08/06/2026
As another summer comes to an end, I just wanted to take a minute to say thank you.
To every single family who trusted me with your memories this summer, thank you. I don’t think you’ll ever truly know what you’ve done for me.
This has been my first full summer photographing since losing our son, Branson, last October. To say life looks different now would be an absolute understatement.
Grief is strange. Some days I feel like I can take on the world and other days the simplest things take more out of me than they ever used to. There have been evenings this summer when I genuinely didn’t know if I had the mental or emotional capacity to pull myself together and make it to your session.
But I did.
And almost every single time, I came home thankful that I had.
This little job of mine has given me purpose on days when I’ve desperately needed it. It’s gotten me out of the house. It’s given me something to create. It’s allowed me to laugh with your babies, watch your families love each other, chase beautiful sunsets and document moments that I know all too well are worth remembering.
You may think you simply booked me to take your pictures but so many of you have helped me more than you will ever realize.
I also want to say this because it’s important to me.
If I have ever fallen short this past year, please know it has never been intentional.
If I took longer than normal to answer a message, if a gallery took me a little longer than I wanted, if I had to move something around, or if I simply wasn’t quite the same Nichole you’ve known for years, I hope you know how much your grace has meant to me.
I’m still learning how to carry everything life has handed us while also being a wife, a mama, a business owner, and everything else I’m supposed to be. I’m doing the best I can and the people who have chosen to love me and my business through it have a piece of my heart forever.
Instead of walking away because life got messy, you stayed.
You kept booking me.
You kept recommending me.
You kept trusting me with your memories.
You kept encouraging me.
And you gave me grace.
I will never, ever forget that.
And now, a huge piece of my heart and time is also being poured into something incredibly special to our family. We’ve been working tirelessly behind the scenes to build the Live Like Branson Foundation in honor of our boy and everything he stood for.
It has given me another kind of purpose.
We’re taking the way Branson lived his 11 years loving people hard, including everyone, being kind, making people feel seen and turning it into something that can continue making a difference long after him.
If you haven’t already, I would absolutely love for you to follow the Live Like Branson Foundation page. We’re just getting started, and I truly believe some really special things are ahead. 🧡
As we head into fall, life around here is about to get BUSY. School is starting, football and softball are taking over our calendars, we’re getting closer to finally moving into our new home, we’re building this foundation from the ground up and somewhere in between all of that I’m still trying to soak up as much time as possible with my family.
So my photography schedule may look a little different for a while but I’m not going anywhere. 🤍
I’ll still open regular session availability whenever life gives me a little room and I’ll always announce those openings here. AND I’m so excited to say that fall minis and Christmas minis are absolutely happening this year! I’ll be sharing all of those details soon.
For now, I just wanted to say thank you.
Thank you for allowing me to tell your stories while you’ve quietly helped me keep writing mine.
Thank you for giving this little dream of mine a purpose far beyond taking pretty pictures.
And thank you for showing me grace in a season when I’ve needed it more than ever.
I love you guys more than you know. Truly. 🤍
Xoxo,
Nichole
