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Au Revoir, Adios, Toodaloo…

And Good-Bye my little blog. You shared in my growth these past 2 years and helped me document so many wonderful, happy times. You were definitely thoroughly loved, and will hold a special place in my heart. But it’s that time – time to move forward and welcome in the new.

So without further ado… I’m thrilled to announce the lauch of my
Rockin’ NEW WEBSITE & NEW BLOG!
Both designed by the fantastic Jayse!

The old blog will remain archived here, so be sure to update your RSS feed: www.chelseanicoleblog.com. And this blog will no longer  be updated – all future posts will be on the new one.

Almost time…

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Will be revealing something NEW and exciting in just a few days!!! :D

Fun times!

We had a great time hanging out with Shawna and Leonard Monday night to see their friend Carrot Top perform at the Luxor! Carrot Top was hilarious, so if you’re looking for a good show and some serious laughs I highly recommend it! Afterwards we all hung with the band Pantera, as well as caught up with fellow Vegas photographers Rhiannon & Derek (aka: Derek Goat) and his sister Cara (aka: Blondie) at PT’s pub.

You may remember Shawna from her pumpkin trash the dress!! We’ll she’s now 6 months pregnant (going to be a surprise whether it’s a girl or boy) and looking gorgeous! So of course, I had to share a photo that the paparazzi took that day. ;)

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Photo credit: Spy On Vegas.com

Happy 2009!

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I hope everyone is well rested from their holiday celebrations and ready for the AWESOME new year ahead. I know I am!

Though Bella’s still a little sleepy after the late night of barking at the fireworks…

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HAPPY NEW YEARS!!

Update

Hey guys! Been very busy, so there’s lots to blog. If you’re waiting on teasers, I promise that it wont be much longer. ;) I’m dying to show off everyone’s images!

Coming super soon:

  • Mabel and Sherwin’s Slideshow
  • Samantha’s Boneyard shoot
  • Johnnie and Angela’s fantastic wedding
  • Featured in “Best of 2008″ PSD Magazine (I even got the inside cover!)
  • My new branding! The new website is almost done. :D
  • My new camera and kick-butt lens! Gotta show it off of course!!

Merry Christmas!!

Thought I’d share a quick picture of Bella in the snow we had last week. When Jayse and I put her in we thought for sure she would jump right out. But to our surprise she LOVED the snow, and was hoping around having a great time.

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Today was the first Christmas Bella shared with us, and she loved all the excitement of everything… and of course, the presents! Yes, she is one spoiled puppy, but very deserving. :)
I hope everyone had a wonderful day with their family and friends. Merry Christmas!!

Happy Thanksgiving

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Bella caught chewin’ on our thanksgiving decorations

It’s that time of year again to reflect on the countless gifts God has given us. It makes me overwhelmed with happiness… there is just so much to be thankful for.

Just some of the many things I am thankful for:

  • My Jayse… My love, my best friend. I don’t know what I would do without him.
  • Our beautiful home.
  • All my wonderful family.  Especially my mom and little brother Andrew.
    Also, little miss Bella, who adds so much joy to my world.
  • All my awesome friends and the many great times we’ve shared.
  • The health and happiness of myself and all my loved ones.
  •  My flourishing little business… and the joy of having found such a fulfilling career that fits with me perfectly. It’s an amazing thing to be able to say that couldn’t see myself doing anything else.
  • My couples… of course, you guys rock! You’re energy, appreciation and excitement for the images we create together are the total reason that I love doing what I do. Thanks so much for all the referrals and genuine help in getting my name out there. Its made for an insanely successful year and I couldn’t have done it without you. <3

Well, I’m off to mom’s place to help cook up some Thanksgiving goodness. :)

Hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving!!

Bella’s 1st Birthday

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It was Bella’s birthday on the 24th. Here she is above showing off her new dress!

We also went to the doggie bakery to get her some special birthday treats and a new squeaky toy to celebrate. I’m not sure she understood what it was all about, but she was very happy nonetheless. :)

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10 mins later… “What do you mean, all gone…”

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Pictage Partner Conference Rocked!

As always, Pictage threw an awesome event! There was so many great and inspiring speakers this year.

For those weren’t able to make it out, we already have some plans in the works to have Mike Larson come speak at our Vegas PUG! And I also spoke with Justin & Mary Marantz about coming out in February. By the way, these two were INCREDIBLE! I can’t say enough positive things about their class “Creating Loyalty Beyond Reason.”

I had a blast at Pictage’s pool party on Tuesday night! It was great hanging out with everyone and making lots of new friends! My favorite part of these events is being amongst the amazing community of friendly, fun-lovin’ photographers. Some great times getting drinks, catching up, and avoiding the “crazy guy” with Michelle and Annie, Mark Sweeney, Leanne and Brenda, Gene Higa, Gustavo, David Esquire, Mike Steelman, Mike Colón and Sarah France.

Big thanks to my girl Michelle for sending some photos my way for the blog!

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Me and Michelle

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Michelle and Annie, Jayse, Gene Higa and me

Just a quick update – there’s more to come! Also check back for some teasers of Summer’s trash the dress at the Boneyard!

August PUG Meetup + Studio!

Hey Vegas photographers, here’s a short update for the August PUG meetup -

Date-Time: Tuesday August 5 @ 7PM

Local Agenda:

  • Super cool Photoshop tips by internationally known designer Jayse: amp your photoshop skills whether you’re a beginner or advanced with these tips for improving and enhancing your photos! Preview some of his work at: www.jayse.us
  • Our first Pictage member studio spotlight

Pictage Agenda:

  • Canvas Prints
  • Album Contest
  • Wallet prints

If you have any questions feel free to email me: chels(@)chelsea-nicole.com. And if you can make it out, please RSVP on the PUG Page. See everyone soon!

Also, since no blog entry is complete without a photo… Here’s a glimpse of our new in home studio!

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Remeber those funky directions? They were for a motorized backdrop roller system. ;) The rollers hold 3 backdrops! And here it’s sporting our awesome green screen.

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Jumping on the Outsourcing bandwagon!

As you all know, I love Pictage! Having them handle all my print orders and payment processing keeps me from getting bogged down and allows me to put more focus on the creative stuff, as well as all my wonderful clients!

And now, Jayse and I have decided it is time to outsource another HUGE task – housekeeping. The maid service we hired is awesome! They came by for the first time today with a crew of 4 people for a nice DEEP clean. 3 hours and plenty of cleaning solution later… the house was sparkling like never before!

Just check out those sexy carpet lines…
Chelsea Nicole’s awesome place!

Chelsea Nicole’s awesome place!

I am definitely going to get used to this. ;)

Cool Wedding Favors

While browsing I found this really neat wedding favor site: http://www.favorideas.com. They showcase products from several different favor sites, so it’s a great place to get unique ideas that fit your wedding!

LOVED these adorable gumball slot machines for all my Vegas brides. :)

Cool Las Vegas themed wedding favor!

I love FIREWORKS!

Here’s some fireworks from our pre 4th of July party last night. It was quite a show!

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weekend getaway

This past weekend was the 1st Jayse and I took off in a while. Every year we head out to California for the Electronic Daisy Carnival. I wouldn’t miss it for anything! It’s all about spending time with great friends, dancing and of course, the music. :)

This years event was insane with a turnout of over 62,000 people that filled the LA Coliseum & Exposition Park!
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Photo by  Drew Ressler

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The next day, we all drove to one of my favorite places – Santa Monica!
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After spending a lazy day soaking up the sun at the beach, we strolled 3rd street and got some dinner at our favorite pizza place before heading home.

Feels nice to be back and completely refreshed!

Our 1st PUG Meeting!

Thanks to everyone that was able to make it out and helped make our first meet a success! It was a lot of fun meeting fellow photographers and sharing ideas. I can already tell we’re going to have a strong Vegas community!

Our first Las Vegas PUG meetup!

Thanks to my Jayse for taking these photos! Of course, that’s me with the puppy in my lap. We were proud of how well behaved Bella was with all the people over.

Chris, Spencer, and Trish are very contemplative:
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Group photo!!
Above: Josh, Eric, and Chris. Below: Rafael, Ashley, Keny, me, Rachel, and Trish.
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click ‘em to see bigger images

For anyone that doesn’t know, the meets are scheduled for the 1st Tuesday of each month. So I hope to see everyone again next time! Among other things, we’ll be covering how to price yourself in this market and raising prices. Be sure to check our local PUG page for updates and to RSVP!!

Check out more photos from the meet-up on PUG co-leader Ashley’s blog.

To my brides: It’s been a crazy few weeks with wedding season at its peak. But hang tight, I promise some fun “teaser” pics soon!

Introducing the Las Vegas PUG!

I’m very excited to announce that Tuesday June 3rd will be the first ever PUG (Pictage User Group) meet for the Las Vegas area, hosted by myself and good friend Ashley Bartoletti.

You don’t have to be a Pictage member, or even know what Pictage is, to come to the first meet up. It’s always free and all photographers are welcome – whether you photograph weddings, children, or skies. It will be held at my house in Tuscanny Ridge at Mountains Edge starting at 7:00pm. Feel free to email me for directions (chels(at)chelsea-nicole.com). Or for more information or to RSVP visit the PUG page.

Come help us make a strong photographer community out here! We’ll be getting to know each other, discussing networking with vendors, and taking a look at Pictage’s new art books. In addition, there will be free food and drinks (always an added bonus)! ;)

It’ll probably be small – but whether it’s just two people or 15 we’ll be sure to have fun! Hope to see you soon!

Protect your photos…

Please help stop the “Orphaned Works” Legislation from passing.

This is important. It changes the entire US Copyright law, not only effecting photographers and artists, but EVERYONE worldwide in a negative way. If you would like to know more, there’s a very good interview discussing this matter here:

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With big money and power behind it (ie: Bill Gates) this is being pushed through congress really fast, therefore it requires immediate action.

Don’t let your wedding images turn up as ads for divorce, spousal abuse, or to sell honeymoon vacations… or your children and family photos being used without your knowledge or proper compensation. This act opens up the doors to abuse of not only our personal property (or as an artist – our livelihood), but also our right to privacy. There’s even a part in this act that will prevent you from recouping the expense of suing for improper use.

This act is ridiculous. Please, help stop it before it’s too late.

Love my new lens!!

I have been waiting, waiting, waiting… I have called every store around town and from here to Covina, CA (…thought picking up my lens would double as a good excuse to hit up Ikea). But nothing…

The Nikon 24-70 2.8 has been virtually impossible to come by. I have been on waiting lists for almost 2 months, constantly bugging all the major camera stores! But finally, it’s arrived!! And it’s definitely exceeded my expectations making it worth the super long wait. It’s tack sharp through the entire zoom range (all in 2.8), and I must say it makes my camera look quite sexy…

New lens!

Bella’s addiction

I don’t smoke, but there is cigarettes in our backyard from a house warming we threw a while back. We still have to do the landscaping so didn’t think much of it at the time. However, my little puppy has recently discovered them and keeps bringing the cigarettes in the house to chew the ends. We’re trying to break her of the habit, but it’s sometimes hard not to laugh when there’s a little stub sticking out of her mouth…

Bella’s addiction

Hope everyone has a wonderful day…

Hoppy Easter from Chelsea Nicole Photography!!