Hi, I am Natalie Stricklin.
Hi, I'm Natalie! Thanks for visiting my site and checking out one of my greatest passions, photography.
Photography has been a huge factor in my life! I remember my first camera, a pink 35mm. Man did I use that thing forever! All throughout high school, I was the friend that always had a camera on me. At school, after school, parties, everywhere! I have the albums and scrapbooks (or blackmail?) to prove it.
Becoming a professional photographer was not something that was ever on my radar growing up. My aunt is a photographer, and I watched her spend many hours AFTER a whole day of shooting, in front of the computer. This didn't seem appealing to me, so my goal was to be a labor & delivery nurse (and why my heart flutters each time I shoot a birth). After a quick change in my career direction (turns out, I hated school), photography made it's presence known in my life again. I took my two nieces and two nephews out for a group session with my point and shoot. The response I got from my family and friends with those photos struck a nerve in me that I couldn't ignore. After a quick dabble in shooting abstract things and proclaiming I didn't want to shoot people, I bought my first professional camera, a Canon Rebel T2i. It was amazing. I bought a whole bunch of lenses on eBay that I knew nothing about or how to use them. After shooting some family and friends, I thought it would be a good idea to get some real education in photography. I chose to do that with an online, self paced course from The Photography Institute. That course was SO MUCH more difficult than I could have ever imagined. So hard in fact, that I gave up on it and didn't touch any of it for 6 months. I got the itch to try again, and ended up finishing the second half of the course in about two weeks and received my diploma! It all just clicked. This course was magical. It taught me about lenses, how to use my camera correctly, and how to use Photoshop (mildly). From then on, I've shot weddings, births, kids, families, vow renewals, dogs, boudior, seniors, special events, and even food! So now, 2024, marks 14 YEARS that I have been a professional. I've learned so much about myself, this business, and what really makes me happy. Now I shoot mostly families, kids, seniors, the occasional wedding, and my most favorite, BIRTHS! I've shot numerous births and that REALLY makes my heart happy. It's pretty hard to top watching a baby taking its first breath.
I pride myself and my business on not taking myself too seriously. Since 2010, I've ran my business rather simply and treated my sessions the same. Expect me to follow your kids around and capture THEM. If I tell you to snuggle up to your sweets and pretend like I'm not there, don't be surprised. Will I pose? Yes. Will I ask for smiles and looking at me? Sure. But majority of your session will be candid (real) shots. Odds are, I'm thinking of the final product that I deliver to you, hanging on your wall, before I've even taken the picture. I'm humble enough to say that your session will be fun, I will do my best to make it the easiest part of your week, just don't take yourself too seriously!
Aside from photography, lots of other things make me, ME. My family owns a local restaurant that you may of heard of...The Hitching Post. This year we celebrate 72 YEARS in business! I work full time there and learned everything I know from my mom. She learned from her momma too, so I'm a proud 3rd generation bookkeeper! I've worked there for 21 years this year and it has definitely given me the knowledge and confidence I needed to start my own business.
Besides work, I love to travel. Road trip, cruise, plane ride, doesn't matter to me! I'm a proud Boston Terrier mom to my boy Hux. He's the cutest! I love THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS, Amazon, The Sopranos, reading, picking out new fonts, new baby smell, naps, organizing things, new carpet smell, and collecting notebooks that I don't need and will probably never use. I don't stress easily and I'm a bit OCD, so straight lines and patterns are my thing. I love to cook, but never do. I could watch The Princess Diaries, The Parent Trap, Wizard of Oz, and Willy Wonka at any time. Did I mention I love the Dodgers?
In a nutshell, I'm a good time! I'm laid back, fun, and just love to have a good time, even when working.
If you're still reading this, kudos to you! Thanks for taking it all in and learning a bit about me.
Feel free to shoot me an email if you have any questions...NatalieStricklinPhotography@yahoo.com or click the "Contact Me" button below!
