Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Sandercock.
Hi Nicole, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I was in high school, I bothered my parents by taking their Canon Rebel on every vacation and photographing every little detail that I could. My favorite part of photographing things was showing the extraordinary in what seemed to be ordinary. It also seemed like a cool way to tell stories – after all, a picture was worth 1,000 words, right? While I was studying journalism at the University of Georgia, I discovered that a photojournalism emphasis was offered in the major and I jumped right in. I fell in love with the art of the moment, of documenting stories and people, and in getting creative with how to visually tell every news story in a different way. Life post-college led me into a mission year and then a job in Human Resources, but I still pursued portraiture as a side gig, secretly wishing it could be my one and only job. While on maternity leave this past fall, I made the jump and went full-time with my business, specializing in family and wedding photography.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s honestly been way smoother than I could ask for – if you don’t count the fact that it took me six years to get to running the full business time!
One of the hardest parts has been learning to say no to projects when my plate is full. I’ve always been someone who overcommits to the point of sacrificing sleep or social life in order to take on all the work. Now that I’m a mom to a little baby, I can’t just decide to edit photos until 3 am because that’s not feasible for our family life (or a healthy habit, mind you). It’s really common in my industry to “grind it out” and work yourself to the bone, so it’s been hard to combat that common mindset in the photographer community and my natural tendency to do so. I’m really blessed to be married to a man who helps me grow in my desire for rest and who encourages me to take a break and relax. It’s definitely still a work in progress, but it takes time to undo years of habits.
I’m sure lots of other photographers would agree with me on this one, but another challenge is not allowing Instagram likes, followers, and engagement rates to determine my “success.” Social media can suck you in so deep, and it feels like the end-all-be-all for photography sometimes. I worked for a few years in college as a social media manager, and I know all the tricks and secrets to growing a following. However, I decided early on in my business that I didn’t want to manage it that way and that I wanted to pour myself into serving my clients instead of trying to be Insta-famous. The temptation still creeps up because who doesn’t want lots of likes??- but I always try to refocus and make sure that I’m doing what I can to ensure that my clients have the best experience taking photos that I can possibly offer.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a wedding and family photographer who pursues depth through my work, whether it’s in the moments, I capture or my editing style. I shoot primarily non-studio work and specialize in working with people who aren’t sure if they feel comfortable in front of the camera. I love the process of posing every body type and working with bringing out the natural beauty in each individual.
With my business, I want my clients to feel like I’m a friendly face coming along on an adventure with them, not the paparazzi getting in their way. Many people find the booking process or the actual photo taking stressful, and I do my best to make sure that I handle all the details and that my clients feel relaxed and at ease every step of the way.
I am most proud of reaching my goal for 2021 weddings within the first four months of going full-time with my business! I hustled super hard, and it’s great to see that come to fruition so clearly. I think what sets me apart from others is the style I use to edit and the way I befriend each of my clients. I developed my editing style because I was looking for someone to take photos of my family and couldn’t find anyone who had a style that I liked in my area. I like to describe it as bright & moody – I embrace the sunlight but enjoy rich deep color in my imagery. As a people person, I love diving into my client’s stories and lives so that I can showcase their unique personalities and relationships in my images. If you don’t know someone, how can you tell their story authentically? It’s like short-form documentary journalism!
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
COVID has really thrown an interesting wrench into the industry. I think people will start navigating more and more to smaller “micro weddings” and adding more of a personal touch into their weddings. No big shifts, though- as long as people fall in love, there will be weddings and people needed to document it!
Pricing:
- Weddings starting at $2565
- Portrait Sessions starting at $325
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nicolesandercockphotography.com
- Instagram: @nicole_sandercockphoto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicolesandercockphoto
Image Credits
©Nicole Sandercock, 2021
