owner raye gillette-whaley first picked up a camera while traveling in her late teens – once she saw how the world could look through a viewfinder she was hooked! after taking classes here and there, she got serious about photography and enrolled at maryland institute, college of art in baltimore. after receiving a degree in fine art portraiture she moved to boulder, colorado and spent the next decade traveling, learning and figuring out the next step in this journey. upon returning to the eastern shore in 2002, she began shooting weddings and teaching – ultimately leading to the beginning of gillette portrait arts in 2004.  studio partner kristie cooper entered the picture in 2003 when she and raye met while attending a workshop. it was clear that their approach to portraiture, while different, was a perfect blend of artistry, creativity and attention to detail.  office manager and photographer mel altekruse is actually a GPA bride! while working with her during her wedding, raye fell in love with her creative spirit and her infectious enthusiam. photographer liv gallagher came to GPA as a photography student from salisbury university seeking an internship in 2009 – raye and kris quickly learned that her talent and personality would make a great addition to the studio beyond her internship. with the dream team now in place, gillette portrait arts opened their studio in the spring of 2011 – a space large enough where they could all work together, hold events and meet with clients. it even has a coffee bar – score! we are humbled and honored by the clients and friends we have made along the way who have invited us into their lives to capture once-in-a-lifetime moments. while we have so much fun doing this job, we never lose sight of it’s importance for our clients and are so grateful for the paths that have lead us here!