Meet Nikolette Vykopalova!

You can find out who I am and what this blog will be about right now. 

Welcome to my blog!

I have good news for you. If you are interested in information from the photography world as a photographer or information from potential clients, you have come to the right place. After a long time, I decided that I would like to spice up my website. I have enjoyed writing articles since I was in college, so why not take it further and maybe inspire someone or give them some advice. Writing articles was a joy, so I believe it's still in me.

The topic for the first article was clear. Before we delve into the ins and outs of the photo world we need to get acquainted. Those who know me may learn something new, for others I will try to introduce my work and me as a person. 

I'm a full time photographer who tries to follow my heart when shooting. My goal is to capture those beautiful emotions you are experiencing so that they can be preserved in the form of photographs. Every photo shoot has a specific place with me and I approach everyone individually. I came to photography by accident, as maybe many of my photo colleagues. I never associated my future with photography (see where I am now :D).

And if you're wondering when it broke inside me and I started thinking about my future as a photographer, it was when I started college. My current partner and new classmates motivated me to start taking more photos. I started with TFP photography (time for print / time for photos). My models were my classmates, friends and my partner. I tried to take advantage of every free moment to take photos, either between lectures or after school. I also searched for models for photo shoots through Facebook pages to get my photos out to new people. Gradually I expanded my portfolio and with that came the occasional interest in paid shoots. But again, let's be honest, at that time I had no idea how much to charge for a photo shoot and it was really minimal amounts. I have a degree in mass media and marketing communications, which I try to use on my social media. As a photographer, I also turn my attention to marketing, content creation, content planning, video shooting, communications and much more.  

Summer changed my photo plans. We got the idea to go do animators and since my photography was not my main income we jumped at the opportunity. What I didn't realize at the time was that the community and clients I had wouldn't be waiting for me. It happened exactly what you would think. I was starting over. I started with TFP shoots again to expand my portfolio. I was looking for models on Instagram, trying to do contests, giving discounts to get people to notice me and I thought that would help me get clients again. I don't regret that detour as an entertainer, but in hindsight I would have planned the whole thing differently. When I got back on my feet again Covid came in and you won't believe it, but it was a very similar scene. I didn't start completely from scratch though, but the calendar was far from full.

After these experiences, I decided to invest all my time after school only in photography. Was it a risk? Probably yes, but I had a wedding shoot going on. That meant that even two days before the wedding, I was still shooting wedding and another one the weekend after state. I ran a wedding marathon after school and it was just what I needed. You could say I didn't stop until the end of December and because of that, I didn't even realize school was over. I am currently on the path I envisioned and heading towards my goal.

Not every decision was the right one in conjunction with my photography career, but those decisions have pushed me forward and got me to where I am now. At the moment I give priority to wedding photography, but in my portfolio you can find different kinds of photo shoots. I like to take on challenges, so if you haven't found the type of shoot you're interested in in my portfolio, drop me a line and we'll figure it out together and make it happen.

I look forward to seeing you!