Rising Stars: Meet Nicole Morehead

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Morehead.

Hi Nicole, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I have been an admirer of great love stories for as long as I can remember. Afternoons spent with Jane Austin will do that. The true purposeful love, so eloquently described in great literature, inspires me to bring those emotions and energy into a visual story collection.

Wanderlust came in my late teens. My first trip to Europe opened my eyes to the vastness of the beauty and experiences waiting to be discovered. Wedding Photography is the great meld of my passions. The visual representation of a great love story and the opportunity to explore the beauty of a new couple, venue, and city. To see the world through their eyes is a gift for which I am thankful.

During my childhood, my father was, and still is, photographing anytime he could. So, when I received my first camera at 6, it had a mini mouse on it, and I was ecstatic. I loved that thing! Through the years, my equipment has upgraded, and my love of creating has only grown into an admiration for the classical art of using light to evoke emotion and create dynamic images has emerged.

I am a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design. Where I had the opportunity to learn film and digital photography and where I fell head over heels for medium-format film photography. I am almost exclusively digital now, though the dreaminess of the medium format aesthetic is still there, and I still like to incorporate a roll of film into my weddings today. After college, I worked with various facets of photography, from film set photography to fashion, architecture, travel, and weddings.

A few years later, I began traveling and working while photographing weddings. I worked for the national park service as a preservationist, an economic downtown development agency designing a park system, a bartender in Scotland, an underwater videographer in Maui, and first mate on sailboats in the Virgin Islands, to name a few. It was a blast! I am so thankful for all the skills and connections I made.

Through my travels, I met my husband on my first day living on a little island in the Caribbean, and now we have a fantastic child and two pups who love to explore as much as we do. When I am not photographing, I homeschool my son and spend time with my family. We love the outdoors and exploring our world through art, books, and adventures.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
A career in the arts is ever smooth. Several times through the years, I was ready to move on from photography.

Though I love traveling, when you move thousands of miles every 1-1.5 years, you have to restart your business from scratch, and it takes patience and giving yourself understanding to be able to hold on to your dream. After I became a mother, we moved across the country several times. Though I outwardly always presented it as an opportunity to grow my reach, it was even more challenging to begin anew.

Every time I started to let go of the idea of being a full-time destination photographer, I would get a call for a job that would pull me back into the wonder of life as a traveling creative and give me a boost to push forward. Moving back to Nashville after being away for 18 years and having my family and old friends close by gave me the ability to set my mindset to work with such amazing Nashville couples and still service destination weddings. I am grateful for all the fantastic clients I have had since returning.

I found the key is always to know you’re going to make it. No matter how far your dream may be away, envision yourself there, let go of the doubts and take steps to become who you want to be.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a wedding photographer. I am known for capturing the essence of the moment and the couple. Client experience is essential for me.

I want my couples to feel taken care of. I always tell my clients we will get every picture they want and more it will be fun, it will be easy, and it will not distract from their day with their loved ones. Every little thing will be alright.

We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I love to sing, like all Nashvillians. When I was a kid, I wanted nothing more than to be a great musician. Now you can catch my singing act every night for my son when he goes to sleep.

Pricing:

• Tennessee Weddings begin at $2,400
• Destination Weddings begin at $3500
• Weekday local weddings average $1800
• Full Weekend local and Destination Packages begin at $5,000

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.destinationlifephotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adestinationlife/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adestinationlife