Group Member Feature: Nicole R.

Nicole captures moments at the Balloon Classic 2013.
(Photo taken by her husband, Kris)

As many moms know, it can be hard to keep with your hobbies when you have a needy infant who needs a lot of your time and attention. There may be constant interruptions that come with having to put down your project to feed your child or give him or her a much-needled cuddle in your arms. Crocheting or knitting with an awake child means that your yarn may get tangled or your work quickly undone with one quick yank. Scrapbooking means your expensive paper may get snatched by grubby little hands or even snacked on. But group member Nicole R. has got it down. Photography is her hobby and for her, taking gorgeous photographs a is very doable while wearing her six month old son, Kyler.

Nicole is a "stay-at-home" mom (except you know, not really, since she does have two school-aged kids), but still takes on photography sessions on occasion for her friends.   

"I am not working currently. Just spending time with my kids and when I have the opportunity I take photos for mostly friends right now as more of a hobby," she says.  "I hope to one day make it [photography] my career as I learn and grow more but right now I am doing it mostly for fun."

She takes her youngest with her on casual photo shoots, as well as the ones she does for favors, if her friends don't mind.  Even on days when her husband is home, "it ends up being easier anyway because I am still breastfeeding and Kyler doesn't (or more so won't) take any bottle I have offered," she says.  "I have brought him to a handful of photo shoots and he has luckily always been so good and calm through the whole shoot."

Nicole has also had the opportunity to photograph family portraits that feature babywearing.

"I love catching parents, siblings, etc interacting with their child while babywearing and seeing that bond that ties them together being so close," she says.  "It goes hand in hand with photographing breastfeeding. There is just something so special to capture that moment, because before you know it your kids are nine and seven and running away from you and you reflect back to when they were tiny and wish to relive that moment again."

Nicole recently shot group member Sarah M.'s
family photos.

Nicole recently participated in a photography event called ClickinWalk.  Although she originally had reservations about taking her youngest, babywearing allowed her to easily take him with her while exploring the city.

"The ClickinWalk was awesome. It was my first one and I am so glad I went," she said.  "I debated on bringing the baby because I wasn't sure how it was going to go but I am glad in the end I chose to bring him. My daughter came along as well and we had a great time walking around Manitou snapping away. It's so nice when you find a group of people that share the same interest as you and are as passionate about it. All the moms were so calm and easy going and there was one other mom [CEO of Clickin Moms, Sarah Wilkerson] who was wearing her daughter...So it was nice seeing another mom wearing her baby too."

To check out more of Nicole's photography, you can go to her Facebook page, NicoleRenee Photography.

**This post was written by Paula R.