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Check out Athena Henzler’s Artwork

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Athena Henzler.

Athena, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Photography has always been a big passion of mine. I still remember some of the first pictures I took. I was about 10 years old and my parents got a Sony digital camera that used… a floppy disk! I thought it was SO cool. I loved playing with it and took a few photos of flowers in my parent’s yard. When I showed my parents what I took, they thought they were awesome and that was all I needed to hear. From that point on – I was a photographer.

I took THOUSANDS of photos going forward, trying to learn what worked and what didn’t. I picked up side photography jobs through college that really helped me hone my skills. Once I graduated college, it was time to be “responsible” and get a “real job” so I did just that – I moved ITP, got a great job and just put my camera aside for a while. I still took photos here and there but it was just for fun. Then, in 2013, I met my husband while volunteering with Community Bucket (a volunteer group for young professionals) at PAWS animal shelter. Neither of us were very passionate about our jobs and were looking for a change, so we decided to take a trip. Not just any trip though, we decided to quit our jobs and travel the world for a year. I have to thank my mom for reminding me not to forget the things I love before we left and it pushed me to work on my photography during that year. We kept a blog (@trulyOTP) and I once again fell in love with photography. After coming home, I realized I couldn’t go back to a regular 9-5, so here I am living my dream!

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
Travel/landscape photography is my first passion – it is what got me into photography and what has kept me sticking with it all these years. My husband and I travel basically any chance we get and I love having the opportunity to capture some really beautiful places and try to make people feel like they are transported to the same places where I have stood.

Athena Nicole Photography as a business however is a new venture and new passion for me. As I have grown as a photographer and as a person, I have found a second passion in capturing moments for couples, families and pets. I feel like what sets me apart with my sessions is the connection… getting your photo taken can be awkward for some people. You might be unsure what to do with your hands or if things look good. Sometimes what looks good – feels unnatural. The biggest thing for me is really connecting with each and every one of my clients. Getting to know them as an individual, a couple or a family and making them feel as if they’ve known me for years so they feel more comfortable loosening up and letting their true self shine through.

The sterotype of a starving artist scares away many potentially talented artists from pursuing art – any advice or thoughts about how to deal with the financial concerns an aspiring artist might be concerned about?
I spent many years before starting Athena Nicole struggling with not really LOVING what I did for work but taking that leap can be scary. One of the great things about being an artist is that typically you can work a standard job while working on your art, so in the beginning, it is often helpful to at least keep a part time job while you get your business started. This gives you a little extra time to save up and get some clients established. Just be mindful that building a business does not happen overnight and to not be impatient…enjoy the journey…set small goals and reach them.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
If someone would like to book a photo session with me they can reach out to me via my website athenanicole.com. I have a full portfolio that you can check out some of my favorite shots.

If you are interested in my travel and adventure photos from around the world, you can purchase a piece at https://gallery.athenanicole.com/trulyotp/

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Athena Nicole Photography

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