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Hi there!
Welcome to Ramais Photography at Champaign-Urbana, my portfolio and information site for my activity as your local portrait photographer here in Central Illinois! Here, you will find samples of my latest work, reflections on photography, as well as contact and pricing information. To keep most up-to-date with my work, as well as my latest offers and mini-sessions, make sure to also check and like my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ramaisphotography/ First of all, thank you for considering me as your portrait photographer. I know that, at a time when everyday technology has made taking pictures increasingly easy and "faking" pictures even easier, taking the step to invest time and money in genuine, professional photography does not necessarily come naturally. As you look at my work and read my thoughts, however, I hope that you realize that such an investment is definitely the right choice. My name is Thierry Ramais. I was born in Belgium, but have been living in the United-States with my wife and four children for about 18 years now. While I started delving deep into photography as a consequence of my first son's birth, only about 13 years ago, I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by artistic minds from a very early age on. My mother, a trained sculptor, has been an artist all of her life, experimenting with clay sculpting for about twenty years, before spending another thirty years exploring a variety of artistic media, such as metal sculpting, stained-glass art, and engraving. My sister, a trained photographer, exhibited her work in galleries when I was just a teenager, and became a teacher of graphic arts. As a child, I was constantly (and gleefully) carried from art classes to galleries, museums to special exhibitions by my parents. This early exposure to many forms of visual arts shaped the way I see the world. Initially choosing the art of literature as my primary interest, I studied English (and German) literature in the Universities of Liege and of Illinois (here in C-U), and taught numerous college classes on the subject (often mixing a study of literature with that of the visual arts). I am currently giving the final touches to my doctoral work in Victorian literature. I have been, in the last 13 years, a "dad with a camera" - a badge I wear with pride. Documenting the growth of my children has sparked in me a passion for photography, one that I now put in the service of portrait photography outside of my family circle. Over the years, and with the help of the best little models I can think of (not to mention my lovely and supportive wife), I have been honing my skills, as well as developing my own vision for the kind of photography that matters to me and - I hope - will matter to you. My goal is to "capture the real you," just as I strive to do with my family and friends. I hope you will see what I mean when you browse through my photo galleries. My photography's goal is to document the colorful, vibrant, and genuine side of my clients, away from artificial settings, unnatural poses, tired editing tricks... and AI. I love letting my clients chat, laugh, let their children roam and be silly, snuggle up, kiss... simply be who they are. Each of my sessions is a new opportunity to explore, with my clients, what makes them feel happy, proud, beautiful, confident, loving and, above all, themselves. No two sessions are the same, just like there is only one of you and one of your family. I hope you enjoy my work and I'm looking forward to meeting you!