Colorful flowers and greenery hanging on a wooden arch outdoors, with sunlight and trees in the background.

about

New York trained. New River Valley rooted.
Story-obsessed.

Waters Productions is Alan and Rachel Waters’ photo and video company for the moments people want to hold onto: weddings, families, seniors, couples, and the in-between seasons that end up meaning more than expected.

Alan and Rachel started the business after moving back to the New River Valley and putting down roots near family. Before that, they spent years in New York working across audio, film, television, and theatre. That background still shows up in the way they work. They think about timing, light, sound, comfort, pacing, and the story underneath the obvious shot.

Their style is personal without being precious. Calm, thoughtful, observant. The goal is not to manufacture a perfect version of the day. It is to catch what was actually there — the people, the nerves, the laughter, the tiny looks, the pieces you might miss while you are living it.

Logo for Waters Productions featuring a circular design with text 'waters productions' in the center, a small camera icon above, and the words 'videography' and 'photography' around the circle.

our story

Alan Waters is the systems-and-story side of the operation. His background runs through audio, film, television, theatre, lighting, sound design, mixing, directing, and producing, which means he tends to see the whole production — not just the camera in his hand.

He is practical, observant, and process-minded. Alan thinks about how people move through an experience, what needs to happen before the shoot ever starts, and how to keep things calm when there are a lot of moving parts. That matters on a wedding day. It matters on a commercial shoot. It matters any time people are trusting someone else to capture something important.

He also has a clear sense of fit. Not every client needs the same thing, and not every project should be forced into the same package. Alan is at his best when he can bring order to the chaos, make people comfortable, and shape the raw material into something that actually serves the client.

A young man with light skin, light brown hair, and beard wearing a red button-up shirt outdoors in a suburban area.

about alan

Rachel Waters brings the painter’s eye. Before Waters Productions and Langley Media, her work moved through scenic design, scenic painting, fine art, theatre, and film — all the places where color, texture, space, and feeling have to work together.

That shows up in her photography and creative direction. Rachel notices the emotional temperature of an image. The softness. The tension. The detail that makes a photo feel human instead of staged.

Her creative instincts are especially important in the parts of the business built around atmosphere and trust: personal sessions, brand visuals, studio work, and the kind of images where people need to feel comfortable before they can look like themselves. Through Langley Media and The Studio Aspect, Rachel is also building something bigger than a service list — a practical creative space for businesses, artists, and local makers who need room to show up well.

A woman with curly brown hair, glasses, and earrings, smiling outdoors in a green environment, wearing a white cardigan over a green top.

about rachel

Our Approach

Our style is personal without being precious. Calm, present, paying attention. We're not trying to manufacture a perfect version of the day — we're trying to catch what was actually there. The people, the nerves, the laughter, the tiny looks you almost miss while you're busy living it.