Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikki Bickford.
Hi Nikki, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Hi there! My name is Nikki! I’m a veteran of the US Army turned full-time boudoir photographer! Quick Backstory time! I’ve suffered from body dysmorphia my entire life (an abusive father and ex-husband didn’t help either), but when I was finally able to escape and celebrated myself with a boudoir session I fell in love with myself and the art!!
I made it my goal to help other women with their self-love journey and see their “flaws” as anything BUT that!
Women of any shape, size, race, sexuality, etc. are all welcome in my studio because everyBODY is beautiful. You are badass and it’s time you felt like that!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Most definitely not. The severe abuse growing up and from my ex-husband it made my mental health plummet. It wasn’t until I did my own first boudoir shoot that I finally saw the bad b*tch I was and things started turning around!
I retired from the Army and started going to school for psychology to better understand trauma and abuse and their toll on mental health and started my own photography business. I started photographing everything at first and then switched to solely boudoir and maternity!
It has not been easy. There’s been plenty of times with slow months or when we had our little boy that I wanted to quit. But when I get clients who open up about their lives and get to see women go from nervous to SO confident and start loving themselves makes all those hard days so so worth it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Boudoir and Maternity photographer! I have my own gorgeous private studio here in Clarksville where you get professional hair and makeup done and once you’re all glammed up you come into the studio and get a shoot done that allows you to see yourself from another perspective and feel SO empowered and confident!!
I am most proud that women of all shapes and sizes feel comfortable trusting me with something that really is so vulnerable, but that they come out learning to love themselves again or sometimes for the first time ever.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Hmmm, I don’t think it really did too much for the photography industry, but it did encourage me since some were, unfortunately, losing their jobs to include more payment plan options so this type of shoot could be accessible for all women.
Pricing:
- Sessions start at $350
Contact Info:
- Website: https://purebliss-photography.mypixieset.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/httpspureblissphotography.mypixieset.comexper/?ref=share_group_link
Image Credits
Moments by Svenja
