Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikki Cee.
Hi Nikki, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I took interest in photography as a young lady. I took photos of any and everything. Family events, school events, vacations, you name it! My parents noticed my interest and bought me a Polaroid instant camera and a 35 mm camera and I went through numerous multi-pack disposable cameras taking photos of absolutely any and everything.
My longest job as a teen was working at CVS. I started as a regular cashier and then somehow learned how to run the photo department and develop film. Somehow this turned into me running the photo department for about 3 years. Believe it or not, I still didn’t think anything of being a photographer. My initial goal was to be a singer or teacher.
Once I graduated college at Frostburg State University (yay Bobcats!) I got a job working at a call center and while working I was approved for a store card with Amazon. I used this credit to purchase my first camera which was a Nikon D3100. The ironic part is NO ONE wanted me to take their pictures. My coworkers and some of my Facebook friends volunteered after a while so I could get practice. In the beginning, I would shoot a lot of birds, traffic, bridges and park scenes because they couldn’t tell me no, lol.
Ultimately, I started to slowly pick up momentum and offered mini sessions to get more practice and more photos to be able to show potential clients. Things started to take off after I had more photos to post and then I started to get more comfortable with newborn photography. Once I did my popular “desk photo” where the baby is at a school desk, the photos began to go viral and get re-shared by a ton of popular blogs. This led to a few live news appearances down the line as well as mainstream news media articles. It’s been quite a blessed ride!
I’ve managed to get where I am today by continuously trying to outdo myself! While I find inspiration from numerous artists and creatives I honestly just always want to push myself, elevate and grow.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
NEVER! It’s a little smoother now and that’s after 8 years of my journey. I have had to deal with so many struggles. They have all been learning experiences for sure.
I once struggled with buying so many props that when numbers were all said and done, I really didn’t make any money. I’ve since learned to repurpose props and sets to cut costs and not purchase something each and every time I have a shoot, lol.
I had also once struggled with standing firm on my pricing out of fear of losing clients. Once I realized that who was for me wouldn’t leave me, I was fine. This was the moment I earned my business voice.
I have had to deal with clients that I couldn’t make happy no matter what I did. I had to learn to release Nikki of that and leave the frustration in the studio when I left. Not everyone will be happy but you won’t be either if you constantly let it affect you. I have and will always give 110% to the client and I will continue to learn from every teachable moment.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I do creative photography. My creative focus is geared towards the newborns and one year olds. I’ve been known for my newborn photography most of all. I specialize in setting up unique designs for newborns which put them on sets like they’re in school, bubble baths, news anchors, swimmers, beach bums, Vice Presidents and more.
I’m always looking for cute set ups for the cake smash sessions as well. There aren’t many photographers, if any, that do what I do with the babies in this area. I try to keep the creativity coming because of this! 🙂
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love the support the most! Everyone is so supportive to me and the NCeePhotography brand! We have had people travel both near and far to support us!
I love the versatility of our actual city though! Everyone is unique in their own art/creative lane and there’s SO much talent here overall.
What I like least about our city would be the senseless violence that occurs (especially when innocent children are involved).
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.nceephotography.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/nceephotography
- Facebook: facebook.com/nceephotography
- Twitter: twitter.com/nceephotography
- Youtube: youtube.com/nceephotography
- Yelp: yelp.com/nceephotography
- Other: tiktok.com/nceephotography
