Nicole Rogers Photography » Uncategorized http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog Sneak peek of recent sessions Thu, 17 May 2012 19:49:47 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 {With thanks}… http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/with-thanks-2/ http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/with-thanks-2/#comments Wed, 23 Nov 2011 21:03:18 +0000 admin http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/?p=4248 It’s the way we still intently look into each other’s eyes saying nothing at all, but saying everything as he leaves for work or tucks me into bed.  It’s the way I still feel when he grabs my hand across the console, or how I steal glances of him as he drives down the road.  We got together when we had not entered the “real” world and were too young to know who we were, but have remained side by side.  We have gone through some tremendous growing pains as we figured out life, have endured what not a lot of couples have endured, but still have remained…side by side.

The images below were done this past summer to document our 6th year wedding anniversary and to capture the two of us…side by side.  We are currently expecting and I was 17 weeks pregnant in these photos.  On Friday I will be 30 weeks.  My conception came as a surprise and shock as we have experienced many emotions all at the same time.  He truly is our miracle baby and I don’t even know how he has come to be, except that it must the Lord’s plan for our lives.  (I have not shared my condition or experience here on the blog…there have been hints, but it’s not the right time yet).

Sometimes I walk past his nursery and am still in disbelief that this is happening in just around 10 weeks.  I don’t feel equipped, or ready to enter into motherhood.  I am so thankful that I get the chance and will do my best.  I wouldn’t want to enter this chapter of my life without my beautiful husband and best friend….right by my side.

In the next couple of weeks, we will be getting some maternity photos done, so I will be happy to share those here on the blog.  I am so thankful for so much.  I am thankful for the opportunity to do this job and for the people the Lord brings into my life to do it.  Happy Thanksgiving!

I have to give credit for these beautiful images done by Megan at Lime Green Photography. 

]]> http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/with-thanks-2/feed/ 4 {One’s Ship Comes In}… http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/ones-ship-comes-in/ http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/ones-ship-comes-in/#comments Fri, 10 Jun 2011 22:15:05 +0000 admin http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/?p=3461 I have been MIA for about a week or so.  I went to be with a friend in Atlanta and now gearing up for a fun weekend.  My sisters and I are taking my mom to Blowing Rock for the day as part of her Mother’s day gift.  I will have a couple of sessions to share, but until then, I wanted to share with you a poem we were handed out in my writing class this month.   Happy Friday!

One’s Ship Comes In…

I swear

my way now will be

to continue without

plan or hope, to accept

the drift of things, to shift

from endless effort

to joy in, say,

that robin, plunging

into the mossy shallows

of my bird bath and

splashing madly till

the air shines with spray.

Joy it will be, say,

in Nancy, pretty in pink

and rumpled T-shirt,

rubbing sleep from her eyes, or

joy even in

just this breathing, free

of fright and clutch, knowing

how one’s ship comes in

with each such breath.

- Joe Paddock

]]> http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/ones-ship-comes-in/feed/ 1 My hand in yours…Happy 5th Anniversary Tracy! http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/my-hand-in-yours-happy-5th-anniversary-tracy/ http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/my-hand-in-yours-happy-5th-anniversary-tracy/#comments Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:34:22 +0000 admin http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/?p=2114 You saw me when I was invisible to everyone else.  I sat in the Panera by myself writing in my journal because, at times and still is, the only place I could find my voice.   You noticed me, pursued me, got to know me…the real me.   Sometimes I feel you married someone broken, shattered…that is why it amazes me the amount of love you have and the promises you made to me 5 years ago…the promise to love me…all of me…the broken me, the ugly me, the me that is hard to understand, the me that is not easy to get along with sometimes. 

I want to be invisible sometimes, hide behind you when we walk into a crowded room, make you go first, and to put it frankly, I hated all eyes on me as I walked down the aisle on our wedding day, that is, until I saw you at the end of it.  When I am with you, I feel beautiful.  I feel strong when I am beside you, holding your hand.  I don’t want to hide because we’re a team.  You make up the other half of me that I wished that I possessed, but do in you…strength, confidence, courage.  It was you that I presented the idea of wanting to start a photography business and you telling me to go for it.  It is you telling me I can do anything I want, any dream I have.  You smile with a confidence that tells me I am not absurd, when I tell you I want to become an author one day.

You proposed to me 2 weeks after I graduated from Lee University, with no money and really no plan, but to make me your wife.  And you did.  I love how we started from nothing, have grown up together, and are fulfilling our dreams together.  We didn’t know where life would lead us as we marched down that asile on August 6th.  We didn’t know the challenges we would face, or have an issue that has threatened to tear us apart.  What we did know is we fell for each other.  We fell hard.  I am more in love with you now than ever and know it will only grow stronger.

I don’t know what the next 5 years hold, but know I wouldn’t want to be on this journey with anyone else.  I thank God for you.  I prayed for you.  I really believe God gave me the man of my dreams.  You are the most selfless person I know.  You are the epitome of love and sacrifice.  Never would I have thought that I would marry the guy that was in my sister’s Freshman Gateway class who taught her how to drive his jeep.  Or the guy that asked to borrow my pen.  Or the guy I was sure would not last in my “Writing About Literature” class…lol!  You are full of surprises.  I have loved watching you grow from a college kid to an accomplished man.  You have transformed my life.   I love you.  Happy 5th anniversary!

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]]> http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/my-hand-in-yours-happy-5th-anniversary-tracy/feed/ 2 At home…Belmont, NC family photographer http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/1940/ http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/1940/#comments Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:00:03 +0000 admin http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/1940/  I have had the privledge of photographing this family a few times now.  I love when clients become friends.  I feel so relaxed coming back to their home time after time and documenting them how they are.  This is what I strive for in my business.  This was the first time I have met the older “C” children.   They are the two older siblings of Sarah and Clayton in the image below.  I had so much fun documenting them as a family…eating watermelon, picking tomatoes, laughing, and hanging out on the porch.  Once again, thank you so much Michelle and Kenny for the opportunity to photograph your family.  Enjoy your slideshow here!curnow-3 

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]]> http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/1940/feed/ 0 Tiffany… http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/tiffany/ http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/tiffany/#comments Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:35:32 +0000 admin http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/?p=1649 I often journal in the privacy of my little notebook, but for some reason feel compelled to write it here on the blog as well.  I don’t know if I ever wrote about my friend Tiffany Pate in my past journals.  She was one of the first people I met when we moved to the Belmont area.  I met her at a church we were both visiting.  I never have felt more loved and accepted by someone at church…I know, church you are supposed to feel those things, but that had not been my experience up until that time. 

She was one of those people you felt instantly connected to and knew, without a doubt, genuinely cared for you…even if you were just beginning to know her.  She was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer two years ago and last week she went home to be with Jesus.  I went to her memorial service last night and was overwhelmed by the amount of people there who called her friend.  She was a wife and mother of two.  She was a sister, daughter, and friend.  She was only 36 years old.  It feels surreal to say goodbye to this woman.  I have been to her house a few times, photographed her two boys twice, and still have her phone number in my cell.  I felt a twinge of pain when I realized last night that I won’t be able to call her again.  My heart throbbed when I saw her husband and two boys, knowing they won’t be able to hold her again.  I felt extreme sadness in every portion of my being and I wept at her memorial service.

I know Tiffany wouldn’t want that.  I was on the e-mail list that was sent out to several people throughout the course of her journey with cancer.  I have gone back through some of those e-mails and am so in awe at the strength and faith of this woman.  Around this time two years ago she wrote…”I do have Stage IV breast cancer that has moved to my liver.  It has been explained to me that this cancer cannot be cured, but it can be treated and managed if I respond well to treatment.  I understand this, but the part that is not entered into this equation is MY GOD!!!  If it is in His will to cure me (and I firmly BELIEVE that it is), then there is no stopping HIM!!!  I truly believe that you are all going to see the work that Christ longs to do in our lives take place in this situation.  I praise Him for that and I love Him for allowing me the privilege to be His!!!”

She constantly read through the Word of God and challenged people to dig down deeper.  She yearned to be closer to the Father through daily devotion and study.  While she was enduring treatments, trips to the hospital, and pain she held Bible studies.  One of the things she wrote about her children was:

April 28, 2004
The greatest struggle I face in my life is allowing myself to release my children completely to God’s will. I worry for them and their future(s) constantly.  One day, my hope, is that I will sincerely realize that God’s plan (will) for their lives is far greater than anything I could ever provide for them on Earth.  My job is to believe this with all of my heart and provide them with guidance that will, hopefully, lead them to God’s feet – so that one day they may choose God’s will for their lives of their own free will.  May God help me on this journey as I search  for this peace!  One day, I hope to release my children to God and mean it with all of heart.  My prayer is to lay them at his feet and walk away with the confidence that they are safer at his feet than in my arms!
 
In response to what she wrote back in April, last February she wrote…
I can truly tell you that I have reached the point in my life that my children belong to my Father in Heaven.  I trust them in His arms because I know that I am only human.   I cannot promise them anything about tomorrow, but He can.  He is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow.  In His presence they will always be safe and loved.  In mine, they stand wondering if I will even be here.  If I had to come to this point in my life to experience a peace such as this….it was worth it….!!!  Some people go their entire lives never experiencing that peace!  I have it!  Thank you, Jesus!  Free at last! 
 Free at last!
 
I feel privileged and blessed to have known a woman like this.  I cried like a baby last night, but know I will see her again.  I left her funeral convicted and inspired to not only be a reader of the Word, but a DOER.  She inspired me to love people at all times, and live my life for Jesus.  She inspired me to have  HOPE.  I believe Tiffany, according to 2 Timothy 4:6-8…”has fought the good fight, has finished the race, and has kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
Thank you, Tiffany, for being and showing me the kind of friend, wife, mother, and follower of Christ I need and strive to be.  Love you!
Here is a picture of her boys November 2008…
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]]> http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/tiffany/feed/ 2 My heart soars when…Belmont, NC Photographer http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/my-heart-soars-when-belmont-nc-photographer/ http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/my-heart-soars-when-belmont-nc-photographer/#comments Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:58:12 +0000 admin http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/?p=1552 I am not trying to fluff my own feathers…for those of you who really know me, know that I am quite the opposite of a very confident person.  When I receive a comment like the one below from a client…it makes my heart soar and thank God for the opportunity to do what I do.

Hi Nicole –

 
I’m so in love with all of the pictures!  The package was beautiful and the photo “boards” are exceptional.  Thank you for doing such a wonderful job for us – wish I would have found you sooner.  We will want more pictures this summer or fall.   Let me think about the next venue and if you have any suggestion, we are open.  You are very talented and I feel blessed to have found you. 
 
 
Thanks so much - 
 
Judy
 
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]]> http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/my-heart-soars-when-belmont-nc-photographer/feed/ 0 Be Inspired… http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/be-inspired/ http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/be-inspired/#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:47:00 +0000 admin http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/?p=1491 I am inspired by so many things…colors in nature, paintings, and fashion.  I am so drawn to the way Anthropologie puts together colors in their decor, clothing, and accessories.   I love this store, if you haven’t noticed.  So, on a rainy day, I decided to randomly select a couple of things from their web-site that I love and inspires me.  Go ahead…be inspired today…even if it is yucky out.  Beauty is everywhere!

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scarfmirrorshirt, 1bed

]]> http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/be-inspired/feed/ 0 Day of Dreams… http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/day-of-dreams/ http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/day-of-dreams/#comments Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:20:08 +0000 admin http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/?p=1362 In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I wanted to write about dreams. On August 28, 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. addressed the nation his hope, faith, and belief in humanity, God, and the direction of the country. His speech was inspiring, a testament of freedom and dreams.

Like him, and so many fearless leaders before him, paved a way to fulfill our own dreams and aspirations.

As I think about my own current dreams and what they look like, I cannot help but think of my husband…he fulfills one of my dreams. I currently have a dream of having a couple of children one day, to go to Europe, to be around family, and becoming a published poet (writer). The seminar I went to on Friday was life-changing. I simply cannot get it out of my head to live a life UN-ordinary, which was one of the Mary and Justin spoke a lot about.

I want to live my life Un-ordinary because there are so many things I am capable of doing that I don’t want to miss out on.  This is not something I can accomplish on my own and I want to continually thank my God in heaven for the abilities, soundmind, and talents He has given me. I want to do it all for His glory and to be able to make a difference and touch many lives.

There are a lot of changes I want to make in my personal and business life, but it is impossible to do it all at once.  I want to start with one change here on the Blog…I would like all of you to know a little more about me.  My goal is to get to know my clients, so much so, they become friends.  I would like to share more of my heart, my beliefs, my soul here on this blog.

Alot of you do not know that I have a Journalism/Communications degree with a Writing minor. My first love and dream was writing. I sat in Creative Writing classes in High School, intrigued and mesmerized by the power of language and how it made me feel. It started long before that…I was much younger when I started journaling. I felt the insatiable need to write when I was only 12 or 13. One of my long term goals, is to become a published poet. I won a couple of contests in high school and was published in local and student publications, but I would like to have a poem published as an adult.

I am in the process of establishing a place on my blog dedicated for the inspiration of language. It will be a place for us to share the poems we have written, description of a favorite photograph and our favorite quotes. I am still trying to name it…I have a name I am playing around with…but, am not sure yet. It may be something like “Place of Authentic Beauty…” I don’t know how many people read this blog, if any,but if you do and would like to leave a comment to suggest a name, feel free to. Anyways, stay tuned for a contest to be announced soon.

]]> http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/day-of-dreams/feed/ 4 Spread the Love Workshop! http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/spread-the-love-workshop/ http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/spread-the-love-workshop/#comments Sat, 16 Jan 2010 12:59:14 +0000 admin http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/?p=1352 I had the WONDERFUL opportunity to attend the Spread the Love Workshop put on by Justin and Mary Marantz of Justin & Mary Photography.  It was nothing short of inspiring, challenging, and exactly what I needed to start this New Year.  If you are a photographer or have your own business, this is a Life Workshop and I HIGHLY recommend it.  One of my favorite things that Mary said was “There will always be a reason not to chase your dreams” and “The Enemy of Doing is Procrastination” and “…A little big more” – by John C. Maxwell.spreadthelove

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The dynamic duo…Justin and Mary.

Another quote Mary gave yesterday, and by far my favorite was this:

“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say: I used everything you gave me.”

-Erna Bombeck

]]> http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/spread-the-love-workshop/feed/ 2 New Feature…slideshows…Charlotte, NC baby photographer http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/new-feature-slideshows-charlotte-nc-baby-photographer/ http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/new-feature-slideshows-charlotte-nc-baby-photographer/#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:25:09 +0000 admin http://nicolerogersphotography.com/blog/?p=1348 Matthew and Susan’s slideshow…baby Gabe.

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