Today we’d like to introduce you to Angelina Norris.
Angelina, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I moved from Pennsylvania to Texas about six years ago. When I got here, I thought I had it all figured out. Since I had worked in the medical field in Pittsburgh, I was sure that pursuing my Nursing degree was the next step. I was doing the workload, planning my wedding and working part-time at an Italian restaurant, Piccolo Mondo, in Arlington. Life was good. I was busy making new friends and flipping our first house, but it just felt like I was doing the same thing every day. Get up, go to school, go to work, do my homework, chat up my soon-to-be Hubs about the new house and head to bed. Rest. Repeat. I could feel it in my bones that there was another calling out there waiting for me to connect the dots. It wasn’t;t until right before our wedding that I finally felt like I had figured out what that “calling” was.
As a gift for my bridesmaids, I went through all my old keepsake boxes filled with piles of photos and high school memorabilia, had my bestie make an insane amount of copies and then I made each girl a special book filled with memories. On the day of my wedding, I passed them out and knew immediately that I had to give this creativepreneur life a chance. Their faces said it all. Without knowing it, I had been documenting all these moments, both big and small, for years and their reaction to the books was the affirmation I needed to start this creative journey. It was the blessing and support of my family and friends that I chose to give photography a shot, and with that, I quit the Nursing Program and dove headfirst into building the foundation for The Rustie Nail Creative Studio.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
The Rustie Nail is a Creative Studio rooted in Portrait Photography and Travel Journalism. My business focuses on family portraiture, and I offer my services in both the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania. Though I currently reside in Fort Worth, Texas, I frequently travel back to southwestern Pennsylvania. I have had the incredible opportunity to hone my craft in both the northern and southern landscapes, as well as study light in a variety of environments. I feel that this unique arrangement has provided the foundation of my love for natural light photography. I get to photograph bluebonnets in the Texas spring, and the autumn leaves in the valleys of Appalachia. Both Texas and Pennsylvania have provided an immense amount of backdrops for my clients’ sessions, and I appreciate the opportunity to generate a distinctive style for each booking.
As far as the Travel Journalism side of this business goes, I simply love being able to share a bit of my wanderlust soul with my followers. If you follow my Blog, you’ll find over a dozen Travel Guides full of behind the scenes trip photos that I have taken on each adventure, To-Do lists, accommodation recommendations, and detailed itineraries to help with trip planning. I try to keep it real, informative, even a little historical but mainly, relatable because anyone who is planning a trip knows that it can be stressful. So, if I can help elevate some of that stress with a simple blog about where to eat or how to make the most of a short trip, you bet I am going to try. Plus, I really love being able to share some of the photos of the incredible places that I have had the pleasure to visit. The Travel Guides for Iceland, Scotland, Yellowstone National, and Saguaro National are a few of my favorites!
Artists face many challenges, but what do you feel is the most pressing among them?
Honestly, competition. Photography has become so oversaturated with artists trying to make a name for themselves, and in the world of social media, I feel that wanting to stand out to clients can feel extremely overwhelming. Finding your ideal client and honing in on your niche is hard work as it is but weighing your craft against a million other photographers in the same area code can seem even more daunting. I was lucky to find the Rising Tide Society in the early days of The Rustie Nail. The Rising Tide is a movement compiled of creatives who aim to lift up their “competition” by creating a sense of community. It is because of this movement that I chose to reach out to talented photographers for advice and spotlight their business and influence on my blog. This notion was the boost my confidence needed when I first started out, and I now love being able to use that mantra and help out a fellow budding creative.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
You can find my work on my website www.therustienail.com. You can follow me on Instagram (@therustienail) or you can like my Facebook Page (The Rustie Nail). If you would like to support The Rustie Nail, please leave us a review on our Facebook Page or purchase a Gift Certificate for you or a friend for a future session. If you would like to book a session with me, shoot me (Angelina) an email at therustienailhead@gmail.com.
Contact Info:
- Address: Fort Worth, TX
- Website: www.therustienail.com
- Phone: 724-216-8185
- Email: therustienailhead@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therustienail/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therustienail/
Image Credit:
All images belong to The Rustie Nail Creative Studio.
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