We recently connected with Cassandra Nickerson and have shared our conversation below.

Cassandra, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.

My thought process can be a little messy when thinking of new projects that aren’t asked of me through clients. My first step is looking for inspiration. Sometimes it happens naturally and other times through research. My process is never linear. There are times where I have a clear idea but once I start working on it, the idea falls apart and i’m back to square one. Other times I start with no direction in mind and it finds itself along the way through trial and error. Nothing is ever wrong or a mistake, just a learning process. Once I have an idea in mind, I never spend too long thinking about it since I tend to overthink and complicate things. I like to start, see what I created, and adjust based on what I like and don’t like. Once I have a first version, I stop and will revisit it later with a clear head. Sometimes this is days, weeks, or months later. But I always find my way back to better my art. My first version is never my final, but instead a stepping stone to something better.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Cassandra, but i usually go by Cassie. I’m a 24 year old photographer based out of Lansdale, PA. My love of photography started at a young age. On family vacations I would use my mom’s film camera to take photos and always loved seeing them developed. In high school, I started taking photography classes and got a job at a portrait studio, where I worked as a photographer and sales associate for about 4 years. During that time my love for photography grew and I decided I wanted to turn it into a career. I graduated in 2021 from Moore College of Art and Design with my BFA in Photography and Digital Arts with a minor in Graphic Design. I struggled during college to find my passion within the realm of photography. It started as a therapeutic way for me to express myself but I knew the money aspect was in portraiture. After college I worked as a product photographer for about 1.5 years then played around with social media management. Eventually I found my way back to taking portraits and have loved every moment since. I work full time for The Best Philly Photobooth but enjoy working with my clients on the side doing anything from couples and engagement sessions to small families and events. My favorite part of photography has always been being able to express emotion through my work, so I love capturing mostly candid moments during my sessions. As for work that’s more personal to myself, I love taking self portraits and being able to tell a story through them. But these can be emotionally draining at times so I try to limit them as to not burn myself out as I did in the past.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Having a space where I can safely and productively express myself. No matter how many or how few clients I work with, photography will always be an outlet to express myself.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

This may seem pretty obvious but putting myself out there. I’m a pretty quiet person and it can be hard for me to put myself out there because of the fear of rejection. For the first year or so after college I didn’t work with many clients because I didn’t put it out there that I wanted to. Eventually I started doing art shows (landscapes have been a relaxing way to enjoy photography without the pressure of people) and that forced me to be more outgoing and confident in myself. I now work on posting my work more on social media, joining photography pages on facebook for feedback and networking, participating in styled shoots and sharing ideas I want to photograph with the people around me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cassandranickersonphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/c_.nickerson?igsh=MWgybnY2enNuNG85Zg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/aSS3puRriipXrFq7/?mibextid=%22%22

Image Credits
All photos were taken by me!