What People
Are Saying
I’m exploring what theatrical photography can really be— beyond just record-keeping— I want to capture the emotion and the life of a production.
I aim to re-tell the story through my photographs, so even years after a show closes, each moment can be re-lived and remembered— but don’t only take my word for it.
McKinley Merritt
Something I love about getting back Rachel Clift theatre photography is how specific and stylistic the photos are. It’s lovely to receive classic, clean-cut, proscenium-style theatre photos, but there’s something about being captured in moments that you think are quiet moments that people might not notice. You get the “B-roll” of what’s happening onstage. I find that every time I get Rachel’s pictures back, she’s caught a small moment of reaction or an onstage whisper between cast mates.
It’s my favorite thing; it feels like the stage equivalent of being described by someone who knows you really well. Also at this point, her theatre photography has a reputation of its own. We’re all always waiting for them, talking them up to people who haven’t seen her photos before, and posting them like wildfire the second we get them.
Sense & Sensibility, 2025
The Royale, 2026
Kinky Boots, 2024
Sammy Pontello
I’ve been lucky to work with Rachel a number of times while working with the Clarence Brown in Knoxville, TN. She has an uncanny ability to capture the life of a show, full stop. Her approach to photography breaks the mold of most theatrical photographers, and her unique aesthetic and keen vision allows her to capture nuance, detail, and character in ways that is utterly unlike any other photographer I’ve worked with.
I can only speak from my perspective as an actor, but I have seen Rachel capture moments of life onstage that feels as if she’s somehow connected to the character’s brain - even the quietest, most intimate moments, Rachel is there, unobtrusively, documenting with her lens.
A Christmas Carol, 2025
Cabaret, 2026
Knoxville, 2024
Gabby Fernandes
I have been doing theatre for over 20 years and I have never seen theatrical photos that capture the story, emotion, and movement of a show like Rachel's does.
Not only is her work stunning but she is an excellent collaborator and human being who brings such lovely energy wherever she goes!
You Can’t Take It With You, 2026
A Christmas Carol, 2025
Denzel Dejournette
Rachel really knows how to capture the magic of a production, all of the moments that you see are organic because the actor has no clue she's there— so there's no fabrication.
She also captures what happens on stage and the behind the scenes which creates another story in it of itself.
The Royale, 2026
Sense & Sensibility, 2025
A Christmas Carol, 2025
Nash Tetterton
Rachel captures the intimate soul in her photographic work. From the raw photos and angles themselves to the editing and stylizing of her work, she has a clear vision and all who have received her work agree.
I’m a huge fan and immensely grateful for the time, effort, and skill that Rachel puts in to these photographs.
Cabaret, 2026
The Royale, 2026
A Christmas Carol, 2025
Mia Hayes
Rachel not only manages to capture the pure spirit of a production with her photography but has the innate ability to capture the actor and their unique stage presence. Her eye for details, little moments, perspective, shadows, lighting, and action of the actor is bordering on magical. There is not a moment of a production that slips past her and she makes every single person involved with a project feel like a valued and respected artist with her photography.
Rachel is magical in many ways and to have her capture you in a production is an experience of a lifetime. It makes an artist feel appreciated, respected, and beautiful. Working with her for multiple years in a row on A Christmas Carol at the Clarence Brown Theatre gave me the unique chance to get to know her better as an artist and reflected in her photography. The small moments and choices I make as an actor did not go unnoticed for a single moment I was onstage. Her eye for my detail (and my appreciation and awe of her talent) only grew. She's a dream to have on a production.
Cabaret, 2026
A Christmas Carol, 2024
Sense & Sensibility, 2025
Bryce Hagen
Rachel's work not only emphasizes her strengths as a photographer, but also as a theatre artist. What sets her apart from the rest is the care that she takes with how her photos are portraying the story.
She is always an integral part of the rehearsal process, and knows the show front to back, in order to take that narrative structure and use it to create character and story with the images she takes. Her work constantly takes my breath away; they are far and away my favorite production photos that I've had the most pleasure of receiving as an actor.
Cabaret,2026
A Christmas Carol,2025
Keith Davis
Rachel’s stunning photography captures every element of Clarence Brown Theatre’s productions, preserving the work of everyone involved.
Her immersive perspective allows audiences to experience the artistry in a vivid and lasting way. She deserves to be celebrated for her contributions!
The Royale, 2026
A Christmas Carol,2025
Ellie Thayn
No one captures the heart of the story and the vibrancy of its characters quite like Rachel.
The understanding and appreciation she has for the little things brings a sense of life to her photos that is truly unmatched.
A Christmas Carol,2025
You Can’t Take It With You, 2026
Develyn Jayan
Rachel captures the eyes of the character more than anything.
The way her pictures are so intimate, intentional and insightful to the character’s emotional life is astounding.
Sense & Sensibility, 2025
A Christmas Carol, 2023
Cabaret, 2026
Ethan Graham Roeder
What stuns me most about Rachel’s work is her eye for theatricality. She is able to step into a show with minimal context and capture key moments as if she knows what’s coming next.
Her understanding of the wide variety of uses for production photography ensures that without prompting, she captures landscape, portrait, solo shots, detail work, and full ensemble pieces effortlessly, and from a diverse number of angles that capture the entire world of a piece.
Ethan Graham Roeder, Director of “In The Castle of Eternal Sunset”, 2025
Brady Craddock and Hogan Wayland