Hello.

I’m Nicole, the photographer here at Ordinary Days.  I began my love affair with photography back in high school.  It was a chance encounter – I had an elective spot I needed to fill and Yearbook was open at that time.  When the yearbook advisor was handing out jobs she asked if anyone knew how to use a camera.  I naively raised my hand (because I had an Instamatic 110 camera and had used my grandfather’s Polaroid camera on many occasions) and was designated the yearbook photographer (it happens that way when you go to a teeny tiny high school of less than 250 students!)  I had no idea how to use the school’s 35mm camera.  And, I had no idea that it was even possible to develop your own film.  I read the camera manual from front to back and started shooting.  Then I started developing and printing.  And, I fell in love.  I loved how the camera forever captured a moment.  I loved watching people interact and waiting for the moment I knew would come, the moment that would tell a story.  I loved pressing the shutter right at that exact moment.  I loved retreating into the darkroom with my film and the process of developing the film.  I loved taking that first look at my negatives and seeing that yes, I did capture the moment, that there was a story recorded right there! And, I loved making prints from my negatives.  Watching a photo come to be in a tray of developer… It was magical to me.  I was hooked.

I went on to study both photography and creative writing in college.  I won some awards for my photography.  I won some awards for my creative writing.  Then my creative life got interrupted by “real life”.  I took a job at an advertising agency and then at another.  I liked the work okay.   I liked my co-workers a lot.  But I missed photography.  I became intrigued with digital photography and I became a weekend photographer, taking photos on the weekends of anything and everything that caught my eye, always with a little dream playing out in my mind…. “One day, I want to start my own photography business.”

The years passed and I got married.  And then I became a mother.  I started a whole new love affair that day – with my daughter.  And, my two great love affairs merged into one.  I discovered I loved photographing babies (and children).  I discovered I especially loved photographing them doing their baby and child-like things.  That is when my little dream began changing into a big dream… “I want to start a photography business and I want to specialize in taking lifestyle photos of babies and children.”

When my daughter was a little over one year old, I started doing sessions for clients.  That was four years ago and I have loved every minute of it! I love capturing memories.   I would love to capture memories for you and your family.  You can contact me anytime at nicole@ordinarydaysphotography.com or during business hours (9:00am – 4:00pm pacific time) at 415.730.8718.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Nicole