gillette portrait arts is the collective creative vision of owner raye gillette-whaley and associate kristie cooper. in february of 2009 - we opened our storefront studio in historic downtown snow hill, maryland and it was a long time coming! raye first picked up a camera while traveling in her late teens - once she saw how the world could look through the 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. kristie entered the picture in 2003, where she and raye became acquainted while attending a workshop. it was clear early on that their approach to portraiture, while different, was a perfect blend of artistry, creativity and spontaneity. at gillette portrait arts, it’s the relationships that we form with our clients that really matters - we have the privilege of documenting once in a lifetime experiences, and we treat each session with the importance and respect that responsibility demands - but we also have a great time! what’s more fun than chasing a toddler around the dunes at the beach? more intimate than observing the exchanging of vows between husband and wife? more exciting than catching the joy of a teenager in their last year of high school? more filled with joy and anticipation than a woman soon to become a mother? these are huge moments and we are so honored and excited to be a part of it!
