This McAllen Portrait Photographer photographs so many amazing women that do so much for our community.

S A R A

Oh my goodness this gorgeous woman shows up to the studio with this amazing red rain jacket and I knew exactly how I wanted to capture her in it.

It has been amazing to get to know Sara. She is one of the hardest working people I know. She is a Nurse Practitioner specializing in Cardiology at the McAllen Heart Clinic.

Not only has she had to deal with all the craziness of Covid and the year 2020, but not a day goes by that she isn’t taking phone calls at all hours and handling very challenging and life threatening issues for her patients. She has a heart of gold (see what I did there?) and is so thoughtful and precise about everything she does that I know she must really be appreciated by all her patients and the medical staff at the clinic.

Sara contacted me after finding my website on Google and she said she really connected with the “why” of having your portrait taken. Her son lives in Norway and she rarely sees him and with restricted travel, even less. She was drawn in by the transformations (the before and after photos) of my clients and realized that most women, including her, are rarely in photographs and she just knew she needed to do this for herself. This amazing 56 year old is an absolute KNOCKOUT and I think she looks like a famous movie star. Now she will join the others on my transformation page and maybe someone will connect with her story, too.

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PORTRAIT of SARA OSTREM

HAIR and MAKEUP by @kjs_hmua

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McAllen, Texas Boudoir Photography, Reinvented, Elegant and a beautiful way to celebrate you.

What does your boudoir dream shoot look like? How would you like to be photographed? I know that I love elegant and tasteful images that I wouldn’t be ashamed to show anyone. I want something that is better than what I can take with a smart phone. I want something that I can frame or put in a beautiful album or give as a gift to my partner.

What’s funny is many women will decide to have a boudoir shoot to give images to their partner, but the person who benefits the most from a session is the woman in the photos. It is amazing what it does for your self confidence and self love and it serves as a great reminder to take care of yourself and honor this vessel that we were given to roam the earth. Whether you choose a boudoir style photo shoot, or a glamour and contemporary photo shoot, or better yet…a combination shoot where you can get your boudoir, your business headshot, your family photo, your glamour photo to show all sides of you, it is entirely up to you and we will chat about it and plan it out.

I recently set up this new corner in my studio to create more beautiful images for my clients, including boudoir images that help you celebrate your feminine side. It is not a session that everyone thinks about when they think of a photo session, and it can kind of be a bit scary to think that someone will photograph you when you are not wearing a lot of clothes. Well, here is the thing with me, I photograph women how they want to be photographed. The level of dress or undress is entirely up to the women I photograph. You can look equally sexy, powerful, confident in an amazing bustier or in a business suit or in a gown or in jeans and a t-shirt. You will see images in my online gallery that are considered boudoir and some of the women are completely dressed and covered. Boudoir can look different for each person. Decide for yourself.

So here is the best part. You and I will sit down and plan out your shoot. We talk about what and why and how. We choose your wardrobe during your wardrobe and shoot consultation that I offer as part of my service. It’s a key step to preparing for your shoot.

On the day of your shoot, I promise you, you will be a lot more comfortable than you think or expected to be. I promise that you will have an amazing time and you will love your images. What are you waiting for? Call me, or fill out the “book my shoot” on this website and let’s get started!

XOXOXO

Nicole

W O W (What this McAllen Photographer says every time she photographs someone)

Have you ever looked at someone and observed them for a while without them knowing? (Not in a creepy way ha) Do you ever notice that some people have this way about them. This complete and total comfort, confidence, peace, beauty that surrounds their entire being. It is not an “in your face” kind of wow. If you could see their aura as a color, you could see it coming from within them and around them and bathing them in this color. And it’s almost as if looking at them makes you feel what they feel.

You know, the kind of person that just makes you say wow and sometimes you don’t even know what it was about them. Well, I get this wow moment often when I photograph women in my studio. The process and experience of a photoshoot helps them discover these things about themselves and they immediately start to feel different. It’s almost as if they arrived on the front doorstep of their soul and open the door to see what’s inside. And then they walk in.

They begin to feel different about themselves because they SEE themselves differently, they have walked and peeked inside and decided to stay. They see themselves through the eyes of another person and acknowledge the unique and beautiful and worthy and lovable and desirable person they are, and THAT, is what you can see when you get that wow factor.

Sometimes that wow moment happens so clearly that it’s like someone flipped a switch. Lynda, you are so WOW!

This is more than just a photoshoot. Browse through my website and click on “BOOK MY SHOOT” to start your journey. You will wow yourself.

XOXOXO

Nicole

Carmen/ McAllen Glamour Photographer of Women/ Nicole Gates Photographer

C A R M E N

Get a load of this beauty and former dancer who was in my studio before the holidays! My favorite thing is to get someone in front of my camera and watch them slowly reveal themselves and let their inner light shine. It’s the kind of light that fills the room and is contagious as it washes all over everyone else. This woman is so incredibly confident and intelligent and super passionate about her work as a healthcare provider. She is the mom of a sassy little girl that she adores. You should see the way Carmen’s eyes light up when she talks about her little one or sees her. She is a funny woman with a sense of humor that finds its way out when she is feeling at ease and she has a smile that is just as contagious as her inner light. A smile comes from deep within and is felt with her whole being. Carmen adores and honors her husband and her whole family and always thinks about them in every way. When we planned her session we made sure to incorporate her family because she values photographs and knows how important it is to exist in photos.

Carmen is a Physician’s Assistant at Valley Medical Arts Clinic in McAllen with her husband Dr. Joel Solis. She often talked about her incredible staff and support she receives from them to help her keep a life work balance. They have had quite the year as they have been fighting the pandemic and running successful clinical trials on vaccines and treatment protocols. She is very knowledgeable about this virus and I consider her an expert. They certainly have no shortage of patients as they are quickly becoming known as the local experts.

I am honored to know her and have gained a new friend! Here’s to wishing she and her family get a vacation very soon!

Get a glimpse behind the curtain of a McAllen Senior High School session!

I just love to be able to show a movie that shares the experience of what a photo session with me is like. This is a behind the scenes video of a recent shoot of a high school senior girl. We started with hair and makeup by my hair and makeup artist and then we just had fun!

Every shoot with me starts with hair and makeup and we include at least 5 wardrobe changes to get a bunch of different looks. Each and every session is customized for you to get you looks that you want! Whether it is branding or headshots, glamour, or casual, we do it all during your Supermodel-for-a-day session.

We had such an amazing day. This girl rocked her session!

Mommy and Me Photo Session/ McAllen Photographer/ Nicole Gates Photography

O N E D A Y...

...little Ali will look at this photo when she is an adult and this photo will be THE most precious thing in her possession. One day, HER children will adore it. And one day, their children will treasure it. Being able to capture parents with their children in this way just fills my heart.

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One time someone asked me if I photograph children and I think I that at the time I said no, because I truly wanted adults to find the reasons to exist in photos. My passion was always to get moms in front of the camera. Too often moms and dads have their children photographed when they are born, when they turn one and destroy a beautiful cake hahaha, graduate kindergarten, graduate high school, get married,...and then the cycle starts all over with them.

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If you were to go back and create a photographic timeline of your children, you could do it, right? BUT, how many of you could create a photographic timeline of yourself? How many of you remember to step in front of the camera because your kids need to remember you as you were? How many of you just take the photos and find a thousand reasons why not to be in them?

So, to answer that question, of course I photograph children! I just don’t want parents to only have their kids photographed because their kids will want to see their parents as they grew up. They will want to see how they looked when they were 2 yrs old, but also what their mommies looked like when they were two years old. Kids are going to want to see the slow change as their parents aged, lived and loved, how they looked when they were younger, and then older. How mom looked as she was just getting those amazing laugh lines that show she has loved and laughed and unabashedly did so. They will love to see as their mom got a bit smaller and a little more silver haired and will recall how her gait changed and her energy changed. They will want to exist in photos for their children because their parents showed them how. They will use these photos to remember important things that may have been tucked away in their subconscious.

So don’t wait. Exist in photos. Create precious memories. Call me. I would love to do this for you, too.

Photographs Matter to this McAllen Texas Photographer

One thing that I have always talked about in my social media posts is the importance of a photograph. You might be thinking, “Well, Nicole Gates is a photographer, so of course she is going to say that right?” Well, think about it.

The one thing that people hold onto longer than any other item is a photograph.

Photographs take us back to our people, our vacations, our successes, our happiness, our experiences; they take us back to a special time in our lives; they take us to places, events, important dates. We remember the birth of our children, the graduation of our seniors, that time when our kids lost their first tooth, when our kids took their first step. Do you remember the look on your kids’ faces when they took that first step? Do you remember it without a photograph? Or do those photographs help you? Do you remember that trip to Europe? The great places you visited? What you looked like standing in front of, or on top of, the Eiffel Tower? Do you remember you grandparents? How they laughed at a good joke? What they looked like when they laughed? How they “stole” your nose when you were a little kid? Do you remember that your grandfather who died when you were only 3 gave you a big red ball for Christmas? Do you remember what you looked like before your grandfather died? What your dad looked like? What it was like to go for a walk in the forest in Denmark with your dad and grandfather? Do you remember how grandma’s apron looked when she was baking you those great cookies in her kitchen? Do you remember her kitchen? Do you remember the look in their eyes when they connected with yours?

Do you remember your classmates from elementary school? Your first pet? The way your dog looked when he was on his last day on Earth? Do you remember what you looked like when you were 20? or 30? Or when you turned 50? Would you remember any of these things if you didn’t have a photograph?

Photographs are important. They mean everything to me. You see, I’m a visual learner. A visual memory bank kind of person. If I don’t have a photograph of something or someone, my memories are a little blurry and they get more blurry as I age. I remember people’s faces before I remember their names. I remember times, places, events, people and little details that matter because of photographs. They matter a lot.

One day, people will go looking for photos of you. One day, you will go looking for photos of yourself. One day, you will go looking for photographs to help you remember.

So now what? We have all been ordered to stay at home during this Covid-19 quarantine. What matters to us the most? Our people. Our places. Our families. The greatest thing about this isolation is the fact that we have all been given the chance to reconnect with our loved ones in a different way. We have been given the chance to reconnect with ourselves again in a new way. I have seen a lot of social media posts asking people what is the first thing they will do when the quarantine is over.

The first thing I am going to do is hug my parents. I have spoken to them from the edge of the driveway and I miss them so much. I miss having them over to my house. I miss sharing a cup of hot tea with them in the afternoon. I miss a good hug from my mom.

The other thing that I look forward to do is to meet with all my clients in person. I am a hugger and I love to have people in my McAllen photography studio on Main Street. I love spending time with people to talk about their photographs and how they would like to be photographed AND their why. I love photographing people. I love to watch people transform before my very eyes as they start to come into this peaceful acceptance of who they are at that very moment. I love it.

I have many clients who had photo sessions scheduled for the months of March, April, and May. Clients who realize the importance of existing in a photograph. Clients who look forward to creating images that their families will go looking for one day. Although we are all on hold, these clients know the value of what they are doing. They know the value of a photograph and are excited about their upcoming sessions. As soon as this quarantine is over, we will be super super busy and that is awesome!

The recent turn of events has taught us that life can change in an instant. From one day to the next. What if…

What if this quarantine lasted much longer? What if the senior McAllen boy did not have his photoshoot with me just the week prior to us being quarantined? What if the recently engaged couple did not have their photoshoot with me the week prior? What if?

Photographs matter. Don’t wait to be photographed. You just never know what tomorrow will bring. Don’t wait until tomorrow to do something that you can do today. To do something that you may not have the chance to do ever again, or for a long time.

I look forward to seeing you all come into my studio to celebrate yourselves and create beautiful portraits with your loved ones. Because, these portraits will matter more than you know.

Nicole Gates Photography LLC is located at 1205 North Main Street in the Fine Arts District of McAllen, Texas. Nicole can be reached through social media on Facebook or Instagram, Email at ng@nicolegatesphotography.com, or at 956-587-9407. Call and schedule your consultation and photo session with me today. Gift cards (to use towards the purchase of prints) and Sessions are available for purchase and will be available for curbside pick up or curbside home delivery (distance permitting). They would make an incredible gift for all the people in your life who matter and all the people you want to remember in beautiful photographs. It would make an incredible gift for yourself too.

XOXOXO~ Nicole

McAllen portrait photographer Nicole Gates highlighted in Valley Business Report

I was so honored to be interviewed by Chris Ardis for the March 2020 edition of the Valley Business Report. You can read the article here: https://valleybusinessreport.com/industry/professional-services/at-50-life-is-just-beginning-for-nicole-gates/.

I often talk about women entrepreneurs and this fabulous age of ours. I remember the days when I thought my parents were so old when they were in their 40’s. For me, life is just beginning as I am realizing a long time dream of opening up my photography portrait studio in McAllen, Texas. The Rio Grande Valley is home to me and I am so blessed to be able to launch my business here. I look forward to celebrating more women through my photography; especially women over 40! It is when we reach this age that we are finally connecting with our true selves. We have life experience under our belt and wisdom that can only be acquired with time.

Thanks again Chris and Valley Business Report for this honor and feature article!

Nicole Gates Photography specializes in glamour photography, senior photography, fine art children photography, family photography, headshots and branding. Nicole Gates’ style is described as contemporary magazine style portraits where everyone is treated to a supermodel for a day experience. Nicole Gates Photography is located on Main Street in the beautiful Old Towne Arts District of McAllen, Texas.

McAllen Photographer Nicole Gates Recognized in an International Image Awards competition in September 2019.

Nicole Gates was recently recognized and awarded the title of an Accredited Portrait Masters Associate Photographer and has earned several distinctions for her work in the Portrait Masters Image Awards Competition. In September 2019, one of Nicole’s images was recognized at the Annual The Portrait Masters Conference in Phoenix, Arizona as earning a Top 20 Award in the Teen and Senior Portrait Category.

The Portrait Masters International Awards and Accreditation Program is a recognition of “high professional standard,” and submitted images are judged by a panel of five internationally renowned Photographers and given an average score. Nicole has been awarded a Silver Merit on a total of three of her photographs (one in 2017, two in 2019); one Silver merit photo was awarded Top 20 (15th place) out of a total of 971 images submitted in August 2019. There were 6851 images submitted in this past Awards Competition in August 2019, wherein six images were awarded Gold merits and only 319 were awarded Silver merits, two of which were Nicole Gates’ images.

As an Accredited Portrait Masters Associate Photographer, her clients can be assured that they are working with true professionals in the industry. Nicole Gates is the only Portrait Masters Associate Photographer south of Houston, Texas and is listed in the Portrait Masters World Directory putting McAllen, Texas on the map. (https://theportraitmasters.com/directory/)

Nicole is currently working on her Masters Level.

See her Silver Merit Images below.

McAllen Teen and Senior Photographer - Silver Merit- Top 20 - 2019

Top 20 Award (Placed 15th out of 971 submissions) in the Teen and Senior Category.

“Little Boy King”

McAllen Children Fine Art Photographer -Silver Merit 2019

McAllen Teen Fine Arts Photographer - Silver Merit 2017