Atlanta Fashion Photographer, Portrait Photographer, Atlanta Georgia

I had the pleasure of working with a very talented musician, Brenda Nicole Moorer, for her new 5 track music CD.

Brenda Nicole Moorer is a singer- songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin,  currently residing in Atlanta.

Growing up, music was impressed  on her even in the womb. She hails as the grand-daughter of the 60′s soul group, The Esquires. Surrounded by music like jazz, soul & folk, she gravitated to the natural sound of instrumentation and voice.

Though, she grew up in this pop world, her soul is much more mellow and seemingly untouched by the auto tune fab culture.  Exposed to diverse cultures early on, first traveling the world at the age of 9 through an exchange program with her school, she claims that her music and the person that she is, has been strongly influenced by her travels outside the US.

With a distinct bell like voice, her music is easily recognizable. Like a teenager, she explored all kinds of music and first fell in love with jazz and Brazilian jazz, saying “if jazz is my soul, then bossa is my heart.” She was influenced by vocalists like Natalie Cole, Billie Holiday, and Bebel Gilberto.

As a teenager, searching for a piece of music that she identified with, she eventually ventured into a sort of folk/alternative stage, where artists like Ani Difranco and Fiona Apple impressed upon her. Only dabbling with piano until then, at the age of 16, she got her first guitar and found it a vehicle to express lyrics more easily. She began writing and recording her own music and was fortunate enough to have several amazing experiences.

Moving to Atlanta, she found herself in the midst of an R&B haven. She had experiences like singing with Dave Hollister, touring with Ludacris, and sharing a stage with Busta Rhymes. At one point, she was signed with Universal Australia as well as being signed with MAPP Records in London for 4 years. She released a few singles that received high praise from DJs. Right before she graduated high school, she discovered a world of deep soul and jazz nestled in small clubs of Atlanta. She began to showcase her original tunes there and soon released a self printed EP.

In 2011, she released her first debut album, Songbird, which has been received very well. Her music is definitely a blend of those strong influences she had growing up mixed with some soul, a little jazz & folk and a dash of pop. It’s unique and honest and a work in progress.  Her next album is planned to be released independently on her Indie label, Yellow Orchid Records, in September 2012. She says her sound is evolving and as she evolves she discovers different notes she hadn’t known before. Being privileged to work with some of Atlanta’s finest musicians and being a member of several bands around town, gives her access to premium facilities to work in, which she is extremely grateful for.

Though her career has spanned over the past 10 years, she feels every year is new and exciting, full of growth with new sounds to experience. Now, adamantly working on becoming a jazz guitarist,  she hopes that bossa becomes a bigger part of the music she produces.

If you would like to learn more about Brenda Nicole Moorer or purchase her music, please go here.

“Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul.”

~author unknown~

I hope you all are outside enjoying the blooming trees, the flowers beginning to bud,  the warm sunshine and the lovely sound of the birds singing. Happy Spring everyone!

Musician Photography

We are wrapping up on one of our favorite projects and couldn’t wait any longer to show it off! Karen Nickel Photography got to be a part of the creative journey in drawing the vision for a local artist, singer/songwriter Mandy Gawley!

What made this project so unique is the fact we got to brand Mandy as an artist, from her color scheme to her logo, all the way to her package design for the debut album. This truly has been such a satisfying project seeing it from start to finish.

Our featured artist, Mandy Gawley, is having her much anticipated album release party at the end of September. Join us in the celebration. Tickets are on sale and going fast, hope to see you there! Visit: mandygawley.com for details.

If you are an artist, give us a call so we can help you create a vision through musician photography, logo design, and album design.

Musician photography and design is all done by Karen Nickel Photography

Atlanta wedding photographers holding a picture

Not long ago, I met photographer Jesh de Rox in Santa Barbara California and he had a philosophy I admired. His philosophy was that creative artists (photographers, poets, painters, musicians, est..) should do and share life together. The more he invested and mingled with these other artists the better he was as an individual and as an artist.

He was always helping out with artwork for singers, he had a houseful of photographers that worked with him, poets gave him words for his website and the circle went round and round.

Atlanta wedding photographers I have met are talented artists all of whom keep their cards close to their chest. This reminds me of kids fighting over a sliver of pie. Jesh’s theory would equate to those crazy kids running amuck giving their pie away…

Is this revolutionary, crazy or brilliant?

I thought it sounded brilliant–but then I thought about my own chosen field of wedding photography and how this theory would apply. Should I just start sharing ideas, shooting locations, or information about my vendors to every Tom, Dick and Harry? Perhaps…but the interaction and investment would be missing.

Is it multiplying or subtracting?

One wild hair and a year later we are investing in our second wedding photography couple. These budding photographers work with us on a regular basis, share ideas and have free reign to my studio, camera equipment, computers, lights, est..

I can’t explain to you how it happened but somehow these couples have given me more than I ever could have given them. They have stretched my ability and I have become a better individual and artist through this process.  The masses are wrong and Jesh de Rox is brilliant.

I’m curious if any other Atlanta wedding photographers or artists of any walk of life have stumbled upon this nugget of wisdom. Drop me a line.. I would love to hear from you.

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. - Mark Twain

Note: Photo Above and Below are sneek peeks to an amazing project I’ve been a part of with another local artist, Mandy Gawley. A wonderful singer/song writer that is starting her exciting new venture. I’m so honored to have been able to collaborate with Mandy to create her musical identity through photography and design.

Bride outside of Atlanta

I had the great pleasure of shooting for a musician. He is coming out with a CD (he is a VERY talented pianist), and asked me if I would take a listen, get some inspiration and roll with it. So, that is exactly what I did. We (as in Matt, Rachel and I) turned on his CD one day in the office and started brainstorming the ideas… Now, if only I could do that for every photo shoot. It was nice to take what I knew of him, what he wanted, and come up with a vision. I told him that I thought of a big overgrown field, an old oak tree, and windy gravel roads.  In a matter of days he had found the perfect spot. Then I told him it would be cool to get an old bicycle. A couple more days, and that was done too! He was amazingly helpful and a blast to work with! Best of Luck, Chad! (and here is the sneak peek!)