Who Am I?
My name is Mo; I'm a portrait, travel, and street photographer, and a narrative videographer. I've been a lover of photography my whole life; my first experiences were with disposable film cameras as a kid, graduating to a family Sony Cyber-Shot digital camera, exploring film with a 35mm SLR in a high school photography class, then delving into iPhone photography as a college student.
In this most recent stage of my lifelong photography journey, I've been creating photos and videos since 2023. In 2025, I began flying drones for photography and videography. I enjoy the added reach and perspective they provide, so I got my Part 107 pilot's license in mid-2025. I've made a short film and several narrative shorts, and have found a deep passion for filmmaking in addition to photography.
For my short films and video content, check out my YouTube channel, @rattlesnake.studio.
I'm always working on something new, and welcome creative collaborators who align with my vision. Check out my Instagram @rattlesnake.studio to see my latest projects and reach out to work together.
The Story Behind The Name
A portrait of my husband Tim, Daddy Rattlesnake himself - the inspiration and muse behind Rattlesnake Studio.
The Rattlesnake Studio name bears immense meaning to me.
It originated from a goofy idea late one evening, as my husband Tim and I were cuddling on the couch. He shook his foot around and made a rattlesnake sound, saying that he was full of surprises. Then he made up a list of rules called "The Eminence of Surprise", explaining how to be a successful rattlesnake. He was on a roll that evening. I kept encouraging him, he kept making up rules in this goofy tone like he was a voice actor for a kids' cartoon, and eventually he came up with the idea of turning it into something bigger than this incredibly elaborate in-joke we had between the two of us.
He wanted to start a vlog about how hard it was being a daddy rattlesnake. He was talking about how rattlesnakes can have over a thousand babies, it gets really expensive feeding that many mouths, I have to work eighty hours to pay for all that food, rattlesnakes don't have an address so I can't get food stamps, and all these babies want to do is bite-bite-bite, things of that nature - everyday problems from the perspective of a Daddy Rattlesnake griping about life. He wanted to make merch, do live shows, and build it into something all his own. He was full of so many great ideas and had the effortless charm and stage presence to ensure anyone he met would just fall in love with the character of Daddy Rattlesnake. It felt like a new chapter in his life.
He gave me the nickname of Papa Rattlesnake, and I couldn't be prouder of that title. This was in July of 2024.
On October 13th, 2024, after a grueling two weeks in the cardiac ICU, Tim left this world with his hand in mine, surrounded by the family he built. He never got to realize the dream of Daddy Rattlesnake, grow it into this grand vision he had that I knew only he could. It breaks my heart to this day that the world never got to see Tim's Daddy Rattlesnake.
Rattlesnake Studio is a reflection of our bond, a way to honor Tim and ensure his memory lives on through my creative work. It's how I keep Daddy Rattlesnake alive, and share a tiny glimmer of that magic with the world.With love,
Mo "Papa Rattlesnake" McKinley
