Hi!

My name is Christen. 

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My preschoolers called me Miss Christen for 15 years and to this day I am still known as Miss Christen by little ones. 

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I am an artist. A newborn, children's and family photographer capturing your life's memories through candids and portraits. 

People always ask me,  "Where did the name Ray Jay Portraits come from?"

When I was 2 years old, all I wanted to be when I grew up was an artist. Throughout my life, I loved creating art in all forms. I was in extra art classes in school that were invite only with plans to be a fashion designer. That did not happen because I became a mother and found a career working with children which made me so happy.

Later in life, when I was working in my office job, I found ways to express my art and even got paid for it. I was paid to redecorate offices and paint portraits with an impressionistic style. I called my business Ray Jay Portraits because at the time I was pregnant with my little one, Rachel, whom we called "Ray Jay" because I couldn't decide on Rachel or Jaden. I had no idea that my obsession with taking photos of her would turn into an actual business. 

So between my love of art and my love of children, I began learning how to use a camera and all that went into it and turned Ray Jay Portraits into photography. I am now doing what I love and I am loving every second of it.