About Nicole

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“There is awesome and then there is Nicole Chan awesome!”

–Ying and Patrick

I’m the Boston wedding photographer for people that say that they are awkward in front a camera

• I can eat a ridiculous amount of dark chocolate
• I speak quickly (so keep up)!
• I am more excited about your wedding cake than you are

 

 

  My previous life: A painter. A management consultant. 

My academic background is in finance and computer science. My art background is in Chinese watercolor painting.

My photography “start” was with Playboy. I had a dream of being a fashion photographer.  After 7 years of building that portfolio (and dozens of trips to the Mansion), I finally realized that I thrived on moment and relationship-based images, the ones that really made you feel something.

Yes, there’s a lot more to this story and I’m happy to share in person. So why weddings, you ask? I believe in the power of commitment, am overwhelmed by small meaningful moments… and I really like cake. Yeah, I’m really just here for the cake.

 

I live to travel

I believe in kickass life experiences.  My fondest memories include diving the SS Thistlegorm shipwreck in the Red Sea, eating deep fried bamboo worms with a Northern Thailand Hilltribe family and getting high off oxygen canisters while climbing Macchu Picchu.  Last year, we set off to conquer Kilimanjaro, lived with a hunter/gatherer tribe in Tanzania, and spent a month road tripping through Australia and New Zealand. I’ve photographed weddings on four continents and cannot want to photograph more.

I have the laziest dog alive

For most of the day, she’s sleeping under my desk or using my foot as a pillow. For a husky, she’s a runt at 35 lbs but is super-strong and blazing fast!

Fun fact #1: Sledder and I competed in an urban mushing competition where she pulled me on my mountain bike
Fun fact #2: I didn’t really learn how to ride a bike until age 23
Fun fact #3: We have aviation headphones for her when she flies with us

My brother inspires me

The people who have helped him and my family inspire me. My mother, with all her strength, inspires me. Alex is on the Autism Spectrum. I’ve tried to express how appreciative I am, but sometimes, a “thank you” just isn’t enough. Nicole Chan Photography LLC donates a portion to help individuals with Autism. To all my past couples and future couples, I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for not only allowing me to photograph the first day of your life together, but also enabling me to help families like mine.

Alex can assemble puzzles better and faster than anyone I know. He takes incredibly complex ones (1000+ pieces from MULTIPLE puzzles), flips them upside down onto their cardboard side, and piece them together in a matter of minutes. He’s also got a funny thing where he likes to line things up (hence the magazines and other rectangular items) on his bedroom floor. Alex, you’ve played such a big part how I see the world.

“To do more for the world, than the world does for you. That is success” -Henry Ford

I am a volunteer photographer with Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, an organization that specializes in remembrance photography to parents suffering the loss of a baby with a free gift of professional portraiture.

On a monthly basis, my team contributes to Kiva, a non-profit organization that allows individuals and teams to lend money via the Internet to low-income / underserved entrepreneurs and students in over 70 countries.

I believe in supporting our local community – MARE (Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange) and Women’s Lunch Place (Women-only day shelter in Boston), and several others.  View my most recent project with the WLPr. I went and photographed “empowerment portraits” of the women at the shelter.