In Tahoe, it’s not unusual to be awed by nature.  It happens daily, and often.

Capturing the subtle nuances and glory of nature in a photograph though is a skill, a passion, and an enduring gift for everyone.

Meet Rachid Dahnoun, South Lake Tahoe photographer.

Rachid combines a love of outdoor adventure with a fine attention to detail to create a touching photographic journal of the natural world.

Whether he is capturing breath taking landscapes or gritty action photos, Rachid delivers compelling images through his own freelance photography company, Instant Xposure.

Born on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, as a young adult Rachid moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where he graduated from the prestigious Maryland Institute College of Art. After finishing college he found himself bouncing around the west coast of the United States going wherever there was a good photograph to take or story to tell.

Along the way, Rachid has been fortunate enough to explore and photograph some of the most beautiful places on Earth: Lake Tahoe, Morocco, Spain, Big Sur, Yosemite National Park, the American Southwest, San Diego, Baja, Mexico, the Cascade Mountains in the Pacific Northwest, and many more.

“Photographs are an endless canvas to explore composition, light, and color, as well as an opportunity to immortalize our most important moments. I always hike over the next ridge and around the next corner, to make that last, extra bit of effort to create a truly precise and compelling image. Ultimately, my goal is, through my photos, to create a personal journal of life that takes us off the beaten path.” – Rachid

Now, based in beautiful Lake Tahoe, Rachid works hard to provide creative images of the area from a different angle.

He is focused on freelance photography, including landscape, travel and vineyard photos. Aside from general photography, his interests include highlighting socio-economic equality and environmental irresponsibility. His work has been featured in art galleries, magazines and commercial products across the country.

In South Lake Tahoe you can find exclusive gift cards by Rachid at Aprés Wine Company on Ski Run Blvd.

Rachid’s photography inextricably links us with nature through the use of natural light and composition.  Following are a few tips from Rachid for those who want to capture that moment:

1. Go out when the light is interesting. Sunrise, Sunset, “the Golden Hour,” Storms, Misty Days, ect…

2. Remember that light makes your picture. If you start to think about photographing light versus the subject you will probably surprise yourself.

3. If you can, always have a tripod and shutter release cable with you. You never know.

4. Pick subjects that are interesting and that get you excited. If you aren’t excited, then your pictures probably won’t be exciting either.

5. If you are going to shoot something that is photographed a lot (monuments, tourist attractions, sunsets, ect…) think about a way that would make the shot different from everyone else’s. Use an ultra wide angle lens, go when the light is especially interesting, take the shot from a unique angle, experiment and have fun.

Learn more about Rachid at www.instantxposure.com and feel free to contact him directly at rachid@instantxposure.com or 530.314.9724