Hi Nichelle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey started about five years ago when I realized I enjoyed making others look and feel beautiful. Originally, I desired to pursue dentistry because I wanted to improve the quality of people’s smiles and self-image. While this path did not pan out, I still had the passion to make others happy. With this passion burning brightly, I decided to drop everything and begin to experience my life from a renewed perspective. This led me to realize I was marching to the beat of someone else’s drum, and helped me to find my own vibrant rhythm. In my search, I discovered my love for photography and I then became… GYPSIE! Gypsie represents the freedom to explore and to be the person I had suppressed for so long. Becoming Gypsie has led me to my true passion for capturing the moments we love to cherish as keepsakes.
I am three years into my journey with Gypsie Images, and I currently am the main freelance photographer for the City of Kyle and The Rock Kyle Ministry. I have the opportunity to capture many milestone moments for these organizations, as well as moments in others personal ventures. Although we are still battling the crisis that is the pandemic, I have been blessed to still be able to safely continue what I love. I am thankful I have been able to enjoy personal and professional growth in a very turbulent time. Above all else, I am where I am today because of the grace and favor of God. Without my relationship with the Lord above, my journey would undoubtedly look very different. I give Him all glory and thanks and I cannot wait to see where He leads me, because my talent is a reflection of His love. I am forever grateful!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting this journey has been full of obstacles. I have always been the type of person that could visualize the end result, but couldn’t quite figure out how to get there. This time proved to be no different! I had to manage and push through my frustrations in times where all I wanted was to give up. I often thought to myself “Do you really want this?” or “Is this something I can really accomplish?”. However I kept pushing on, remembering that there will be times that I may not know the exact when, how, or why but I have faith in the Lord and the vision He has placed in your life. What I struggle the most with in my opinion isn’t the late nights or the daunting task of growing my social media presence, but figuring out how to get people to know the real me and trust me with their precious milestone moments.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I was born in California but I was raised in Texas. I went to high school in Arlington, TX, then moved to Austin, TX after graduation. I haven’t had the easiest journey or transitions in life and was unaware at the time how much God was shaping me and positioning me for His will. I joined my church in 2015 and since then, I’ve never looked back. I was finally in a place where I had peace and could finally stop running. My passion in life is to let others know they are not alone in anything they do and to help those around me in any way I can. I love making others smile, feel at ease, and help them see themselves the way God sees them. Gypsie Images was formed for all these reasons.
I am proud of everything that I have accomplished thus far from having my work published to being the go-to photographer for the City of Kyle, but what I am most proud of is the fact that I am able to share the gift God has given me with so many people. I am a proud portrait and event photographer who is known to capture moments that the naked eye would usually miss. I am also known to bring out that “Wow! These pictures are amazing!” response from my clients. What sets me apart from my fellow photogs is that I am exactly who I say I am. We may offer similar products, but my clients get more than just a photographer with me; they sign up for an experience, one they will always remember.
How do you think about luck?
I believe luck exists, but I believe it doesn’t play much of a part in the more important things in life. I believe wholeheartedly, however, that the power of God does. I have faith in the vision that God has shown me for my life. The bible states in James 2:17 (NKJV) “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” I’ll never be able to achieve success if I’m not willing to put in the work and can only reap the rewards of what I’ve sown and properly attended to. Sometimes I’ll make mistakes and even neglect or miss opportunities, but with the help of wiser counsel and God’s grace, I’ll manage to stay on track and continue moving forward.
Contact Info:
- Email: gypsieimages@gmail.com
- Website: www.gypsieimages.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gypsieimages/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gypsieimages
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/imagesgypsie
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/gypsie-images-austin?osq=gypsie+images
Image Credits
Domi Ellis Photography, Taylored Eyed Photography, Kayleigh Brown Photography, Cholie Chrome Photograpy, Corbin Chambers Photography, Yellowbird Photography (For all Self Images) Gysie Images (additional images)
