I am Nicole Joelle, or Nikki as most call me. I was born and raised in Fort Collins, Colorado. I never thought for a minute that I would end up back in "the Fort". I headed out to the Midwest for a bit, then Denver, then Windsor before landing in Fort Collins again. For several years I called Downtown Denver home. What an incredible experience. During that time I attended and graduated from Art Institute of Colorado. Photographers almost always say that they always wanted to be a photographer. I can honestly say that I knew it from the time I was old enough to just look at pictures. I wanted to eat, drink and live photography from pre-school on. I remember receiving my first camera in Kindergarten - a slim 110 camera in pink. Oh boy I loved that thing. My Mom and My Dad bought me a new camera every year from then on. During the first week of 7th grade I found out how unbelievably cool it was to process film AND develop prints in the darkroom. I had the coolest teacher, MR. K., I'll never forget him, and he said that what we could do in the darkroom with our knowledge and those chemicals we would never forget. I have to tell you that I will never forget the feeling I had when that image started to materialize on the photographic paper as it sloshed around in the developer. So armed with pure glee I went home to tell My Mom and My Dad with all of the fire and passion and big talking-with-my-hands excitement I soon after had a darkroom of my very own in my house. In ninth grade I received my first official studio camera - an RB67 - and a Novatron lighting set-up that I would call my first studio set-up. To Be Continued...