Nicole Rogers Photography » For Photographers

{Happy 2012!}

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:43:28 +0000

Well, it’s that time of year again. A time of looking ahead, saying goodbye to the previous year, and starting anew. I tend to reflect on what I could have done better and the things that I didn’t get around to doing. This year I want to reflect on the blessings, the trials the Lord helped me through, and accomplishments (no matter how small they were). I started 2011 off with going back to my first love by attending the Gift of Memoir class taught by Maureen Griffin. I loved the first class and started going to it every month. I learned so much and was inspired to keep pursuing my goals as a writer.

My husband and I had the wonderful opportunity of spending some time in Rome and Florence, Italy. It was an amazing trip and am so glad I got to see Europe before I have this little one. Here are a few images from our trip:

After I got back from Italy, I had the opportunity to go to Justin and Mary Marantz Spread the Love Tour again. If they are ever in Charlotte again, whether you are a photographer, graphic designer, or some other small business owner, I highly recommend their seminar. It is so inspiring and will challenge you to do what you do even better.

In April I got to participate in Central Church of God‘s High Heels in Action 5K (my 2nd 5K and I beat my time from 2010 by 2 minutes . The proceeds go to help stamp out human trafficking. I plan on participating in this year’s race as well.

In the beginning of June we found out we are expecting! It definitely came as a surprise, especially considering what we were going through, but we are really excited.

I also had the opportunity to go to another David Jay seminar in Charlotte. It was another inspiring and stimulating seminar that I would highly recommend to photographers.

Another thing I wanted to do before I had children was go on another international mission’s trip. In July, I had the amazing opportunity to go to Ambato, Ecuador with a team (including my parents) from Central Church of God. We were able to see the beautiful country of Ecuador, share the love of Christ, and work with the most gorgeous and precious children in the world.

In August, Tracy and I celebrated our 6th anniversary. We had the lovely and talented Megan of Lime Green Photography document these images for us.

In September we found out we are having a baby…boy!!

I had a very busy Fall season and we were able to get away in the midst to visit Tracy’s family in the Charleston area…a well needed break.

I also had two very special baby showers and I turned the BIG 3-0.

We had another lovely and talented photographer (Jenna of Red, White & Green Photography) document us for our maternity pictures. Baby Jax Alan is due in just around a month (which is SO hard to believe). I know my life is about to change drastically and I do not know what to expect by becoming a mother, but I do hope I will become a better person and photographer. I just want to THANK YOU to all the families that allowed me into your homes and lives to document what is near and dear to you. I can’t wait to see what 2012 holds!

{Reflections on Tradition and Cancer Awareness post}…

admin — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:15:45 +0000

I haven’t been able to write about my writing class for September yet. I couldn’t go to it in July or August, so I was anxious to get back for this month. Like many classes before, we listen to a poem and then have around 3-5 minutes to write our own take of the theme. One of the themes for this last class was “….on ordinary days.” It was inspired by the poem “After School on Ordinary Days” by Maria Mazziotti Gillan. For my piece, I entitled it “Sunday Afternoons on Ordinary Days.”

Sunday afternoons on ordinary days…we pull up and park in front of my mom and dad’s house. We sometimes get there the same time as my younger sister as she parks her black Honda in front of the house. More often than not, my older sister and her husband pull up and park right behind us. They emerge from the car with perhaps an appetizer or dessert, with Abu the dog, in tow. It is a long time tradition…Sunday lunch at my parent’s.

My brother is already inside and my mother greets us with a radiant smile as she brushes her hands off on her apron to give us each a hug. She has been cooking since she’s been back from church, and my dad wants a hug too as he quickly tastes the homemade spaghetti sauce he has on the stove. The kitchen is filled with the aroma that brings back memories of my grandmother’s kitchen. My 99 year old Italian grandmother was who taught my father the gift for making authentic Italian food.

My sisters pour into the kitchen to help prepare whatever is left to help with. My mother needs help sauteing some broccoli, making a salad, and putting some dishes away. We hear loud footsteps from my two nephews and niece that just arrived with my oldest sister and husband. My mother scoops down to hug my four year old niece as she enthusiastically tells the details of her morning.

In the distance the television plays as the familiar sound of football fills in the air. The men start talking about their favorite teams and players, while predicting the games for the day. My mother asks one of us to set the table and to get drinks out on the counter. We all gather around the kitchen island as my father thanks the Lord for another day and for the food we are about to partake.

And there you have it…my ordinary Sunday afternoons. I really treasure those days because I know it won’t always be like that. I have had sort of a reflective day and I want to remind every woman, in honor or Breast Cancer Awareness next month, to get your mammograms and breast examined.

My mother just had her mammogram, and although there is nothing to be worried about, the doctors want to order her an MRI to be able to have a better look at an enlarged milk duct. Breast cancer runs in my family and both my great-grandmother and grandmother have had it. I am very thankful that my mom is proactive in getting her mammograms.

I also didn’t know this until I read this little girl’s CaringBridge site that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The parents of Ava (from the CaringBridge site) lost their 4 1/2 year old to stage 4 cancer. They are trying to raise money and are nowhere near their goal. If you so desire, you may donate here. I do not know this family, but have been touched by their story.

As every post is better with a picture, I have attached a couple of my family. The first one is of my siblings and I on Mother’s day in my sister’s kitchen. The second one is of my mom (the one in the middle) and her two sisters this past weekend. I just want to say how proud I am of my mom…she’s lost 30 + pounds! She is so beautiful, has always been beautiful, and I hope that I can be half the mother she is one day to my little boy.

{Running for Lee}…Charlotte, NC

admin — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:48:39 +0000

It has been a joy getting to know and photograph baby Lee this past year. Lee is a very special one and a half year old little boy. Lee went through a series of genetic testing this summer and confirmed that he had Timothy’s Syndrome, a very rare heart condition. There have been only 28 cases of Timothy’s identified so far.

Lee’s parents are remarkable and are putting their hope in the Lord. Lee’s mother wrote on his Caring Bridge, even after testing and surgery, “Clearly he was telling us from the very beginning of this journey that he is pleased to be alive and present in this very moment – and he is teaching us to be equally pleased to remain present and to savor, enjoy and appreciate every single minute we have with him. He has already taught us some incredibly important lessons.”

Lee’s uncle is running a half-marathon ((San Jose Rock n’ Roll, Oct. 2nd) to benefit the Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes Foundation (www.sads.org), in honor of little Lee. If you or your company would like to donate whatever you can, you may do so here. All my love and prayers Mary Ann, Christian and Lee.

{Spread the Love Tour}…Charlotte, NC family photographer

admin — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:35:48 +0000

You can call me a bit of a blog stalker when it comes to Justin and Mary. Even though I don’t shoot weddings, the way they shoot people and details keeps me coming back to their site day after day. They are a husband and wife photographer team and teach at many different seminars, conferences, etc., but Charlotte, NC had the distinct pleasure of being apart of their Spread the Love Tour. It is a seminar jammed packed with valuable information from how to handle your finances as a small business to word of mouth marketing, to packaging. My head was swimming by the end of the seminar, but it a good way.

Favorite quote of the seminar (or one of them)…

“In business there is room for fear…but not for excuses. Action trumps Fear. Excuses are the enemy of Action.”

If you have the opportunity to go to this seminar, photographer or not…go! Thanks so much Justin, Mary, and Julia!

{Product Spotlight…Wallet Album}…Charlotte, NC family photographer

admin — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:11:21 +0000

I just got this wallet album back from the lab for my client. These are a great gift or add-on to any order. They hold 20 2×3 images and come in four different colors.

{Your hand in mine}…Charlotte, NC family photographer

admin — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:35:42 +0000

My heart was racing. I was watching a movie with him on the couch in my sister’s apartment, but was just merely looking at the screen, as my mind was spinning and focused on him sitting next to me. The first time we hung out we ended up talking outside until 4 in the morning. He taught be how to shoot a be-be gun. I found out later that was because he wanted to have an excuse to lean in close to me. Next thing I know, our hands touch and he grabs hold of mine. It sent shivers up my spine and my heart racing a little more. This small gesture let me know that he liked me, wanted to get to know me, liked my company. This small gesture said a thousand things. I just didn’t know it then, but I was holding the hand of my first boyfriend, my best friend, my soulmate, my life partner, the hand of my husband. In that moment, I didn’t realize, the hand I was holding, would be the hand I would be holding for the rest of my life. I am so thankful for you, Tracy. I am so thankful to have you to hold hands with through this life.

I took this photograph of this married couple this past summer. I love it and want to one day have one like it of Tracy and I. Happy Valentine’s day!

{Why Custom Photography is more}…Charlotte, NC family photographer

admin — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 15:06:12 +0000

I found this web-site and wanted to share it here on the blog. It gives a good break down of what we do as custom/lifestyle photographers and why we charge more. The rest of the article can be found at the link provided below.

Why does Custom Photography Cost More:

The digital revolution has brought amazing flexibility and ability to control various factors during the image taking and making process. Photographers, the hobbyist, the professional, the amateur all benefit from this ability to manipulate pixels. However, with flexibility comes a price. Digital camera equipment is still considerably more expensive when you factor in its’ lifespan, the need for additional resources for processing those images, the time it takes to get a usable image and the effort that goes into creating a work of photographic art. We all know that you can go to the local Walgreen’s and pay a $1.99 for a print – as a client you may wonder why you may pay upwards of $50, $70, $90 for a custom photography print. Photographers hear this statement every once in awhile:

“How in the world can you charge around $40 for an 8×10 if it costs me less than $2 to print at x store?”

The truth of the matter is the answer to this question is multifaceted. Much of the cost of a photographic print produced by a professional photographer has a lot to do with the time, equipment costs, artistic vision and reputation of the photographer not to mention expertise and the usual costs of running a legitimate business. The cost of TIME Approaching it from a time standpoint, let’s imagine that you have hired a photographer who has work that you love. This photographer is traveling an hour to your destination to photograph your session. Here is an example of a time break down:

booking time: 30 minutes to one hour (client contact time paperwork)
pre-session prep time (30 mins – 1 hour, includes equipment and back up equipment checks vehicle checks)
one hour travel time TO session
15-30 minutes prep time at client’s home
90 minutes-2 hours with client photographing subject
one hour travel time FROM session
30-45 minutes uploading time from digital cards from camera to computer
30-45 minutes time spent backing up the original images
2-5 hours editing time to present you with a diverse gallery of edited images
1 hour prep time getting ready for ordering
2-3 hours time with client for ordering images
1 hour sorting through and checking order
30 minutes-1 hour prep time for delivery
30 minutes-1 hour getting order shipped
any additional phone time or time needed for add on ordering, shipment issues, quality issues
In this example, the time spent per client can range from just under 13 hours to 19 hours – dependent on the photographer’s level of service.

This is time dedicated only to ONE session. When the photographer charges $150-$300 for the photo shoot (aka SESSION FEE) you are not just paying for the two hours of session time, you are paying the photographer for 12-19 hours complete time for your session.

Custom photography is more of a luxury than your entry level cookie cutter chain experience. Custom photography truly is not for everyone, it requires a level of commitment, investment in time and money, forethought and planning on the part of the subject/client and requires a larger time commitment for the photographer as well.

Custom photography is based on being unique to you. How great an experience would be, to be able to sit back and allow a photographer to do this highly custom work for images that you will most likely cherish for a lifetime?

Excerpts taken from this web-site:

http://www.professionalchildphotographer.com/information/?page_id=18

{Featured on Photoshop Actions Web-site}…Charlotte, NC family photographer

admin — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:28:22 +0000

A few weeks ago, Will Duris, of Photoshop Actions for Photographers asked if he could feature some of my current work on his action web-site using their product. Well, I was thrilled he would ask for some of my images to be featured on his new site…which looks great by the way! His actions are super easy to use and very affordable. I highly recommend his site! Check him out! I am sure you will recognize some featured clients. :)

{Contest time}…Charlotte, NC family photographer

admin — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 20:46:00 +0000

Contest time again! I have chosen 13 of my favorite images from 2010…please tell all your family and friends to vote. One vote per person please. You can comment on the blog or on facebook. The winner will receive an 11×14 wall art of the winning image and $50 print credit on your next order with me from a 2011 session. And the runner up will receive an 8×10 print of the image and $25 print credit on your next order with me from a 2011 session. Voting will begin today and will end at midnight on January 17th. I will announce the winners that week. Happy Voting!

{2010 Recap}…Charlotte, NC family photographer

admin — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:52:43 +0000

Like every year, 2010 just flew by. I learned a lot, stretched, grew, failed, succeeded, hurt, loved, and grew some more. I am thankful for each and every experience and trial. I believe in the experiences we learn to love and appreciate life. Through the trials, well, we learn to trust and rely on the Lord and become better people.

I started my 2010 year off by going to a wonderful seminar by Justin and Mary Marantz. I am going this year as well and cannot wait!

In February, my husband graduated from CMPD police academy. I am not allowed to post pictures of him in uniform on the internet. I couldn’t have been more proud of him on that day. He was class president and gave a speech in front of the entire audience.

I also had the wonderful opportunity of being apart of a fundraiser for Muscular Dystrophy. I had to get on the phone and ask people to “bail” me out of jail. It was fun and I think I ended up raising over $200.

In the Spring, I had the opportunity to photograph for Ruffle Butts and Little Cuddle Bugs. They were both very different experiences, one better than the other, but overall…learning experiences.

In the Spring, I also had the wonderful opportunity of going to a Brianna Graham workshop in Atlanta. I stayed with my beautiful and hospitable friend, Shannon.

At the end of May, I had the opportunity to go to Charleston for a weekend getaway. I love Charleston and could never get sick of going. Look at this amazing tree!

My sessions did not slow down in the beginning of summer, but we managed to get away to Carowinds for the day and act like kids.

As the heat grew stronger and hotter, my sessions were few, so I got to get away to the beach with some girlfriends…

At the end of summer, Tracy and I traveled to Chattanooga, TN, the city where we met, to have our 5 year anniversary pictures done by Rich Smith Photography. I loved them!

I was thankful when the Fall season was upon me. I had many new and repeat clients. In September I ran in my first 5 K. I was surprised and pleased when I had placed 3rd in my age group. I also completed it in under 30 minutes. This race was very near to me as a dear friend of mine, Tiffany Pate, died of cancer earlier in the year. I would like to do more races this year. They are a great challenge and for great causes.

As my season was underway, I had the wonderful opportunity to getaway on a Women’s retreat to the mountains near Asheville, NC. It was nice to get away, refocus, and spend some time with God.

At Thanksgiving, two out of my 3 sisters, my mom and dad, and myself got to go to Pennsylvania to see family. While we were there, we were able to spend some time with my Grandma Macaluso, who turned 98 this year! She is just now going into an assisted living facility. Every bit of that trip was worth it to see and spend time with her.

When I returned from my trip over Thanksgiving, I hit the ground running as I concluded my year…wrapping up sessions, client orders, Christmas get togethers, family gatherings, one more trip to Alabama to see Tracy’s family…and bam! The year is over just like that! I feel like I haven’t caught up from the holidays. I look forward to what this year has in store. I want to live each day for the Lord, allowing Him to use me for His glory. I can’t thank you enough, my faithful clients, for allowing me to document what is near and dear to your hearts. So, what’s next? I will announce a contest soon. I also have the most adorable newborn session to share. See you soon!