Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Calling ALL Networkers & Business Owners!!!

Here is an incredible offer from a very dear friend of mine and I only wish I could attend this event too!! I didn't want to miss the opportunity to pass it along to you in case you were interested in attending. If this speaks to you - GO!! Everyone who attends will absolutely get a ton of information from it along with doing a LOT of great networking with really amazing people (because that's who shows up for these events....trust me!)


Want to make money while you help others?
Don't miss this opportunity!


Here's what you have to know about business:
The only way to sustain your effort is to be profitable.

David Neagle, Suzanne Evans, Bari Baumgartner, and Blue Melnick each built a million-dollar business before hitting their 40th birthday. They've helped hundreds of business owners grow amazing businesses in record time. And now, in one very special live event, they're going to reveal how you can do the same thing.

When you attend the SEVEN Event (on December 8-11, in metro DC), you'll discover how to reach more people, how to structure services and products to help the people you reach, and how to step onto a big stage and get your message out.

Get the scoop on SEVEN here, but don't buy your ticket there!

The tickets for SEVEN are going for $1247 each, but my friend Julie Fleming is sponsoring a table, and when she invited me to join her, I talked her into making a few tickets available for you too.
She's even going to host a luncheon on the last day of the conference just for her guests, to coach you on implementing what you've learned.
(ummm....Her regular coaching rates start at $950 a month, so this is a great opportunity!)

Call Julie, and if she still has tickets available, you can attend this conference for FR*EE! To grab your complimentary ticket, just email Julie at Julie@juliefleming.com or call her at 404/374-7500 no later than Friday at 9 AM EST.

A LOT of people ask me how I've created a successful business SO fast and how I'm doing so much already with amazing experiences to take advantage of - well, it's by jumping on a plane at the last minute to attend an event like this! That's honestly how it started for me and I wish nothing but the best for you too!! Give my friend a big hug for me!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Photographing Your Pet ...... tips & images!

I'm so excited to share MY new addition to our family. This is our new puppy Cooper!!! He is our adorable little golden retriever. He's just over two months old and growing so quickly every day. My assistant Amber and her fiance came over to meet him days after he came home and asked if I've been taking insane amounts of photos of him..........hmm, "not really. I mean mostly with my phone camera" was my response, which shocked both of us! With sooooo much time spent training him, creating that lovin g and safe connection with him, and trying to get sleep didn't leave a lot of time to sit and take some really great pictures.

Being a professional photographer, I was like "whoa! If I do this for a living and I'm not making time to capture him at these amazing younger stages, I'm SURE that others forget also!". So
in my effort to help all of you capture and document all of the amazing stages of YOUR 4 legged family members, I've included tips for you in the article below that I personally used with Cooper! Enjoy and plus you get to look at some more adorable images of my gorgeous little buddy that I've captured during his puppy stages before they're gone. ;)

Our pets tend to move quick, lose focus easily, and grow fast. So its important to make sure you enjoy taking photos of your pet and not stress about the shots your taking. Get what you can and just keep snapping away!

Don't erase images on your camera because once you download your photos to the computer you might really like that picture! Plus, you want to use that time to get the shots, not worry about editing since that can be done in the computer.

Once again, don't forget to take time out from training and everyday routines to make sure you
capture those special moments your loved ones create with you......

Tip #1-Size Matters! ;)
Make sure that you record the size of your new addition to the family as they grow because they grow fast! You can also compare their sizes from when you first brought them home to when they're older and create a cool collage. This photo of his head in the bowl is a photo that I can take later when he's larger and compare his size. It's great to use props/objects that help you compare how small they were!

Tip #2-Favorite Spots
It's also important to document their favorite spots helping you record those memories that can help you layout a story of their early years. Cooper LOVES the kitchen, not sure why but I spend a LOT more time in there sitting on the floor with him. LOL! This is one of his favorite spots where he feels safe and it helps document how small he is since he fits UNDER the cupboards. awww! :)
another favorite spot of his! :o)

Tip #3-What Perspective?
Make sure that you capture different angles when you're taking your photos; rather than just standing and looking down at them....mix it up! I was on the ground at his level for this image, but see on the blog that it also is very adorable to have them looking up at you for other images. Play around and have fun so your images don't all look the same.
Here's
a different perspective/angle - remembering how cute they are looking up at you as a pup! :o)
Play around with your composition as well! Love this one where he's in the upper corner and there's a lot of our wood floor showing. Looks so different from the other images!

Tip #4- Funny quirks!
It's really fun to capture their quirks that they will grow out of so you can remember the more humorous parts of your pets younger years; aside from their messes and chewing disasters. When Cooper gets so excited he doesn't know what to do with himself and his outlet is chewing on his tail. Capture their different phases, just as you would your children!

Tip #5- Get in the photo!
It's so important to make sure that you get photos of yourself with your pet too! It's easy to capture your pet with others and it's really cute to have tons of pictures of your pet by himself, but get assistance from a spouse or friend to capture your special connection with them by you being in the image too! See below for a few more sweet images of our time together.

Tip #6- Capture the Love!
Enlist help... Your new pet is already attatched to you the moment you bring them home so they gravitate to you which can make it difficult to take their photo. It makes it easier if you have someone hold them so that you can get that special image of the way they look at you. It makes it easier to capture that look of love and trust that they feel for you.

Tip #7- Keep ANY camera ready!
Keep your camera handy even if it's your phone! You don't know when the perfect photo opportunity might occur so its good to be prepared. It's also good to make sure that you make time each month (at least) or every other week to keep taking photos of them growing and changing. Before you know it they will no longer be cute little puppies, but soon they will be beautiful dogs. I have to make sure I keep taking photos of Cooper because there's a possibility he'll be full grown at 9 months!!! That's definitely not a long window to document his size so keep taking as many photos as you can!!
(p.s. this one was taken with my iphone!)


*More images of the two of us that I had taken*




November's Image of The Month


Happy November! :o)

We're kicking off the month of Thanksgiving by counting our blessings and creating the list of what we're thankful for!!! At the top of that list of course.....family! And for a lot of us, pets are a big part of our family. Which is exactly why I chose Charlie for my image of the month. This is a long time coming because his parents are good friends of mine who hired me a while ago to capture them and they've been petitioning for a LONG time to get Charlie as one of the 'Images Of The Months'. I can just hear how excited they are by this surprise!! :D

Charlie's a very lucky pup because I know how much he is loved and how thankful his owners are to have him in their family now. Even though he can't speak, I'm sure he shows his owners how thankful he is in return that they chose him. It's these special bonds that are so important to document when it comes to family images. Telling stories through the images so that we will always remember!!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

October's Image Of The Month!


Happy Halloween! :o)

I can't believe its almost November, but here we are!!! This is such a great time of year to take a moment and breathe. Its so easy to be running around like crazy and feeling a little stressed about the holidays coming up (I know I am), but its so important to pause and find that moment of peace within your day.

I love this image of the month for so many reasons, but I thought it was perfect for October! Everyone needs a lift sometimes; even your fabulously magical cute little witch. ;o) This last quarter before the end of the year is the time when you really enjoy those small and perfect moments (and when we all just need a little extra help sometimes!). So enjoy your connections to those who are there for you and vice versa this month! :o)

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Client Custom Holiday Card Sample

It's that time again!

Time to spread the love to all of those special people on your holiday lists, sharing with everyone how big the kids are getting, how life is changing for you and sending true appreciation for the beautiful connections you've created together........through holiday cards! :o)

Here's a sample of a custom card I created for a client for 2009 to get you inspired to get ahead of the game this year!

To see past seasons examples of custom holiday cards scroll through the cards & announcements section to the right.

Brittany's Senior Pictures!

I wanted to share samplings of senior pictures, being that time of year, and thought I'd showcase someone VERY close to my heart - my niece! I can't believe she's a senior in High School and going off to college next year. It makes me emotional to think of her life and how quickly time has passed to get us to this new stage. I just feel like the luckiest person on earth to be able capture her beautiful personality and loving heart on film to help her celebrate who she is now as a young woman.













Back To School Photo Shoot!

I love this image of the month! I did a back to school shoot with these girls and it was so fun and they were so excited and adorable! I can't tell you what the shoot was for just yet, but got permission from my client to share these with you. :o) I'll share more when everything is launched, but scroll down to see a few more fun images from this shoot!




September Image of the Month!

I love this image of the month! I did a back to school shoot with these girls and it was so fun and they were so excited and adorable! I can't tell you what the shoot was for just yet, but got permission from my client to share these with you. :o) I'll share more when everything is launched, but scroll through the next post to see a few more fun images from this shoot!


Thursday, August 5, 2010

August 2010 Image of the Month

I love this image of the month! This is gorgeous little Reese! I love how soft and delicate this image is with her hair and dress blowing in the ocean breeze and the softness of the colors in it. It was an overcast day and the lighting was so beautiful! It also reminds me of a quiet and peaceful walk on the beach. Something I love to do year round!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Launch of my Boudoir Photography!!

This is the beautiful Chris! She's a mom of 3 and like many other women, juggles the kids and work on a daily basis. Here's what she sent to me after seeing the images:
"I am so happy that I had the opportunity to have Nikki photograph me. She was so professional and also made me feel at ease. I thought that would be hard to do giving that I was half naked most of the shoot, but we found ourselves laughing most of the day! I can't stop smiling on how great they look! I thought I would be embarrassed to show people and now I am showing everyone! To think that I am a mom of three and I can still look "sexy". It opened my eyes and I am sure my husband will benefit! When I showed them to him he said "they are beautiful"! My husband does not talk like that. I teared up. Thanks Nikki they are so classy and tasteful, just what I wanted! I will be letting all my friends and family know! "












This is the gorgeous Nancy! She is funny and bold and a mom of 3 that has an incredible story that you just have to hear!! She is reinventing herself and you can see a clip of her new project where she is auditioning to be a new television show that Oprah is looking for. Check it out here and vote for her. Click HERE for the short clip of her audition and her story!









This is the beautiful Robin! She is actually the daughter of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, beauty and sexuality. Well, ok so Aphrodite really was her mom's name anyway! :o) She is an incredible and loving woman who is rediscovering herself after raising her two daughters and now living on her own and having just started a second business called Let's Make You Shine. (www.letsmakeyoushine.com)