meet Kaeli.

You cannot get a better subject than a first grader...

love it.
nik

because.

I am working...

but this one is for me.
nik

blessed family.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. matt. 5:9

The "peacemakers" are those who not only live in peace with others but moreover do their best to preserve peace and friendship among mankind and between God and man...."imitating of God's love of man"...
Saint Gregory of Nyssa.
a blessed family....in my opinion,
peacemakers.
nik

thankful.

so very thankful for seven adults who ALL in good humor listened to me sing 'happy birthday' off-key...

truly...I manage to sing anything I choose to sing, completely flat...and yet, everyone is still smiling.
I am telling you, kindness is hereditary...it runs in families.
nik

texture

because I do think...some images just beg for one...
nik

b & b

true confession.  I'm artsy.  I mean waaayyy artsy....
sometimes I try to convince myself I have a middle ground...
and then I get Pablo Picasso syndrome and realize...no.
Here are some of the Jungian descriptions of an artist Personality Type:
prone to discouragement
socially uncomfortable
not self confident
not aggressive, lower energy
fearful ,anxious, guarded
not confrontational
can be overwhelmed by unpleasant feelings
private, second guesses self
prone to quitting...
prone to quitting...
prone to quitting...

It's really laughable how often I "quit" ....

and then I have a session with a couple of adorable kiddos...

and I realize how much I LOVE what I do...

so for now...no quitting...
tomorrow, no promises. lol
nik

family

hope you had a super wonderful and
happy thanksgiving.
nik

meet mister ben.

I promise you he is the happiest little dude, ever.

reminds me sooo much of my Tad...just happy to be a part.
happy happy happy.
I seriously left the session, happy.
love it.
nik

brown eyes

because they ALL have the most beautiful chocolate brown eyes...wink.
xo
nik

meet maralee & george

it was a gorgeous saturday, albeit a bit chilly, but that did not stop
george and maralee from making some beautiful images....

I am so in love with Maralee's eyes....she may not like the camera....
but her face does! perfect.

family images to come...
xo
nik

friday fun.

look at her pink little shift!

side note..the girls most talented mother made these little shifts/vest!
i die!  she is such an uber-creative!!!

fun during the session, fun after the session, just pure fun!
have a fun week-end!
nik

yep, 3.

I know, a weekend of adorable three year olds...
i die.
nik

meet...

michael, cambria and drew.


simply put, I love this family.
xo
nik

3.

and this is why three...
is one of the best ages...
ever.
nik

meet miss Keisha.

So what do I want to do on a Friday night? go shoot! of course!
Keisha and I were going to go out...this last Friday....
when it decided to rain....

yay for rain in our valley, but bummer on the rain for an outdoor photo session.

we still managed to have fun making some images "in-studio"
oh boy, do I use that term loosely!

Keisha is a beauty...I mean she should be a Tongan princess....
I hope she doesn't kill me for saying that! but it's true! (:

she has the most amazing face!

I don't know that I did it justice...she is perfection.
oh, we are going to have some more fun...soon.
nik

Ciara Creates.

I don't know where to start when talking about the lovely Ciara (wearing her own design)....
she is breathtakingly beautiful, enviously ladylike and genuinely kind.  
Internationally recognized as an artist, Ciara creates beautiful handcrafted jewelry embedded on wire, using Swarovski crystals, gemstones, corals, wood, fresh water pearls....just to name a few....
oh, and now feathers...(: this just makes the photographer in me happy....

The feather clips are the perfect handcrafted hair accessory for brides, bridesmaids, proms, formals, Quinceañeras and Photographs! (: 
I just love them.
offered exclusively at http://nikolaidesigns.com/store/ . Products. Ciara Creates.
nik

more Rainey...

stink. does it matter how you light her??


no.
nik

meet Rainey.

So, here is a little story...many of you know I use and loooove my small strobes...
I even have small strobe heros, http://www.joemcnally.com/blog/, http://strobist.blogspot.com/, davisworkshops.com
in my limited experience small strobes are mobile, easy to use and
can make some pretty darn beautiful light...
Funny, after that little plug...
I confess, I wanted to do an entire session with all natural light...no strobes, no assistant.
I was gonna lay the strobes down for an entire session, just me, my subject, and beautiful natural light....
yea....well....I don't make a very good martyr.


I immediately CHEATED and had the "assist" bounce light for me...so much for me and nature!!!
I do love the soft quality of the light...but it was not direct...it was controlled with bounce!!


I am afraid I was a complete maniac this entire session, poor Rainey, I moved her all over the place,
chasing good light..I mean sometimes natural light is just bad, even at the "golden hour"...in fact,
sometimes the "hour" is more like 15 minutes....but anyway....
after 45 minutes of muscling through a "natural light" session....
I Buckled!!! hello flash!

the sun just makes such a beautiful secondary light source....don't you think?
I mean call me lazy, but it is soooo much easier to control the sun as secondary light source,
verses a primary....the theme here is control. LOL

I mean look at her shoulders, even with the camera pointed down you see some beautiful natural rim light there...
my conclusion,  I do very much love natural light...
I just love it right where I want it...control.
as a fantastic accent light..control.
and I most certainly don't want to depend on it...control.

I love my natural light adventure, but, knowing how much I love strobes....
me thinks as soon as I pay of my latest lens purchase, yikes!
mama is going to get some big strobes...
sick.
nik

(first two images/bounced "natural" light...second two image/small strobes)

happy november.

the story goes..
there was a very rich business man,
his name was Nabal.
His wife's name was Abigail.
She was sensible and beautiful,
he was harsh and mean.

Nabal offends David, the future king, 
to appease the offense...
Abigail secretly brings gifts to David...
She was riding on her donkey down a hidden mountain path....when she met him and his men.
I don't know why, I've always been intrigued by the story...
1Samuel 25.
nik

work...

well, sort-of...(:
nik

buttoned up.

as in to  "Finish successfully,  I've got this report all buttoned up."

saying, circa 1940.
nik