ABOUT
me
This time 6 years ago I knew nothing about the Wedding Industry. I had a passion for photography, a decent-ish camera and was employed in a job that I hated. Today I am a full time wedding photographer from Sevenoaks, Kent and I am so in love with what I do.
I get my kicks
I get my kicks from capturing the emotions and the connections between people and I really can’t think of a happier, more joyful place to do this than at a wedding. Add into that the amazing relationships that I develop with my clients before their big day and I smile, laugh and cry along with them and genuinely share all their emotions.
I feel SO passionately that it is the best, happiest and most fulfilling job that you can do as a photographer that I have uncovered an urge to help other photographers discover the joy that running my wedding photography business brings me.
On wedding days I indulge my passion for photography, create images I love surrounded by smiling, warm, happy, loved-up people. The rest of my week is spent editing or working on my business from the comfort of my home with a springer spaniel at my feet and drinking as much tea and coffee as I can be bothered to make.
I’m a
mum to my lovely teenage girl
step mum to two teenage boys
walker
feeder
cuddler to our English Springer Spaniel called Nell
and wife to an amazingly supportive husband
I am addicted to all things salted caramel, partial to a glass of Riesling and love to cook – in big portions!
My Perfect
sunday…
My perfect Sunday is a long family walk with far reaching views, home to the smell of the slow cooker and an evening with a good film or boxset, curled up on the sofa with my slippers on.
If that sounds perfect to you but out of reach, then rest assured, my life wasn’t like this just a few years ago.
I actually studied Photography GCSE and went on to study it at Uni back in the days of film and darkrooms. I had a natural eye for it but for reasons unknown, after graduating I joined the Police. I was young, fit, keen and loved the job at first.
When I had my daughter, my priorities changed. My only real goal then was to make it home after every shift and see her which wasn’t always easy to do. Even only working part time hours, the experiences I had began to take its toll on my mental health. I would be filled with dread as I got closer to work and upset as I left it. This decline coincided with me picking up my camera again.
before
Photography felt like my
therapy
A new camera and an online photography diploma later and Nicola Dawson Photography became a ‘thing’ and developed into family and pet portraiture (and anything else people asked me to photograph – sound familiar?)
Then in 2017 I was asked by two work colleagues if I would photograph their wedding. The day came and I just about managed to keep down a small breakfast between the waves of nausea. I arrived, got my cameras ready and headed to the bridal suite to start wedding preparation photos. And that was it. THAT was the moment my love for wedding photography started and everything that followed was about making this my job.
Eighteen months after that first wedding enquiries reached numbers that I couldn’t manage even only on part time hours and I quit the Police – pressing send on the resignation email was equally the scariest, most courageous and most exciting thing I think I have ever done!
Fast forward to now and I am consistently booking my perfect couples and living with a work life balance that I love and am in total control of. I fulfil my creativity in one of the loveliest, happiest industries there is, I’m my own boss, I’m there for my family more all whilst taking photographs that mean my couples can relive the warm, contented feeling of their wedding days all over again.
And if I can do it you can 100% do it too.