 Happy Father's Day to all the incredible dads out there! While I know this day can be a hard one for both dads and those who would be celebrating them, I love that there's a special day dedicated to honoring the special men in our lives and all that they do for us and our children!
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 Mother’s Day. Family and friends gathered from near and far to celebrate all that it means to be a mother — even through the most difficult times that a parent can endure. Together with their community of faith, the Anderson family stood in front of their church family at Salem United Methodist Church to dedicate the newly renovated nursery space in honor of their son, “Warrior William,” their sweet angel who fought a brave and courageous fight against childhood cancer.
 Happy Mother's Day to all you beautiful mamas out there! I have been so honored to be able to capture all the different stages of motherhood for so many incredible women — from welcoming first babies to celebrating their first year of life, from toddlerhood to teenage years, every stage is so beautiful and worth celebrating.
Joyful Spring Golden Hour Family Session at Furman University | Greenville, SC Family Photographer5/8/2019  Golden hour light streaming through the trees. Strolling down brick sidewalks across the beautiful campus of Furman University. The sweetest baby, dressed in the most adorable ensemble complete with suspenders and overalls. A sweet, joyful mommy and daddy absolutely smitten with their little guy. I can’t think of too many better ways to spend such a gorgeous spring evening that truly felt like a taste of the summer days to come!
 One of the things I love most about photographing sessions with young children is that you never know what’s going to happen. If you happen to catch me out at a session with little ones, you might hear me singing silly songs, telling cheesy jokes, playing games of peek-a-boo or Simon Says, or inviting some good-spirited tickling! I love the challenge of finding out what makes little people tick, discovering the things that make them light up with joy and excitement. The goal, of course, is always to get some sweet, traditional photos with everyone looking at the camera and smiling, but my favorites always tend to be the photos where they are “in their element” — the ones where I capture them running, exploring, climbing. I always love seeing the true essence of their little personalities shine through, as though I’m able to freeze these moments in time for their parents to look back on down the road and remember the way life was right now.
 I absolutely love being a family photographer, but I have to admit that there is just something so special and magical about being able to photograph my newborn clients at home! The environment is always so relaxed and calm, and I love being able to meet a new little one in their own space — their first home, the place where they will spend their first months of life and experience all of those big first year milestones! During our newborn session, I always think about how I'm walking through the same front door where baby's parents first brought them home. I see the table where they will eat their first foods and think about all the meals the family will share together there over the years. I walk across the same floors where they will start to crawl and take their first steps, imagining all the memories that will happen inside these walls as they grow up. It’s a humbling experience, and it always fills me with so much warmth and gratitude for the privilege to be a part of capturing such a special time for a family!
 I reached an important milestone last week: I got my first smartphone.
Yes, dear friends, before this, I was still toting around my trusty flip phone, texting with T9, scratching my head at emojis translated into rectangular boxes. “How does it feel?” my friend Alissa asked when I sent her my first text from my new, shiny, fully-activated device. “I feel like a real, grown-up lady!” was my reply, complete with the requisite slew of accompanying emojis. When I made the decision to switch, I will admit that it felt like the end of an era. I was always the holdout. The girl with the flip phone. The millennial who didn’t need a smartphone, who didn’t even have texting until four years ago, who was just fine living the simple life without the added encumbrance of one more device, thankyouverymuch. I realized that a lot of my hesitation wasn’t so much about making the change, but feeling like I was losing part of my identity.  Happy spring! Can we just pause for a moment and talk about the fact that it is almost April?! Which means we’re already 25% through 2019?!? How in the world did this happen???
While I love spring for so many reasons — the warmer temperatures, the buds and blooms, the longer daylight hours — I will also admit that I have sort of a love-hate relationship with the season. Okay, it’s not really the season so much as it is the onslaught of pollen that begins at the beginning of March and wreaks havoc on my respiratory system. I know it isn’t as bad for me as it is for many people, but basically, Flonase will be my favorite daily friend for the next few months! Spartanburg Repertory Opera Presents The Three LIttle Pigs | Spartanburg, SC Event Photographer3/4/2019  Three little pigs, all grown up, are faced with the reality that it’s time to move out of their mother’s house and build their own homes. A house made of straw. A house made of sticks. A house made of bricks. A big, bad wolf. Huffing and puffing. Houses blown down. But there’s more than one way to tell this fable — and how comical this one was! Classic sibling antics — two jokester brothers pulling pranks on their bookworm sister. A big, bad wolf taunting two of the pigs as he pretends to be a statue. Pigs taking selfies. A dramatic final scene where the big, bad wolf meets his demise and the pigs learn the moral of the story: When you find a thing that’s scary, take your question to the library! What a pleasure it was to watch the Spartanburg Repertory Opera bring to life this “rib-tickling opera” as they performed The Three Little Pigs!
Fresh 48 Newborn Session at Palmetto Health Baptist Hospital | Columbia, SC Newborn Photographer2/11/2019  A sweet, spunky toddler walks hand-in-hand with her daddy, her snazzy new sneakers tap-tap-tapping as she makes her way down the brightly lit hospital corridor, her ponytail bobbing with each step. Her eyes shine with excitement, and she captures the attention of everyone she passes as she flashes her adorable grin at each one. As they turn the corner at the end of the hallway, her daddy points at the door ahead. “Are you ready to go see mommy?” Slowly, slowly, he pushes open the door and guides her through. She peeks around the curtain, and her gaze lands on the person she has been most eager to see. In a single moment, a dozen emotions flash across her face, all of them spilling out as she bursts into tears. “Oh, sweet girl, come here!” says her mommy in a soothing voice, and her daddy lifts her up to join her on the bed. The two sit cuddled together, her mommy snuggling her and showering her with reassuring kisses. After a few minutes, her mommy points to the bassinet at her bedside and says, “Are you ready to meet baby brother?” Her daddy lifts her up once again, and from her perch, she stares at the tiny bundle sleeping soundly below her. Her eyes shift back and forth as she sizes up this tiny person, wondering what to make of him. As I watch her take in all the details of this new baby, the magnitude of the moment hits me — after all the months of waiting, they are finally all together as a family of four: Mom. Dad. Daughter. Son.
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Hi! I'm nicole!I love photographing families in every stage of life, creating warm, bright, and natural images that you will treasure for a lifetime. What I love most about being behind the camera is telling the story in front of me, highlighting the joy and relationships between loved ones and capturing each personality! let's connect!Categories
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