About {Nichole Poirier}
So, if you clicked your way here, you’d like to get to know me…awesome! I will give you the short version and then instead of giving you paragraphs of info about me, I asked my friends, family and clients to ask me fun things about myself that they thought you’d like to know about!
The short version: My name is Nichole Poirier and my family and I reside in Hampton, New Hampshire. My husband, Tom, and I are owners and operators of Pear Tree and run every aspect of the business. We have 2 beautiful children, ages 6 and 8 and a half (DON’T forget the half) and they are what fuel every decision Tom and I make on a daily basis. I am, what I call a family photographer. I love photographing babies, families, weddings, seniors and even boudoir! Want to know the long version about me? Keep reading!
Q. What was the picture you took that made you decide this was what you wanted to do for a career?
A. I know you’ll all be shocked to know I wasn’t born with a camera in my hand. Not to say I haven’t always loved photography, but up until 2003, I had no idea that I wanted to be a photographer. I took a photograph of my husband holding our 5 week old daughter. I was hooked!
Q. What do you do to connect with a client?
A. Typically I stalk all my clients for a week prior to their session… No?
OK, for real, what I do to connect is be relaxed, be myself and listen to what they want and who they are. I ask questions and then I listen. In short, I become their friends.
Q. What gave you the strength to move to where you would get more business?
A. For anyone who doesn’t know, my family is originally from Maine and about 3 years ago we moved to Hampton, NH. It was very hard to say good bye to all our family and friends, but we go back to Maine almost monthly to visit. I still have many Maine clients and book sessions frequently in Maine.
Q. Many moons ago you were a child care provider for my daughter. Did your love for children play a part in your decision to make a career change?
A. Absolutely! I feel working with children for 8 wonderful years and now being a mother of 2 amazing kids helps me with my photography every day. I can very easily connect with kids (and by connect I mean laugh at me with fully belly laughs) thanks to my love of children and family.
Q.If you were a Crayola Crayon color… which one would you be?
A.Razzmatazz!
Q. Nic, I would like to know, if you could go anywhere in the world for a weeks vacation where would you go and what is the first thing you would do?
A. Oh the choices. I would really love to go to Europe. Like Italy, Ireland, Tuscany, France… That’s not one place is it? And the first thing I would do would be lay on my big hotel bed, make a snow angel motion on the bed and then say… “Ahhhhhhhhhh….”
Q. Granny panties or thong?
A. (Yes, one of my friends asked this. Her name is Amy. She is super funny. And I believe she wears thongs.)
Q. Flip flops or slides?
A. Flip to the flop! ( I mostly prefer to be barefoot though.)
Q. You’ve married such a talented man. Does that help with building your business?
A. For sure! Tom and I have created this business together and help balance each other out. For instance, I’m the loud one, he’s the quiet one. I’m the loud one… Oh wait I covered that. In all seriousness, Tom is far more talented than I. God blessed him with more artist vision and talent than I carry in my pinky…. I just happen to be the loud one.
Q. Where do you see yourself in 10 yrs?
A. On a beach with my family drinking a pretty drink with and umbrella. Then I wake up. For real, working hard every day so that I can put food on the table and love what I do in the process.
Q. What’s your favorite song?
A. This is an impossible question. I have so many favs and it really depends on my mood. Although, as a general rule, a man with a guitar trumps most other music:)
Some all time favs, that have nothing to do with men with guitars, are Salt n’ Pepa’s “Shoop”, and Etta James’ “At Last”. Yes. I’m eclectic.
Q. If you couldn’t be a photographer, what would you have been when you grew up?
A. A mom. It’s my first and favorite job each and every day.
Q. What are your top 3 favorite moments to photograph during a wedding?
A. 1. The moment right after the bride and groom walk down the isle and get that first few seconds together. 2. The dance between the bride and her father.
3.The moments that lead up to the ceremony on the bride’s side. There’s always so much excitement!
Q. What is your favorite dessert?
A. Oh wow. Well, I always get a boston creme pie for my birthday cake every year from Frank’s Bakery. That’s a really good one! But then there are cannoli’s from Mike’s Pastries. And cheeeeeeeeesecake.
Q. How did you end up last man standing on the dodgeball court?
A. Valid question. MAD skill*
*MAD skill is defined here by understanding I was the weakest link and was able to find my skill set in this fine game by handing off balls to the, let’s say, “stronger throwers” all while hiding behind them.
Q. What’s the funniest, hardest, easiest, and your favorite photography moments?
A. In a nutshell, all of my work is all of these things at any given moment. What can be the hardest ends up being my favorite. What is the funniest (kids and Michael Allen) are usually the hardest to capture, but give me the greatest satisfaction when I get “the shot”. I never find anything easy. I struggle in some way with every session with one thing or another. But that’s the beauty of it for me. I grow with every session. The results are worth every bit of it!
