Meet My Associate Photographer: Nicole

Today on the blog we are bringing our lovely associate photographer and beloved team-member, Nicole, to the front and center! I love having Nicole on the MRP team and wanted you guys to get to know her spunky and fun personality! First of all, some of you may be wondering…. What is an associate photographer?

What is an associate photographer?

Having Nicole as my associate photographer means that if you contact me to shoot your wedding but I (Mckenna) am already photographing a wedding that day, then you can still have a Mckenna Rose Photography experience by choosing to work with my associate photographer! I hand-picked Nicole to be on my team, and together we have trained her to provide the same level of customer service and technical skill that I am able to provide for my clients. I strive diligently to provide all of my couples with a genuine, relaxed, and well-prepared experience when it comes to their wedding photography. I honestly care about the lives of my couples, and not just their checkbooks. I made sure that when I brought Nicole on board, she too shared the same values I do. Nicole, too, genuinely cares about supporting your wedding day dreams. She is talented technically and socially, and she knows how to pose you and your guests in a friendly but assertive way. I promise you will get the same level of care and photographic skill from Nicole as you would from me – and that’s why she’s on my team. So let’s get to know Nicole!!

10 Things You Should Know About Nicole

1. I listen to a lot of Rock music, but new and old. Journey will forever be a favorite. Panic at the Disco and The Greatest Showman. I also listen to a lot of movie score and audiobooks.
2. My favorite thing to do to really get refreshed is get out and play some competitive volleyball or softball. Anything competitive. If that isn’t an option, ice cream and snuggle Avalee while watching Netflix.
3. I love sweet, so I put syrup on all my breakfast food, including my eggs and bacon. I prefer fruit dip or nutella rather than syrup on my waffles though.
4. If I were a farm animal….obviously I would be a goat. Always jumping up on things, walking around with my tail in the air, interrupting everyone at awkward times, eating whatever is available at the moment I think I’m hungry or bored.
5. I could rewatch Brooklyn 99 and Modern Family all the time. And I do. I can’t find anything that sounds super interesting? I just rewatch my shows instead.
6. If I weren’t a photographer, I’d be a veterinarian. That’s the top thing I wanted to be until about… I dunno…. 4 years ago.
7. I always loved photography and used to fly through film when I was a kid. I don’t know how my mom kept up with my hobby – haha! I remember our first digital camera. We thought it was THE COOLEST! It was like… 4 megapixels! Haha!
8. When my hubs was deployed and I was still working full time, it was very difficult to make sure Avalee was cared for and it was hard on me when she was sick and I couldn’t go to work for a week, because daycare couldn’t take her. The stress was insane, so I made an executive decision to make my hobby of photography a job, so I could be more available and flexible for my family. I did both jobs for 6 months, and then made the leap. I have loved it and am so grateful I’ve been able to continue doing photography as a career for almost 4 years now.
9. I really love people and getting to know them. I love being with my couples, listening to their stories, and laughing so hard with them. I’ve always loved weddings and all the things that come with weddings.
10. I kind of enjoy the pressure of a big event and being in front of a lot of people. Not everyone likes that, but I do.

On Working for Mckenna Rose Photography

Thinking back through a bunch of our shoots and weddings together, I really love that we talk to each other like friend photographers – “How do you like to shoot this? What are your preferred settings for this situation? How did you get that shot? Oh! I love your angle!” Etc. It feels like a relationship where we grow and learn rather than feeling pressure to deliver or stand apart from each other, which really makes us feel like a cohesive team in my opinion.

Advice for photographers starting out

So much practice! There is no way to continue getting better, but to shoot and shoot and shoot some more. You will have times when you get discouraged. The only way to really get out of it is to get out there and keep shooting! We all hit funks. All of us. Try new things and you’ll find yourself and your style in the way you pull yourself out of the rough patches. You’ve got this!