Welcome!!

Here you will find all sorts of things: tips and tricks, book reviews, stories of my adventures, client features, and so much more!

Copyright Ownership vs. Right to Print

One of the questions that I find myself addressing quite often is, “Will I get copyright of my photos?'“ This is, and isn’t, a simple question to answer, because the answer varies based upon each photographer and how they run their individual business. First, let’s define some terms:

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Amateur vs. Pro: What's the Diff?

It’s recently become more and more clear to me that most people don’t know a whole lot about what professional photography is, or what a professional photographer (like me!) does. That’s why I’ve written the last couple of posts, but I wanted to provide you all with some context for this course of education before I go too much further, and y’all think I’ve lost my mind (clearly my children have stolen it and sold it on the black market).

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What You Need to Know About Photography Business Models

I was recently watching a masterclass for photographers, and the speaker- another photographer by the name of Matt Kennedy- was teaching about pricing and business models for photographers. I realized right off that there is A LOT of confusion about business models for photographers, not only among photographers, but for our clients as well! If we can't event figure out what business model we follow, how can we explain it to y'all?! Well, I'm going to try to clear up some of the confusion for you.

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Portrait Sessions, Newborn Sessions, General Nicole Bradshaw Portrait Sessions, Newborn Sessions, General Nicole Bradshaw

Xavier's Newborn Session- Rio Rancho, New Mexico

I have known Hali and her family for a number of years- her daughters were actually in my Girl Scout troop- so when sweet Xavier arrived, I was excited to take portraits of him! Xavier arrived on July 9th, 2017, and weighed in at 7 lbs. 15 oz. and was 20 inches long. He was greeted by Dad, older sisters Maddie and Lyiddia, and older brothers Sebastian, Alex, and Bryant, and our mutual friend Amber.

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What Serving YOU Means to Me

What Serving YOU Means to Me

I recently had a conversation with another wedding friendor (a wedding vendor turned friend) about my commitment to customer service- or rather my over-commitment to it. It made me realize that I haven’t publicly shared something about myself and my business that I’ve been hoping y’all would just figure out (and some of you have!!!). What I need to share about myself and my business with y’all is that my commitment to service is not superficial or something that I know I should have because I’m providing a service to you guys. It is an ingrained part of my core being, and something I do, no matter what.  

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Portrait Sessions, Newborn Sessions, General Nicole Bradshaw Portrait Sessions, Newborn Sessions, General Nicole Bradshaw

MaKayla’s Newborn Session- Los Lunas, New Mexico

In full disclosure, I’ve known Ms. MaKayla’s mamma, Monique since we were babies ourselves. My mom and grandma used to babysit her while her mom worked, so we were together until I started school. Our age difference was just enough to mean that I was a year ahead in school. The stories that we could share about one another! 

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10 Things Your Wedding Photographer Wishes You Knew

10 Things Your Wedding Photographer Wishes You Knew

There are things we wish we could all tell others about our jobs. But, when you work in a service-based industry, where you work with people who've hired you to do something for them that they can't do for themselves, it's even more prevalent. Following- and in no particular order- are the things I wish I could tell all of my clients, so that they can understand that they're not alone.

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What is the Golden Hour, and Why Should You Care?

What is the Golden Hour, and Why Should You Care?

Even before I knew that this special time of day had a specific name, it was my favorite part of the day. Simply put, the Golden Hour is the 30 minutes before sunset and the 30 minutes right after sunset each day.  This is the time of day when the sun is at an angle to the spot you are at on the Earth. Specifically in New Mexico, it's the time of day when we get all those pretty skies and colors. You know- the pinks and purples and blues that have made our sunsets famous. 

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Why You Should Choose a Local Photographer Over a National Chain

I admit it. I used to be one of those people that went to a national chain to have my family's portraits taken. In this particular case (the photo on the left), it was Portrait Innovations, and my eldest son- Christopher- was two. This was two years before I picked up my camera, learned how to use it, and started creating portraits myself. The portrait on the right, I took myself earlier this evening. Oh, and Christopher is now six.

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What to Wear to Your Family Portrait Session: Part One

One of the biggest questions, and worries, when you book a family photo session- or any session- is “What do I wear?” Or, some version of it, anyway. I know in my family, it’s always the second question asked when we get ready to take family photos- the first being “When are we doing this?”

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Why I Love Photography
Welcome!

Welcome!

I am so excited to be starting my photography business. I never thought that I would end up here. Owning a business is always one of those things that a lot of people dream of when they’re young, but only a select few actually make it happen. I have to admit, I dreamed about owning my own business- for about half a second. I never thought that it was something that I’d actually want, or be able to do. But, here I am!

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