First of all, I’m SO glad you clicked on this link that brought you here!

The reason you found me in the first place might be because we both know someone who has been photographed by me, or someone has invited you to look at my published work. Or maybe, you were searching for the best photographer in McAllen, Texas or the South Texas area for senior photos, family photos, children’s photos, portraits, boudoir or maybe, just maybe, you wanted someone fun and different who could help you make your vision a reality? Either way, you are here and I’m psyched!

So let’s get started! Let’s chat…

One of my phrases that you will find all over my Instagram posts (IG @nicole_gates_photography) is this…

YOU CAN’T GET THIS IN A SELFIE.

Go ahead and search it on IG and check it out… (use this and search the tags—>#youcantgetthisinaselfie©)

That’s right, I’m going to talk about “the selfie.” (for those of you who don’t know, it is taking about 20 images of yourself at any given moment, where you make micro-adjustments in your facial expression, body language etc and then you delete 19 of them and post the best one on social media.) You know you have done it! Ha. I’m guilty of having many selfies with that gorgeous seatbelt across my chest. It is an art form all on its own. Maybe I will blog one day on how to take the best selfie, but THAT is definitely for another day.

So why do we do this? Not EVERYONE does it. People born before late 1990s certainly don’t understand it. Nowadays, six year olds take selfies. Some people have said that it is a sign of narcissism to take your own photo.

So, here is why I disagree. I think it is part of our human nature to want to share happiness. It is part of our nature to want to be remembered. It is part of our nature to want to share our lives with the people we choose to be in our inner circle, and for some, this inner circle is HUGE. hello thousands of followers! It is human nature to want to share our knowledge, our talents, our gifts with our tribe. It is in our nature to want to exist in photographs.

It is OKAY to love yourself. You don’t need permission from anyone.

But let’s face it. People can ALWAYS tell when it’s a selfie and you have to ask yourself, is that really the photo that will matter the most when you are gone one day? Is that how you want to be remembered? That you liked your polka dot blouse while sipping on a mocha latte? Maybe, yes, and I would argue that these photos tell part of your story, but... I ask you this…

Would you like to exist in a photo that simply captures you? A photo that is not about the place you were, and is not about what you were eating, how your makeup looked, how big the fish was that you caught, or what you were wearing (although beautiful clothes are my jam). It is a photo of YOU. Nothing else. Just YOU. Your own uniqueness. Your own special kind of beauty (for the dudes, read that last word as hotness, or coolness)

A photo that when people look at it one day, they will see someone they love(d) looking back at them with those eyes. Those eyes they remember looking back at them. And when they see this portrait of you, they WILL know, you weren’t looking at yourself. They will see that you were happy and that you were beautiful and PRESENT in the moment.

They will see you laughing so hard that it is contagious. They will see YOU. And that photo will matter. A lot.

Having your portrait taken is not something that is a spur-of-the-moment thing and it is important. Who you choose to take that portrait matters.

We live in a super busy busy world that is filled with images made by cellphone cameras; from branding images, to business headshots, to social media posts, some that last forever, and some that disappear after you view them (Snapchat still confounds me but I’m going to think of it as a Buddhist Mandala because nothing lasts forever).

We are mothers, fathers, children, siblings, students, grandparents. We are business owners, community organizers, teachers, neighbors, service providers. We are bloggers, entrepreneurs, and content creators and at the end of the day, we sometimes forget that we need to slow down and do the things that fulfill our soul and make us happy. The “I’m full of joy” kind of happy. Sometimes you need to do something that celebrates you for being you. Something that celebrates your loved ones for who they are.

My photo sessions are just that. YOU. The real YOU. Raw Beauty. No distractions, no crazy unicorns (although I do love creating fun fine art images). This is your “supermodel-for-a-day-but-zero-experience-required” experience. I’ve got you.

We will work together to capture you and your loved ones in a way that you want to be remembered. It is my greatest joy to be part of creating your legacy.

So, stay awhile, look through my website (coming soon), check out the images, the experience, the transformations, my other blogs. Check out my social media on Facebook and Instagram and get to know me. Then, call me or fill out the form on the “BOOK YOUR SESSION” tab, so we can talk about how you would like to be photographed, and who you would like to be photographed with.

See you soon,

XOXO

Nicole