How Hiring a Virtual Assistant Changed My Business: A behind the scenes peek into making big things happen

I remember sitting in a local Tuesdays Together meeting back in 2016 with my warm cup of chai tea.  We were talking about balancing the tasks in your business, and this question came up:

“What is one of the tasks that you hate doing, and that takes all your time away from something that you love doing?”

Immediately, I knew the one task I dreaded most: blog prep.

Resizing images, watermarking them, uploading them to the blog, plugging in the SEO.  For me, it was so monotonous and tedious, and it was the #1 reason I only published a TOTAL of 57 blog posts in 2016.  And even that was a struggle.

Blogging was always pushed further down my to do list, and I wasn’t prioritizing it.  That meant my SEO wasn't optimized, so the chance of me turning up in online searches for local photographers, quite frankly... sucked.

I had recently moved to a new state, so I was new to the area and no one could find me online. I knew I wanted to make a change in my business in 2017, so I decided to outsource a few tasks so that I could focus more of my energy on the parts of running a business that I love. Little did I know that this person would become an essential part of my team and that we’d still be going strong six years later!!!
 

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Hiring a virtual assistant was one of THE VERY BEST DECISIONS I have made for my business. I’ve been working with the same VA since 2017, and it has truly transformed my business and freed up so much time in my week!

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Meet Kristina Dowler of Dot The I’s Outsourcing.  She has been my incredible right-hand woman for the past six years, a behind-the-scenes boss lady who has helped me make big things happen.

Before working with Kristina, I had never outsourced a single task in my business besides web design.  The first time we talked, I remember being so hesitant to trust anyone with the tasks that I had become accustomed to doing on my own for years.  I started off very small with what I asked her to help me with, but I quickly saw how much faster she was at accomplishing some of these tasks than I was, and how talented she was with words and writing copy for me! It wasn’t long before I asked her to handle more and more for me, and felt totally comfortable giving up control of these tasks knowing that she cared about my business’s growth and reputation as much as I did. This freed up hours upon hours of time for me so that I could spend my time growing my business and focusing on the creative things that I love!

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If you’re looking for a virtual assistant you want to find one that is the perfect fit for you.  Where do you begin? 

I put an ISO (in search of) request in the Rising Tide Society group, and I received an incredible response from talented VA's who were taking on new clients.  You can also ask in Facebook groups of local business owners, and you might even know somebody looking for part-time work who you can train and who you feel would be a good fit.

So what should you look for in potential candidates?  Here are some of the must-haves on my list:

• An easy-going personality

• Killer organizational skills

• Familiarity with the software & programs you use

• Clear communication

• A timely response to your emails

• An established method of tracking to-do lists, time on task, and billing information.

• Respect for your privacy, and someone you trust knowing the innermost workings of your business.

Remember how I said that in 2016 I only published 57 blog posts all year?  Well, ever since I hired Kristina I have regularly published 100-120 new blog posts every single year. My SEO is on point and constantly being updated, and I have so much content to share on all of my social media platforms thanks for her awesome blogging skills. We literally have it on auto pilot now with the most amazing system that we’ve refined over the years. Having this organized system in place has allowed me to vary my content, and working with a virtual assistant has ensured that I stay up to date with my end of the blogging tasks so that nothing falls behind for her. 

The end result?  So much more traffic on my website, leading to many more new inquiries and booked clients!

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I wanted to let you in on this little secret today because as we start to move into the slower season, business owners naturally begin to reflect on their year and make plans to streamline and improve their business in the new year. 

If you have tasks that are bogging you down, that are getting pushed to the bottom of your to do list, and that you truly dread doing…. outsource them!  It’s not that expensive, and it frees up so much time for you to focus on other areas.  Truly, what you spend on a VA will come back to you many times over as you’re able to grow your business without wasting time on the tedious tasks. 

Kristina is accepting a few new clients in January 2023, and she’s currently scheduling discovery calls with prospective clients.  I would love for you to have the opportunity to grow your business with someone who is just as passionate about your success as you are! 

Blog prep

Watermarking images, using Blogstomp, uploading images, adding keywords, and scheduling posts. Copyrighting and adding all of the text content for your blog!

PINTEREST MANAGEMENT

Creating graphics to pin, linking back to your blog, scheduling posts, and driving more traffic to your account and to your website.

Creating e-newsletters

Creating the copy and designing the layout for all of your client newsletters!

album design

Beautifully and artfully arrange your client’s favorite images into album layouts that are ready to print.

Workflow creation as needed

And literally countless other tasks. 

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Plus, if you’re not quite ready to hire a virtual assistant just yet and instead you’re looking for some resources on how to get better at blogging and workflows, Kristina has tons of resources and templates available in The Blog Shop that will help your business immediately!

If you have questions about my experience hiring a VA, just ask!  And when you're ready to get in touch with Kristina, you can reach her at kristina.dowler@gmail.com.  Tell her Nicole sent you!

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Meet Kristina,
your lifesaver.

Kristina lives in Virginia with her husband and their little boy, David.  She loves the beach, regularly travels to the Outer Banks, and spends her free time playing the cello in musical productions. She has built an incredible team of copyrighters and assistants who help business owners across the country keep things runnings seamlessly. She enjoys all of those tedious tasks in running a business that you don't have the time or energy for, and she loves helping other creative entrepreneurs grow their businesses by taking a few tasks off their plate so that they can focus on what they love.

A Tour of Our Brand New Portrait Studio in Saratoga Springs

Ahhhhh, I am so excited to share this with all of you! Welcome to my new baby portrait studio in Saratoga Springs!

I have had a home studio since 2015 when we lived in a tiny little apartment in Boston. That was the year I decided to leave my full-time teaching job to focus solely on my business. Back then we turned our living room into a full-time studio and I crammed way too many props into that itty bitty space. I look back at photos of that first studio now and think, “Really?!?! How did we do that?!”

But the space didn’t matter and my clients were happy, which is all that really mattered!

Then we moved to Saratoga Springs in 2016 and I had a larger, separate studio space in our basement. It worked great for what I needed, but it still had its limitations and things that wish I could change in an ideal world. However, moving a fireplace and getting rid of necessary doorways wasn’t in the cards for our starter home, so I made it work the very best I could and it was a wonderful space where I welcomed so many babies and families over those 4 years!

Then in October 2020 we moved into our dream home in Saratoga Springs, and that home has my DREAM STUDIO SPACE!!! When we first toured the house I realized that the huge basement had so many possibilities for a portrait studio in terms of layout, shooting space, and prop storage. There is a lot more wall space, which is perfect for backdrops and displaying samples, plus the drop ceilings are my favorite way to hang props and garlands for a 3D effect in our cake smash setups.

Everything about the space is truly a dream come true.

When we moved in we had to give the entire space a facelift. It had green walls and red vinyl flooring, which we tore out the very first night we bought the house. We spent 1.5 weeks painting and installing new flooring, and setting everything up just so before my holiday sessions in early November. It was crazy how quickly we were able to get it done, and the transformation in such a short period of time was truly mind-blowing!

Now a few months later I have put the finishing touches on most of the studio space. There are a few more changes and additions I will be doing this winter, but when I look at the studio now I still can’t believe it’s mine. All of these years of hard work, all of these years of pinning studio inspiration photos and saving beautiful studio posts on Facebook, and I have pulled it all together and brought it to life in my very own home. I am truly grateful and still in disbelief that it’s mine!

Without further adieu, welcome to the new home of Nicole Starr Photography, my boutique portrait studio in Saratoga Springs, New York!

The studio is filled with wraps, handmade outfits, and tiny headbands and hats for your newborn session. This is the posing bed where we photograph your newborn baby, and when you arrive at the studio you are able to choose your favorite layers, wraps, and headbands for your little one’s portraits.

All of my props are natural textures and colors, and I favor wood, whitewashed wood, natural fibers, and woven baskets for truly classic and clean portraits. Learn more about why I love neutrals for baby portraits here!

I have also amassed quite the studio wardrobe filled with adorable little outfits for babies and toddlers, and stunning dresses for mamas!

And yes, I have more cake stands than most professional bakers! Perfect for our cake smash sessions!

My ultimate goal is to make the studio a welcoming place for every family that walks through the door. That is why we have a comfy couch to relax on. A changing pad to make diaper changes a little easier for you. An allergy-friendly and kid-friendly snack cart. Coffee and tea. A toy corner to entertain toddler siblings during newborn sessions. I want you to be able to sit back, relax, and let me take care of you so you do not have to worry about a thing while you are in the studio. Just enjoy the experience!

This is the “white room,” my main shooting area. We do most family portraits here, as well as baby portraits!

I hope you enjoyed this little peek into our studio, and I hope you’ll visit in person sometime soon! Be sure to reach out to plan your session a few months in advance since the calendar does fill up quickly!

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Save it for later!

Product Feature: A Real Family's Heirloom Album

This family’s heirloom album was ready at the same time my peony bushes were in bloom, so of course we had to do a little photo shoot for the album!

Our Heirloom Albums are one of my favorite products that we can create from your family’s portrait session. We take all of your favorite images and weave them together to tell your family’s story. This 10x10 hardcover book is meant to be enjoyed by you and your kids. The pages are ultra thick and easy for little hands to turn. The portraits are vibrant with a protective coating on top that protects them from fingerprints and UV damage. And the linen covers hold up to dirt and fingerprints!

We have a stack of these albums for our family and Grayson looks through them ALL THE TIME. Seriously. All the time. It’s one of his favorite activities and it holds his attention like very few of his toys do.

Today, enjoy a peek at this gorgeous linen album!

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Save this image or any from the post above for inspiration!

Our studio's COVID health & safety policies.

Updated January 2022.

Yes, I am fully vaccinated and up to date on boosters.

We’ve all adapted to this new reality to keep our families safe, and I want you to know that your family’s health & safety is as much a priority in running my business as my own family’s health & safety is.

Because I work with so many babies with vulnerable immune systems, I’ve always made it a point to sanitize and disinfect the studio and props between clients, and now we’re taking a few extra measures to protect everyone as well. Read on for how we’re keeping families safe during their portrait sessions.

Overall safety precautions during Covid

• In accordance with the current NY mask mandate, I ask that everyone over the age of 2 wear a mask during their session. You may remove the mask when being photographed.

• I will wear a mask the entire time.

• If you have a 2 or 3 year old who has a really difficult time wearing a mask, and having them keep a mask on is going to only cause a mini meltdown, let’s skip the mask for them. We want them in their best mood in front of the camera, so if that means we don’t ask them to wear a mask, that’s okay.

• Fever?  Cough?  Shortness of breath?  No problem at all.  Let’s keep everyone safe and reschedule.  

• If anyone in your household or any immediate caregivers have tested positive for coronavirus in the 14 days prior to your session, please notify me immediately and we will reschedule.

• All pre-consultations will be done through video chat. You have the option of scheduling your ordering appointment either through video chat or in-person at your home, whichever you feel more comfortable with!

What can you expect with our studio sessions during Covid?

Please follow all of the guidelines above.  In addition, we are implementing extra safety measures in the studio to keep everyone healthy and worry-free.

As always:

• Studio will be cleaned & disinfected before every session.

• Fabric and props will be sanitized between sessions.

• No shoes in the studio.

Extra precautions:

• 48 hours between studio sessions.

• Immediate family only.

• No outside props.

• All clients will wash or sanitize hands upon arriving to the studio.

• Hand sanitizer and face masks will be available.

Thank you for your understanding & cooperation as we all work together to keep our families healthy!

Getting in the Picture: My Quarantine Self-Portraits with Grayson

Recently I shared a “Letter to All Moms: Please Get in the Picture!”. I talked about how important it is to make sure we document the fact that WE WERE THERE in our little one’s childhoods. In fact, we are often so “there” in their daily lives that we never have any pictures to prove it!

I get it. I truly do! During Grayson’s first year I had only a handful of photos of me with my baby. There was nothing I ever wanted more in life than to be a mom, and I spent my days documenting everyone else’s motherhood, but I barely had any photos of my own experience with my baby.

So I set out to change that.

I took an online course in self-portraits. I purchased a tripod. I learned how to use the interval timer on my camera, and how to nail the focus when looking through my lens at the empty spot on the floor (or chair, or steps) where I would be. I joined online communities for inspiration & encouragement. I started sharing these photos, talking with other moms, and holding each other accountable for getting in the picture more often so that our babies would have memories to look back on one day, and so that we could look back on this stage of motherhood 20 years from now and remember what it felt like when our littles held our hands, sat on our laps, and curled up close to us.

And I am so glad I did!

During the coronavirus quarantine I created many goals for myself, and one of them was to get in the frame more with my little boy. I wanted to capture our daily lives. At the beginning of quarantine, we spent a lot of time indoors because it was so cold and rainy outside. This giant cardboard box became a reading nook, a hiding place, a soccer goal, a train car. So we got inside for a few photos!

Grayson’s room is the one room in the house that gets the BEST LIGHT all day long. I especially love the way the light streams through the windows in the mornings. We always cuddle up in this chair to read three books before nap and before bed, plus many more books throughout the day. Our little guy loves books! So of course that was something I wanted to document, too! Plus, look at him with his little purple ball! He always finds a ball to hold!

We have spent soooooo much time outside in the yard. He helped me with yardwork in the early spring, trying to “rake” leaves with his tiny snow shovel, and picking up stray sticks to put them in a pile. Then we started gardening, planting flowers, watering flowers, and planting tomatoes & strawberries. I do not have a green thumb, but every year I wish I did! So we’re trying it out, and he’s getting so excited to watch everything grow! Plus, he discovered that he really likes to play in the dirt — even though he hates being messy!

We have baked SO MANY THINGS during quarantine! I’ve always loved to bake, and he has been my little helper in the kitchen since very early on. We made him a learning ladder/stool when he turned one, and he has been standing and helping at the counter ever since! He especially enjoys baking, and he gets so excited and yells “Yayyyy! Baking! My favorite!” whenever it’s time to bake, running into the kitchen and climbing right up on his stool.

I wanted to document our baking adventures, but our little baking corner of the kitchen is so dark and narrow, so I moved everything to the table where we get great light through the patio doors. Grayson helped me scoop and measure. He can name and identify all of the ingredients, and he counts the eggs when passing them to me. Somehow we haven’t broken a single egg yet, but I’m just waiting for the day we have gooey egg dripping down the side of the bowl!

Another realization in this self-portrait process?
Apparently I own A LOT of striped shirts!!!

The official taste tester in the Starr household! He takes his job very seriously!

You don’t need anything fancy to get in the photos more with your own kids. Set your phone up on the counter and press the timer, then run into the frame and love on your kids. Hand your camera off to your partner and ask them to snap a few photos of you doing something you love with your kids.

Just get in the picture. You will treasure these memories forever!

Getting on the other side of the camera | Our Mommy & Me session with Sarah Zollo Portraits

I finally got on the other side of the camera with my sweet baby boy. And you know what? It was amazing, and this very first photo means everything to me.

I have been dreaming of this exact photo for months and months and months, and my heart is so happy to finally have this sweet little cuddle captured in a portrait.

As a mom who also happens to be a photographer, I spend my days capturing all of the little moments and the big love between families. I capture the cuddles, the kisses, and the sweet way their babies wrinkle their noses when they smile. The way they reach up to hold their daddy’s hand, and the way they curl up on their mama’s chest to feel their heartbeat.

But 12 months into being a mama, I barely had any photos of me with my baby boy. We did a beautiful Fresh 48 session when Grayson was born, and a few holiday photos last Christmas. But besides blurry cell phone photos, selfies, and a couple of times that I passed my camera to someone to take a (usually blurry or decapitated) photo with my son, that’s all I have from his first year.

I have taken so many amazing photos of my son with my husband, and I love every single one of them! It is so easy to capture their relationship, and I really love looking back through their photographs and seeing how Grayson has grown and watching that beautiful bond they have.

But any photos with me in them? Almost nonexistent. And this role as Grayson’s mama is my favorite role I have ever had, which is why it is soooooo important to me to capture this in photographs!

I started taking some self portraits this year of our day to day life at home because it was so important to me to capture this stage and have some beautiful portraits to show our son as he grows so that he can see how much we loved him and adored him when he was little.

What was really missing though was a mommy & me session. I truly wanted someone else to capture these moments for us, so I decided to get on the other side of the camera when I hired Sarah Zollo Portraits in Rhode Island for a session with my sweet baby boy.

And you guys!!!! These are my favorite photos ever! I love how Sarah captured his sweet little smile, the way he hugs my cheek, those pearly teeth peeking through on the bottom. She captured his sense of wonder and curiosity about the world, his joy, and how proud he is of himself of his new skills (standing supported and butt scooting across the floor!). She captured this easy love, and how crazy happy he makes me. She captured it all, and I will never stop being grateful for making this session a priority.

So, a few things I learned while being on the other side of the camera…

It was actually really hard to find the perfect outfits for our session! You’d think it’d be easy (I mean, really — all white can’t be that hard, right?), but for some reason nothing was out that seemed just right. In the end I loved this top, and I’m obsessed with the cute blue overalls that bring out his blue eyes. I wanted to keep it very simple without any patterns or bold colors because I wanted to focus on the connection between us and have super classic portraits that I will look at 40 years from now and melt into a puddle of tears when I look at my baby boy. And these are those!

Also, photo shoot day really never goes as planned. Of course Grayson couldn’t fall asleep the night before, and while he normally falls asleep within minutes, he took 1.5 hours to fall asleep. And the morning of his session he almost boycotted his nap, too! But we made it there on time and I had a happy baby once I put his favorite song on (at the moment, it’s “Barbara Ann” by the Beach Boys because of the “bababa-babarbara ann” babbling part!).

When you’re caught up in the moment being a mom, you forget about things like the best angle or what might look funny on camera. You’re just focused on making your baby happy and getting him to laugh. Thankfully I had a photographer AND her assistant there to guide us and keep everything flowing naturally and beautifully. I didn’t have to point to the camera or try and get him to look their way because they were singing, dancing, and waving toys around to keep his attention and to turn those blue eyes towards the camera.

And finally, I understand how excited you guys are for the sneak peek and the gallery reveal! It was the best feeling ever when I saw these photos for the first time and when I saw how someone else sees this mother-son love. I have never seen it like that before, and it’s really amazing to be able to step back and look at this magic from another perspective.

I truly do believe that EVERYONE deserves mommy & baby portraits (or mommy & child, whatever the age!). I will definitely be making it a priority to capture this magic on camera more often with my own baby boy, and I can’t wait to offer more of these types of sessions to mamas, too.

Sarah, a huge thank you for capturing motherhood so beautifully. I love these so much, and I am incredibly grateful.

Photos by www.sarahzollo.com

Behind the Scenes at Rockin' NDSS Studios

UPDATE:  Our Rockin' NDSS Studios project has been featured in an article on The Mighty!  Check it out here.

Last week's photo shoot at the National Down Syndrome Society in NYC was so much fun!  It was a heart-warming, eye-opening, incredibly collaborative experience that left us all with full hearts, happy souls, and tired bodies.  Overall, it was a huge success and I am truly honored to have played a small part in making this dream become a reality!

You can read my full blog post by clicking here to learn more about these extra special photo sessions, what we're going to do with the photos next spring, and see every single one of our lovely & talented models who rock that extra chromosome.

Here I am sharing many of our behind-the-scenes photos from our two days at the NDSS offices.  We turned their staff's offices into dressing rooms, their hallways into makeup studios and hair salons, and their conference room into a photo studio.  A little imagination goes a long way, and this amazing team of organizers, hair stylists, makeup artists, moms, dads, grandparents, cousins, siblings, models, and photographers truly showed what amazing things can happen when we all work together.

Enjoy a peek into our #rockinNDSSstudios adventure!

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Three photographers excited for sessions to begin: me, Sherri Harnisch and Wendy Zook.

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Joey, our Slash model out on the streets of New York City!  He really mastered the hard-core rocker look, tattoos (sleeves) and all!!

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Lady Gaga and Joan Jett in the makeup studio!

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A little bit of windblown fan action on our very own Mariah Carey!

Sibling love!

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Katelynn celebrated her 5th birthday by coming to our photo session as Scary Spice!  What a cutie!

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Kelly Clarkson and her twin sister.  As a twin myself, you know I always have a special place in my heart for twins on camera!

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Wendy really got our little Pat Benatar to rock out.  We had a full-on dance party in the studio to Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" to get this little one in the spirit, and it truly worked!  Her photos are phenomenal!

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Our Usher had all the moves once we put on his favorite song.

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Isn't she the most adorable Tina Turner?  I love the missing front teeth!

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Our Buddy Holly was a little uncertain about the camera at first.  His sisters started a dance party with his guitar, and before we knew it, he was rocking out all by himself.  We couldn't resist a few fun photos of his whole family's jam session first, though!

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Sara's presidential duties at the NDSS also include custom makeup application.  This little guy was an amazing band member for KISS!

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Fist bump with Bob Dylan!

Rock on!

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Mason didn't want to have all the fun by himself, so he pulled his big sister out onto the dance floor at the end of the session.

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More KISS band members and their family's dance party!

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Oh my goodness.  This Elvis impersonator was seriously impressive.  Mickey owns multiple costumes, he performs all around town, and he is REALLY, REALLY GOOD at what he does.  I loved watching him when he was totally "in the zone" as Elvis during his shoot with Wendy.

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Teaching his sister and father how to groove.

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The sweetest sisters!

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Runaway baby!  Johnny Cash and June Carter.

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Grace was our youngest model, only 11 weeks old.  I insisted that we capture a few images with her gorgeous mama, and I am sure she is going to treasure these forever!  (Don't worry -- we'll send you a copy of the photos, Celine!)

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  From the bottom of our hearts.

A huge thank you to every single person that made this event possible, turning it from a dream into a reality.  It was a labor of love, and these two days spent sharing stories, making new friends, and bringing dreams to life were so incredibly worth it.  This was most definitely the most rewarding professional experience of my year, and it's all because of the incredible individuals that came together to make it happen.

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Now that you've had a behind the scenes look at our NYC experience, don't forget to check out our full blog post here on the Nicole Starr Photography page, too!

To see more of this journey, visit blog posts by fellow photographers Wendy Zook Photography and Sherri Harnisch - Picture Taker.

Rock Star Sessions with the National Down Syndrome Society in NYC

UPDATE:  Our Rockin' NDSS Studios project has been featured in an article on The Mighty!  Check it out here.

The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is just that little "extra".  

Oh my goodness!  My heart is so full right now!  I am wrapping up 2015 with what has truly become one of the highlights of my year -- and this has been an amazing year already, so that's saying something!

I've spent the past week going through my photos and reliving the brief but incredibly satisfying two days I spent in New York City doing photo shoots for the National Down Syndrome Society.  It was an amazing experience, and I'm still so overwhelmed with all of the smiles, laughter, and bonding that we fit into the little hallways and makeshift dressing rooms and studios of the NDSS offices.

This photo sums it up for me.  It's a behind the scenes look from my dear friend, Wendy Zook Photography, and I love the emotion captured in this moment.  There was so much laughter and so much connection between everyone involved.  In the end, we truly are more alike than different, and I LOVED getting to know each and every person that was involved in our sessions.  (Right here is when Judy told me, "Of course, sweetheart! Don't worry -- I got this!" when I showed her the Mariah Carey look we were going for in her shoot.  Such a doll!)

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When the National Down Syndrome Society first contacted me about joining them in NYC for an extra special photo shoot, I was speechless and so, so honored.  They had this crazy dream of bringing together a bunch of individuals with Down syndrome, dressing them up as rock stars, and having two days of photo shoots to recreate famous album covers that would be used as posters at their spring gala, their biggest fundraiser of the year.

They wanted me, Wendy Zook Photography of New York, and Sherri Harnisch - Picture Taker of Nebraska to help them bring this dream to life.  For two days, we worked with an incredible team of photographers, organizers, hair stylists, makeup artists, parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, and models who all came together for our amazing Rockin' NDSS Studios photo sessions.

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Our models ranged from 11 weeks new to 50 years old, and came in from all across the state and the country for these once-in-a-lifetime sessions.  They shared their stories, their dreams, their struggles, and their goals.  They taught us about their lives, what they were working hard for, and how much fun they were having in the process.  They studied hard to come prepared with the look, the moves, and the music of their idols.  We watched them make new friends in the group photos, shaking hands and sharing hugs while their families rushed to share their phone numbers to set up a get together.  We had dance parties in the studio, and we definitely rocked out to "Shake It Off" a time or two with our cameras snapping to loosen the models up.

It was SO.MUCH.FUN.

These photos are still a work in progress, and will be turned into posters for the NDSS Gala's fundraising auction next March.  We'll get to see these life-sized rock stars on display at B.B. King's Blues Club in Times Square.  I can only imagine how amazing that nightclub will look filled with all of these smiling rock stars' faces.  :o)  I can't wait to see it in person in March!

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And now, here are the photos you've been waiting for!

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Carter as Justin Bieber

Ben as Buddy Holly

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Caryn as Carole King

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Carson as Janis Joplin

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Auren as Usher

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Emely as Beyonce

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Riley as Marky Mark

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Brennan as Elton John

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Lucas as Kenny Chesney

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Anthony, Race, Sammy & Matthew as The Beatles

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Ryan as Bob Dylan

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Kailani as Tina Turner

Gabriel, Taegon, Luciano & Mason as KISS

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Judy as Mariah Carey

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Kayla as Madonna

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Francesca & Robby as June Carter and Johnny Cash

Grace as Aretha Franklin

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Luke as Billy Joel

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Joey as Slash

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Amber as Ginger Spice

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Katelynn as Scary Spice (This photo was taken on her 5th birthday!)

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Elena as Joan Jett

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Ameliah as Gwen Stefani

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Janissa as Diana Ross

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Evelyn as Pat Benatar

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Christopher as Elvis Costello

This is one of a three-part perspective on the #rockinNDSSstudios experience. To see more of this journey, visit blog posts by Wendy Zook Photography and Sherri Harnisch - Picture Taker.

And, because I couldn't possibly fit all of my photos into one post, be sure to check out some of our behind-the-scenes photos and fun family moments captured that day at the #rockinNDSSstudios by continuing on to this post.

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Love the photos?   View our original photo project for National Down Syndrome Awareness Month with Nicole Starr Photography right here with our local Massachusetts families.

A Personal Post: From Teacher to Photographer

You know what I loved about being a teacher?  The one thing that absolutely fired me up and never got old?  Bulletin boards. I was the first grade teacher that fell in love with bulletin boards long before I ever had my own classroom.  As a child, I loved the stacks of colored construction paper in my third grade teacher’s closet and the way they magically transformed into a beautiful scene on our walls overnight.  At 16 I started working at a preschool center, and it wasn’t long until the owner was paying my sister and I to come in extra and decorate the lobby with seasonal and thematic murals made from cut paper.  In college, our education professors actually graded us on our bulletin board creations, and by then they were these elaborate 3-D projects.

And then I had my own classroom, and I was the teacher that found pure bliss in having a room filled with 24 students, the floor covered in construction paper, and the children running to the hallway eager to place their creations on our bulletin board.  Whenever the week was feeling a little too long, you know what we did?  Art Day.

I was the teacher that found value in teaching my first graders how to cut, glue, trace, follow step-by-step directions, collaborate, and negotiate amongst themselves.  I loved the sense of pride that they developed when they marched into the hallway and pointed out their handiwork to their peers.  I loved the wonder and the exclamations of “WOW!” when they turned the corner and saw their hard work come together in a beautiful creation.  I loved the sense of ownership that was fostered, and the little community that grew from our Art Days.  I loved the way that from those bright squares of construction paper, a fun & whimsical scene was born that really pushed their imaginations while brightening up the bare cinder block walls of our school.

So, yeah.  Bulletin boards.

But what does that have to do with photography?

Well, yesterday I spent the entire day crafting.  The floor of the studio was covered in tiny paper hearts.  I was up and down a ladder, hanging fishing line from the ceiling for my next studio set up.  At one point I had to hang up the phone because of what can only be described as a “tissue paper explosion”.

The past two weeks have been spent hand-painting frames, giving a vintage high chair new life, creating a dreamy Christmas bed, drawing Thing 1 and Thing 2 from Dr. Seuss’s books, and prepping for a cake smash.  I make more trips to AC Moore in one month than I do to the gas station, and my collection of upcoming projects for the winter months just keeps growing.

Pure bliss.

I feel so fortunate to enjoy a job that I can do with such passion, weaving together all of the things that I love:  creating, storytelling, and working with babies & children.

My husband came home from work yesterday and told me about this meeting and that meeting, these customers, this paperwork… And I told him about the floating hearts in our Valentine’s set up, the Dr. Seuss backdrop for the next baby boy’s cake smash, and the styrofoam cake I’ll be making tomorrow (more on that later) for one sweet little boy.

So while I may not be a teacher anymore, I’m happy to see that the one thing I have always loved is still a huge part of my day-to-day life.  After all, when you do what you love, it doesn’t feel like work.

Here’s to many more playful days spent crafting and creating.