Nicole Friedler Photography

I’ve frequently been asked via email “Can you please send more information about how you work?”

Well, I was asked that very same question by the writers at Martha’s Vineyard Weddings magazine.  The answer ended up being a feature in the current issue of the magazine, entitled “What Makes Nicole Friedler Click?”  Cheeky title, evoking a slight shake of the head, but it does explain my philosophy and how I approach a wedding and the way I like to shoot.

I like to think that what I’m doing is truly handing the couple’s wedding day back to them, eventually in a beautiful fully custom album.  There’s nothing better than being able to review your own story again and again.

By the way, my April 2, 2011 wedding was featured in this same issue of the magazine.  It was very fun to share our wonderful day with the readers of the magazine!

Make that shame, shame, shame on me!  I cannot believe that my last blog post was more than three months ago!  I will now state that I have so much to share that I could go on and on in order to have said it here and not apologize in future posts…

Okay, now that’s out of the way, I should say that I fell into the bad habit of posting new events and photos on facebook instead of blogging.  And then I realized that when I post something on the blog it shows up there, too.  Oh well.    Please feel free to become a fan of Nicole Friedler Photography on facebook!

I received a call from Megan Burke-Kidder last week, asking if I would be available to do a family portrait for her daughter and soon-to-be son-in-law as a wedding present to them.  The shoot was arranged, and I went over to Chappaquiddick last evening in somewhat iffy weather: the fog was rolling in to Katama, but when I called Katie to check the situation across Edgartown Harbor, she said it wasn’t too bad, but that even though it was a bit foggy, it looked pretty cool.

Katie met me at the ferry, and we went down the road just a bit to the Kidder household – an amazing spot right on the water.  Katie and Tom will be married in early September, and are combining two families: five amazing kids, all with their own personalities.  And boy, did we have fun!

Katie and Tom, the best of everything for your new life together.  Your wedding, with my friend Jocelyn Filley photographing, is going to be awesome – so sorry I couldn’t be there to record it for you.  I’m only thankful I got to participate in your celebration through this gift from your loving family!!!

Back in November, I had the privilege of photographing India Rose and Sterling Bishop for their engagement. 

I recently ran a Mother’s Day Special, and here are some of the highlights:

Facebook can be quite time-consuming, as many of you know.  It can also be the source of endless hours of laughter.  Take, for example, the link put up by one of my friends, illustrating REALLY BAD FAMILY PORTRAITS!
I don’t know where people find these things, but I can assure you that I will NEVER take a photo like that.

Yup, I succumbed.  I took a silly iPhone photo while at dinner last week at an Asian restaurant.  They had fabulous sushi…and Thai and Chinese food to boot.  And fortune cookies.  This has got to be the funniest fortune I’ve ever seen.  And I wish the iPhone camera had a flash!!

Okay, so now I get it.
I hate getting my picture taken (okay, well I’m trying not to be a hater these days, so I’ll amend that).  I am really uncomfortable getting my photo taken.  It used to be less bad when I was a little kid, hamming it up for the camera, but in adult life, I’ve found it difficult, except on rare occasions, to have a photo taken that represented what I thought of (or perceived) as ME.

Until now.

My good friend, Millie Figueroa and I spent some time working and comparing notes together last week at her studio in Mullica Hills, New Jersey.  She has a sweet little set-up with a showroom/meeting place up front and a great studio set up in the back, complete with all of the studio lighting and backdrops and gadgets that I don’t have, nor that I “do”.  So she asked me if she could take my photo, both for her “practice” and my use (need a new bio pic for the new website, which will be up soon under a new URL:  nicolefriedler.com).  So we spent 45 minutes to an hour of very painful (for me) time having me pose in different poses that felt kind of unnatural and weird.  It’s pressure to be one-on-one with a photographer who’s looking at you through that black thing, attempting to make you feel relaxed enough to try to forget that they’re in your face taking your photo.

Near the end of the shoot, Millie recommended we use the natural light in the front room, and I thought the blue of the couch was really nice and might make my blue eyes look…bluer…so we took some shots there.  And here’s what Millie got:

Laura and Peter (see below) sent me this lovely email this afternoon:

Hi Nicole
 
I just took a look at your link..we are flattered and delighted to hear that we were one of your favourite weddings!  I really enjoyed looking through the pictures again..it’s been a while since I did – I don’t have much time to do things like that now I’m a mum to a one year old!  Can’t believe it’ll be 3 years ago this summer..how time flies..
 
We talk about bringing Lilly out to the Vineyard..I am sure in the next couple of years we will..of course we’ll bring her to meet you, perhaps for a photo session of her own!
 
Really hope all is going well for you
 
Sending you our very best wishes and love
 Laura, Peter and Lilly

I truly believe that such a large part of why I do what I do is because the experience creates the most wonderful relationships.  Just last night I remarked that I cannot believe I actually get to participate and record people’s most joyous moments for them!  I DO have the greatest job in the world.  Really I do.

I admit it.  I update my status almost too often.  When you run into people whom you haven’t seen in ages at a social event (the Island Community Chorus concert at the Whaling Church in Edgartown this past Saturday night) and they say, “I know when you’re breathing!” then you know one of two things: either you’re way too active on facebook, or you’re such an interesting person that people read about you all the time!

In any case, I started a Nicole Friedler Photography page on facebook, so if you’re on there, and you’d like to become a fan, please do!  I update that page more frequently than the blog (just because it’s more accesible), and until the time that I can link the blog to facebook I guess I’ll just spend MORE time updating my status on that time-suck vehicle!

The last thing I updated on the Nicole Friedler Photography page was my favorite wedding album cover to date.
It was the product of a completely serendipitous moment during the Martha’s Vineyard Fishing Derby, which takes place each fall.  I was on Fuller Street Beach taking portraits of Tarah Greenidge and Fred Barnes when a fisherman walked by me and asked me if he could be in a photo.  I told him that there was only one was that was going to happen.

It’s always awesome when people are up for playing along with my silly ideas!  Thanks, Tara, Fred and Steve, for being such good sports!