How I began Photography
The Grand Champion Dollar Store Photo
In the last week of August, 2022 I sat on the ground, against the rail of an arena at a local county fair and took pictures of friends and fellow competitors with only my phone. I found such joy in the challenge of timing and flattering angles. After editing the pictures on my phone and sharing them with everyone that attended, I loved this particular photo. I printed it, along with a few other pictures, put them in dollar store 4" x 6" frames, and entered them into the next weekend's neighboring county fair. There were many large and beautiful entries, I thought 'my tiny pictures taken with a phone, hopefully I get a yellow ribbon at best.'
When I saw an enormous purple ribbon attached to this photo, I thought 'it must have fell off a near by picture on accident.' After my brain unfroze, it hit me: I got Grand Champion in the Black and White category. This one day, this one fair, this one ribbon, this one tiny, dollar store photo gave me the inspiration and confidence to pick up a 15 year old camera passed down by a loved one, and begin this journey of capturing moments.
Hi, I am Nicole Bichanich
Growing up on Lake Superior was a special experience that taught me to appreciate the beauty of everything around us. While participating in many art-based competitions throughout my life, I honed my skills for the arts. By gaining knowledge and experience through digital and physical art, playing with colors, textures, and angles, I have a unique eye for photography.
My goals as a photographer are to encapsulate the views on life I have collected throughout the years, into my photography. To mirror the feelings and emotions of the subject through my photos. To show the photo's subject what the rest of the world, and myself, sees in them. To uplift and empower people I see everyday. Finally, to have the ability to be able for people to have pictures they may look back on tomorrow, or next year, or ten years from now, and experience once again the emotion they or their loved one felt that day.
