NEW BLOG SITE!!! update links

I know, I know, I’m being a pain in the rump. And you may be wondering why on earth I am already switching things up, when I just got this one up and running, but I promise there is a logical reason. As you know by now, I just moved into a new studio location and I am in the middle of a whole business upgrade. One of my goals is to completely revamp and upgrade my website and one of the things I decided to do was host my blog on my site instead of with an outside source. Hopefully this will makes everything flow together better and make it more streamline. I appreciate everyone who has been keeping up with my blog and apologize for being confusing. if you guys would be so kind as to update your links to the new blog address( http://tinanichols.com/blog ) it would be super awesome. Thanks for being understanding and I will see you over there.

Help Me Decorate My New Studio!!!!

I am excited to announce that I now have a photography studio in Ellenboro, WV (don’t freak out, it’s only 30 minutes from Parkersburg and highway all the way). After a lot of hard work, we are just about ready to open for business. My last task is to decorate and I thought I would enlist my friends to help me with that job. I need to decide what photographs to get printed to hang and would love it if you would all vote for your favorites and help me make this tough decision. All you have to do is scroll down through the images (I will apologize now for adding so many, I just couldn’t make up my mind) and you can either leave me a comment telling me which ones you like the best or click on an individual images and leave a comment there. As a big thank you for taking the time to vote, everyone who leaves a comment will be entered to win a Free Portrait Sitting!!

Thanks for your help, Tina

Jennifer & Nathan

I recently had the privilege of working with a beautiful couple, Jennifer & Nathan on their wedding day. We started the day with pictures at the Lafayette Hotel in Marietta, OH where everyone was getting ready. After a few shots on the roof of the hotel with an amazing view of the river, we hopped on the trolly and went on a tour of the city. I love these fun groups that are up for anything and are willing to explore the city for fun locations to shoot. During our little adventure we visited a great little alley on one of the brick side streets, and a lovely garden that happened to be in some lady’s backyard (thank you to the trolley driver for finding that spot and to the home owner for not calling the cops on us when we let ourselves through the gate and onto her property) After a quick stop at the local Speedway for some ice and a potty break, we made our way to the Historic Turtle Mound for the ceremony. The couple was showered with streamers from the “confetti cannon” provided by their wedding planner Marcia Stewart as they walked back down the isle after the ceremony. We then headed back to the Lafayette for a night of fun and dancing. I had an amazing time with this couple…wait scratch that…with the entire wedding party. They have such a close nit group of family and friends and you could just tell how much they all loved each other. Everyone was all smiles the whole night and I feel honored that I got to meet them all and be a part of their special day.

Congratulations Jennifer & Nathan!!

Thank you so much for including me in your day and helping me create so many fun (and unique) images.

Trying to learn something new

Recently, I have been on a mission to figure out the internet.   Yeah, I know that is a little vague, but really I had no specific objective.  I just wanted to learn how to do a few things dealing with the internet that would make my website and other web interactions like facebook that I use, a little easier for people to find and keep up with.   So I heard about this awesome thing called SEO.  Or search engine optimization.  What I got from the countless hours of reading was blah blah blah, start a blog, blah blah and you will be easier for google to recognize.   Yep, that’s how much of it I understood.  But I figured what the heck, I have been toying with the idea of a blog anyway and now, here we are.  But upon starting the blog, I realize that there is even more that I need to learn to get it to work the way I want.  Dang it, why can’t things just be simple.  Why can’t I just ramble on endlessly and poof…perfect blog?   Anyway,  I wanted to learn how to make links that people can click on within my text.  Yes, I know that this is simple for most of you, but remember, I hate this stuff so it took me a few days.  Finally I figured out that I can google it  (apparently the site I found has done a good job with their SEO) and hopefully figure it all out.   So when you look back through this post and see a place that you can click…be impressed, be very impressed because I figured out how to do it all by myself.  WOOHOO and YAY ME!

Now to the other point of this blog post (other than updating at least something because I feel like it has been neglected)…I also learned on this journey, that this is about as far as I’m gonna get and I need some help.  So I am currently looking for someone (reputable and good) to help me “trick out” my website.  Haha  I’m so cool.  So, if you guys have any recommendations send them my way.

I am now going to go back to editing photos, which I am actually good at, and  take a break from all this advanced stuff.   Hope you all have a great day!

Chrisy & George – June 12th, 2010

Saturday was the big day for Chrisy & George and the day could not have turned out better.   We started off doing all of the formal pictures beforehand in the beautiful St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Marietta, OH.  Let me tell you something…this church is a photographers dream.  Gorgeous architecture and amazing lighting and I’m not even going to get started on the outside and how amazing it was.  Combine that with a beautiful couple and group that loves to have fun and you end up with a perfect day and some amazing images.  After the ceremony we hopped on the trolly and made a stop at the park on front street where the group indulged me in a few goofy shots and then we headed back the the Shrine Club for their high energy, high fun reception.

I want to thank  Mr. and Mrs. Heiss for letting me be a part of their amazing wedding day.

Congratulations Chrisy & George!!!!

www.tinanichols.com

Now What?

SOOOO….this is my blog.  Yep, that’s as far as I’ve gotten so far.  Spent quite a bit of time setting it all up and getting it just the way I wanted and then….Nothing!  I am stuck trying to figure out how to even approach the whole blog thing.   Do I write just business related posts?  Do I include personal stuff that is significant?  Do I write about things that are important to me, but others may not even care about? Or do I just go full force and write a post every time something comes to mind? (for the record, the last option would result in A LOT of very random daily posting)   I know I am totally over thinking this whole thing, but I can’t help it, that’s who I am.  If I would take a fraction of the time I spend thinking and preparing and just do stuff, I would be an amazingly efficient and productive person.

So I am asking you guys (haha  like there are millions of you out there or something)  How do I approach this?  Should I use it to promote my work only or should I incorporate other stuff as well?   What do you think?  Are people even interested in hearing my random thoughts?  Which I will warn you, they can be pretty off the wall sometimes.

Hello world!

Well Hello There!!  Apparently I have decided to start a blog.  This should be a fun experience for all of us.  Just a little warning though,  I am pretty random and you never know what I will say.  This will be a blog for business purposes, but there will be a bit of my personal life here and there as well.  Hope you enjoy!!