Meet Nicole Endress | Wedding & Couples Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicole Endress and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I graduated college in 2017 with a bachelors of science in nursing. I worked as a nurse after graduation and didn’t have a lot of hobbies. Photography was always something I wanted to do from early high school. I loved taking photos and freezing moments. My husband and I moved from Central Illinois to Texas in August of 2020 and I was working as nurse in downtown Fort Worth. A few months went by and in November of 2020 I told him I was finally buying a camera after talking about it for a few years. My first camera sparked my overwhelming passion for photography and I realized pretty quick I wanted to make a career out of it. Getting to create art is the best feeling in the world and getting to do it while serving others is incredible. At my core, I love to serve people and now I get to do it in a much more creative and happy way. Nursing will always hold a special place in my heart after working as a nurse for 4.5 years, but I am so happy with making the switch to working as a photographer full time now.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
One thing that I feel sets me a part is my passion for serving others. That passion got me into nursing and has led me down the path of photography. Getting to capture memories for others in such a special season of life brings me so much joy and I am always honored to be a part of it. There is nothing quite like the feeling of being behind the lens throughout an entire wedding day and experiencing the pure joy & bliss between two people in love. Giving my all the each and every person that trusts me with capturing the special moments in their lives is what I love to do.

I wouldn’t say it has been easy getting to where I am today. When I was working full time as a nurse, I had to learn how to manage my photography business which was very stressful. My husband was a huge help and my friend’s were always so supportive of me! Leaving nursing was a huge and scary decision, but I’m so happy with the outcome and it has helped my work-life balance tremendously.

Learning how to run a small business has been challenging in itself! All of the behind the scenes work is intense. I’m still learning what my boundaries are in terms of how much I feel comfortable booking per month because saying no is so hard for me!

I feel every day is a new opportunity to learn something new and to grow. You can never stop learning!

I just want people to know that every time someone books me as their photographer, whether it’s for a wedding, couple’s session, or lifestyle session, I am so genuinely excited to photograph those memories for you and strive to give you the best experience possible! I love what I do and couldn’t do it without the amazing humans that support me by booking me to photograph their moments!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I always like to take friends to my favorite coffee places to hang out and chat. One of my faves is Babylon Coffee in Hurst and it’s super close to home for me. Another favorite is Summer Moon Coffee on South Main St in Fort Worth. One evening would definitely be spent at my favorite place to get sushi which is Blue Sushi in Fort Worth. If it’s hot, we are definitely grabbing smoothies from Mamaka Bowls! I love the Bishop Arts District in Dallas and my favorite donut place is over there, so you know we’re making a stop at The Salty for gourmet donuts!

One of my favorite places to just walk around and enjoy the view is the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens (it’s also where I got engaged) and the Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Gardens. I feel like they are both solid staples to take friends and family who are visiting. For something more adventurous, we would hit up a trail around Grapevine Lake and enjoy those views, sunset is gorgeous over the lake! Another fun activity to add to the itinerary is Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar for drinks and entertainment, I’ve never been to anything quite like it! Another activity to add is Top Golf. I am horrible at it, but it is so much fun!

I am a bit of a homebody, so one evening would definitely be spent eating take out from Sikhay Thai Lao Restaurant in Fort Worth, the best Pad Thai ever!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband, Justin Siekmann, deserves so much credit. He has helped me build my business to where it is at today. He is so supportive of what I’m doing. He’s the one who encouraged me to make the leap to leave nursing to pursue photography full time. He also second shoots weddings with me sometimes! His constant love & support is the only reason I am this successful!

Marissa from Marissa Merrill Photography started as my Mentor back in June of 2021 and she has helped me get to the place that I am today. Her mentorship program was incredible and she is full of so much knowledge and was so supportive of me taking photography full time. She has been a huge impact on my success and now she’s one of my closest friends!

Maya from Maya Crawford Photography also has had an impact on my photography career. I feel like she took a chance on me and showed me the ropes of wedding photography and was the first photographer to have me second shoot for her fairly consistently. I have learned so much just from shooting weddings with her and I am forever thankful for that experience!

And of course I can’t thank my parents and my in-laws enough for their love and support in all that I do!

Website: nicoleendressphotography.com

Instagram: @nicoleendressphotography

Facebook: @nicoleendressphotography