As a small business owner, I love seeing other small businesses thrive. Especially when those businesses are owned by women and serve other women. Nicole's goal is for you to feel the best version of yourself.

A few years ago my best friend had told me about getting your colors done. I hadn’t thought a whole lot about it until my friend Holly had hers done by Nicole Allen in Champaign, Il. Once I followed her on IG, I became more intrigued with the idea of getting my colors done.

Nicole started her business after having her own colors done while post partum in an effort to bring herself back to a more confident version of herself. A passion was born and she now serves clients in Champaign, Il.

When asked, she can’t decide which service she loves providing more: color or style analysis.

Happy 10th Anniversary to HGP!

Fourteen years ago I picked up a camera. I was treating myself to getting into grad school with something I had always been interested in, a DSLR. Little did I know it was going to take me down a career path I never expected.

From the time I could remember, I wanted to work with horses.  I lived and breathed them since I was in fourth grade and went to college for them. I really thought I’d be living on a farm working with them in some capacity. Life, as it goes, evolved into a career in property management instead of an equine career. Horses became a memory as I moved into life in central Illinois with Daniel.

In 2013 Daniel and I couldn’t agree on daycare for Gemma once she came along and I ended up staying home with her.

Every once in awhile, I get the momma that simply doesn’t want to make decisions and leaves all the planning to me.  There is no shame in this.  I’ll still verify everything before we get started, but I knew this momma from previous sessions, so I knew she was going to enjoy all the color I planned on bringing to the session. Bring on a newborn in rainbow colors!

Unfortunately for me- I got cocky- it happens to the best of us, right?  This little girls sister that I photographed almost two years to the day literally slept the entire time, I couldn’t wake her up if I tried.  This one?  Not so much haha!

I had to WORK to get this little one into the poses, and even then, I worked very quickly once I got her in the pose because she busted out of each and every one before I got all of my angles and depths.

Boudoir. Whew. I’m in love. Which is weird, because this particular session is of my sister. But is she not on FIRE?! The second I suggested she do a boudoir session she was all for it and made the trip from St. Louis to Decatur for her custom boudoir session.

My approach to sessions is a little unconventional, especially for boudoir. Every session starts with a design meeting- which means regardless of which genre we’re photographing, I’m going to meet with you ahead of time and we’re going to figure out what to wear and what you exactly want out of your session. By the time your session rolls around, you will feel more than prepared.

You very likely already have items you want to wear for your session and I LOVE incorporating special items.

My mom has a portrait she and two older brothers had taken for my grandparents. At this point, it's probably almost 50 years old. My grandparents and one of my uncles are no longer with us, but I imagine how much my grandparents loved that picture. I don't know what we'll do with the physical picture when my mom no longer has it hanging in her home. It's been in the same place for 30 years, and I imagine it hung elsewhere for 20 years before that.

With that said, I tend to really love a trio of siblings. Especially when the baby girl is the baby for her newborn session with two big brothers. My mom is the baby with two older brothers. So whenever that dynamic comes across my studio, I really love photographing them at this age.