Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Trautmann.
Hi Rachel, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Well, you see… it all began on a windy and frigid day in Washington State, on a little island called Whidbey, when a winter storm developed into a blizzard, the little town of Oak Harbor lost power, and I entered into this world.
Okay, okay… that’s all true but I do realize this is an interview and not a novel – let’s try this again… Sup, my name is Rachel Trautmann and I’m an entrepreneur with a professional photography business, who recently (4 years ago) branched off into acting. Both have very different beginnings but both still enrich my life today.
My love for photography really started in my childhood. Looking back, I seemed to be surrounded by cameras, art, history, books, and pop culture. My mom and her family immigrated to the United States from England, via Australia and Puerto Rico, and I think that exposure to culture and openness to others/different ways of thinking really helped in my creative upbringing.
I have a vivid memory of myself, around 8-9yr, stealing my mom’s 35mm camera (probably Fujifilm or Kodak) and photographing our living room – from the furniture to the Dr. Seuss cartoon that was playing on the TV. I went through a couple of rolls of film that day and fell in love. About six years would pass of teenage angst, two cross-country moves, and digital camera developments before I fully rediscovered my passion for exploring the world through a lens.
My mom’s digital camera, now an upgraded AOL branded digitally monstrosity made of that white/silver plastic the early 2000s loved, quickly became mine. I photographed everything from cracks in the sidewalk, to the inside of a toaster, to the underside of an open lobster tail (all three images were some of my favs for years). This was also the era of MySpace so my earliest experimentation with portraits came from selfies and photos of my friends and their MySpace accounts. Thanks, Tom!
My second camera, a pocket-sided Canon, was stolen when my purse was stolen one night. I was devastated…but that’s when I upgraded to my first DSLR – Canon Rebel Series. At this point, I was doing some paid portrait shoots for people and eventually enroll in college. I attended Pensacola State College (seriously, the best art equipment and darkroom I’ve seen in any college/university) and received an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Photographic Technologies.
At this point I left my full-time banking career and started Rachel Trautmann Photography, this was in 2012 so 10 years ago! I eventually returned to school and graduated with a Bachelor in Fine Arts (BFA) from Old Dominion University for Print, Media, and Photography. My photography work and clients have changed over the years but it has been my main career path for much of my adult life… and it started with that roll of Dr. Seuss film.
*lights a prop cigarette* Now, let’s shift into acting, Darling!! It’s 2018 and I’m now living in Honolulu, Hawaii, working as a photographer, just completed a 200 HR yoga teaching certification, survived the false ballistic missile alert, and am wide awake at 5 am… unable to sleep. I wander into my living room and turn on the TV.
The overly casual media announcers are discussing local events and mention a casting call for Hawaii Five-O and, the new series reboot, Magnum P.I. for 10 am that day. Unsure what it was at that moment but I got up and started to get ready for the casting call. Something was calling me to it.. see what I did there?
So, I attended, nothing amazing happened while there, I got a call to be ND BG (nondescript background) on Magnum P.I., which was just me walking down a sidewalk about 50 times, and, once again, I fell in love.
The rest is history, truly. The calls continued to come in from the Hawaii casting agents so I quickly qualified and joined SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union behind The SAG Awards, and haven’t looked back! I’ve been working in the Georgia market since the beginning of 2021 and have had some role in most of the productions out of Savannah and some in Atlanta.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
That’s a loaded question.
I’d say it was easier than I expected it to be… but that doesn’t mean it was easy or stress-free, by any means. There is a juggling act to being a freelance artist and actor… and unique issues pop up when someone decides to do both! For myself, I’ve been determined to live a life I’m passionate about, whether that be through a creative career or baking a batch of cookies. Whatever makes the dream work!
Now with that being said, I think it’s important to address The Process. I live on blind trust in The Process. Now, there is a personal responsibility that goes along with that. “Trusting The Process” is really trusting in yourself that you’ve done everything you could to guarantee the outcome you were hoping for. Does it always guarantee the job? Absolutely NOT!
Sometimes things aren’t meant for you… and that disappointment is also part of The Process. Sometimes the client/director had another vision in mind or sometimes they really didn’t like your face and that’s okay… or at least that’s what you tell yourself when you look at the mirror and your monthly bills with no known checks coming in.
Ha! It takes a certain manic brain, possibly, to balance the ego of a creative with an incredible amount of rejection being thrown at you from all directions… the true creative struggle. That’s showbiz, baby!!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I mainly work with private photography contracts right now and clients for individuals sessions.
Upcoming Acting Releases: The Menu (11/18/2022), Last Seen Alive (06/03/2022), Press Play (06/24/2022)
Recent Acting Releases: Woke (Hulu Series, Season 2 Episode 6), The Girl From Plainville (Hulu Series, Episode 5 & 6), I Want You Back (Amazon Prime)
Check out my IMDB for more details and productions.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I’m late to the podcast game but I’m talking to you today as a full-blown ArmCherry (Armchair Expert fan). I have a few regular podcasts, mainly hosted by other entertainers, but I listen to every episode of Armchair Expert.
If you’re not familiar with it, Dax Shepard (yes, that Dax Shepard) and Monica Padman are the hosts and their guests are entertainers and experts in various fields. It perfectly envelopes my personal (science, art, mindfulness) and professional (acting) interests into a single podcast. Their new spin-off on conspiracy theories, Armchaired and Dangerous, is worth a listen too!
They’re all Spotify exclusives now so apologies to those who haven’t converted yet!! My latest obsession, a perk of my acting career, is listening to past coworkers on podcasts! It’s a bit surreal to go from a listening bystander to a curious friend/acquaintance.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.RachelTrautmann.com
- Instagram: @RachelTrautmann
- Other: imdb.me/RachelTrautmann
Image Credits
Joanna Younga and Gabriella Baltzell
