, I spent a year refinishing mid-century modern furniture (and proved to my inner critic that I am, in fact, capable of doing hard things). When the pandemic hit, I took those skills and restored a pair of vintage Eames chairs, and they will be pieces I keep forever.

One semester in college, I studied abroad in Perugia, Italy. That's where I took my first photography class and leapt into the very thing my heart most wanted - to have an adventure and explore the world.