Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Thayer.
Nick, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Cameras have always been a part of my life. My grandfather loved collecting and fixing cameras, and my grandmother loved having a camera that worked, so she could be taking photographs of any and everything. What was awesome about their shared love of photography was their difference within it. My grandfather loved taking printable photos, from landscapes to portraits of people. My grandmother, however, loved to just document life. My sisters and I have thousands upon thousands of printed photos of our lives. From family gatherings to random plants around her house, we have the visual documentation of it all. Their love of cameras and photography got passed down to my mom and down to me and my sisters.
Narrative Imagery got started basically because friends started asking me to take their family photos. I cleared out my IRA to buy a nice camera and started taking photos just to see what I could figure out. I started taking random photos along 16th street mall and begging my wife to model for me. Then, I would post my favorites on my Facebook page and pretty quickly started getting messages from friends asking me to take their family photos.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Even after 9 years into Narrative Imagery, every day is some sort of struggle. I struggle to keep a unique style that stands apart from my competition. I struggle with letting fear and anxiety take over any crazy ideas I have for a client. And I still struggle with comparison. I am my own worst critic, and I often compare my work to others and that’s a losing battle. I have gotten better about this over the years, for sure, but it’s still something that comes up. I am not sure anyone who has started their own business or creates anything ever gets to a point of no struggles. It’s just a different struggle for a different day.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I like to focus on High School Senior photos. I always have so much fun on those shoots and then to see the students use their favorites throughout the year on Instagram and Facebook is such a reward. However, I still shoot engagements and weddings and anytime someone asks me to do family photos or anything else, I always say yes. It’s a huge compliment any time someone asks me to document something special for them.
I think my business model sets me apart from my competition. I don’t force my clients into purchasing overpriced prints and I also don’t limit the number of images I deliver to my clients. In the film days, I totally understand why a photographer would put a limit on how many images they deliver. But in today’s world, I really don’t see the point in doing that. If I have 150 useable images from a session, then I will give 150 images.
I guess I don’t really know what I am known for, but I think what I hear on a pretty consistent basis at the end of a shoot is “that was so much fun and way easier than I thought it would be.” I want my sessions to be lighthearted and fun. So, I guess that is what I hope I am known for.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I think that, too often, photographers put a lot of rules and guidelines on how to take a photograph or how to run a photoshoot. For me, it’s much more important to keep re-imagining how I can take a photograph, break all the rules that others try to set and see what comes out of it. I want what I do to be fun and lighthearted, and going into a photo shoot with a set of parameters or rigid expectations doesn’t allow for something new and creative to come out of the moment. When a client hires me to do photos, I prefer the planning of the shoot to be collaborative so I am giving them photographs that truly reflect who they are. Adapting my years of experience to a personalized photo shoot is the most important key to the success of Narrative Imagery.
Pricing:
- Senior Photographs: $300-$600
- Engagement Photographs: $300-$600
- Wedding Photography: $1800-$3000
Contact Info:
- Address: Thornton, Colorado
- Website: www.NarrativeImagery.com
- Email: NarrativeImageryPhotography@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.Instagram.com/NarrativeImagery
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/NarrativeImagery
Image Credit:
Photo of me and my wife; BrynMaRae Photography
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