I won’t lie, when someone comments “nice pic” on a portrait I’ve posted to social media, my eyes cross a little. I know it shouldn’t bother me, but it does. Just a little. Why? Because years and years ago, when I was just starting on my photography journey, a photographer friend of mine commented on MY use of the word “pics,” and pointed something out to me. He said he knew people used the word because it’s a shortened version of photographs, and is faster to say, with less syllables, but he thought a photograph deserved more respect. And ever since that day, I’ve removed the word from my vocabulary, because he was right. A photograph…and portraits, deserve more respect.

Like just about everyone else, I take a million photos with my cell phone. I’d never drag out my camera to take a photograph of my cats being silly, but as my cell phone is so handy, why not? And sometimes I do have my camera handy when something happens that’s worthy of a photograph, so I take the shot. A fishing trip, and an accidental dunk in the lake, absolutely…let’s document it with a few photographs. It’s an experience and a memory I don’t want to forget, so the photograph goes in a frame or an album. And then there are portraits. Not long into my time behind the camera, I realized that what I really wanted to do was to create. I wanted to plan everything…the wardrobe, the props, the background, the editing…the story that goes along with the photograph. I wanted to create portraits. So, that’s my goal…not every time I pick up my camera, but more often than not. So yes, after all the work I put into some of my portraits, my eyes do go a little cross at the word, “pic.”

Please head over to nicolemillsphoto.com to view Nicole Mills Photography portraits, and then let’s chat and start planning for your portraits!