In this episode of Photo Fuel, I’m kicking off a short series all about pivoting, evolving, and exploring new creative seasons as a photographer. Specifically, we’re going to hear from someone who recently made the shift from family to brand photography – what it took, how it’s going, and everything in between.

It’s so easy to stay siloed inside family photography—hearing the same strategies, the same voices, and the same recycled advice. But there is so much to learn from creatives who step outside the familiar and build something different – whether you apply that to your own pivot or just your own growth in what you’re already offering.

Nichole Hodgson is the perfect person to start off this conversation.

Nicole is a former marriage and family therapist turned lifestyle brand photographer based in Northern California. She began her career photographing families, but over time, she noticed something interesting: many of the women she photographed were also building businesses of their own.

Those sessions sparked a new sense of alignment that she couldn’t ignore, eventually nudging her toward an entirely new direction—brand photography.

What followed was a thoughtful, intentional pivot from family to brand photography that required clarity, courage, and a willingness to rebuild. In this conversation, Nicole shares the full arc of that shift—what stirred first, what steps she took, and how she’s navigating her first year inside a new niche.

It’s warm, candid, and deeply relatable for any photographer who has ever wondered about stepping into something new, expanding offers, or just what it takes to build shift your business into a niche.

In this Episode:

Recognizing When a Pivot Is Calling You

Nicole shares the quiet signs that she was craving a new direction and how she honored that intuition even before she had a plan.

The First Steps of Shifting Into Brand Photography

Nicole breaks down how she approached this major transition – from saying yes to early opportunities to committing the work to rebuild the identity of her business.

The Pros and Cons of Family Photography

We talk openly about what she loved, what drained her, and what felt unsustainable in family photography—conversations that many of us feel but don’t always name.

How Past Careers and Personal History Shape Our Work

Nicole’s background as a therapist deeply informs the way she connects with clients, structures sessions, and serves women entrepreneurs. Still, she’s found a way to fully embrace her role as a brand photographer and hold it with its own esteem for the excellence she delivers.

Value-Based Pricing (and why it works differently for brands than families)

On a super practical note, Nicole explains her pricing structure for brand photography and how shifting her niche allowed her to rethink pricing, marketing, and positioning with more clarity and strategy.

Confidence, Identity & Showing Up as the Face of Your Business

We talk about the mindset work behind letting yourself be seen—something that can feel vulnerable, but also incredibly freeing.

How Motherhood & Entrepreneurship Led Her Toward a New Journaling Course

Nicole also shares how her personal journaling practice (and her life as a mom and business owner) inspired her newest offering: a group course on building the habit of journaling.

// LINKS MENTIONED // 

• Rebrand with Maddie Peshong: https://www.maddiepeschong.com/brand-photography
• Episode 18: The benefits of being an introverted photographer switching careers, shooting multiple genres, and more with Caitlin Alohilani 
• Free Resources for Family Photography Education: https://www.leahoconnell.com/learn

// CONNECT // 

Nicole Hodgson 

Website: www.nicolehodgsonphotography.com | Instagram: @nicolehodgson.photography

Leah O’Connell

Website: https://www.leahoconnell.com | Instagram: @leahoconnell.photo

You might also like:

Episode 59: Messy Action, The Artful Pivot, and Creating from the Inside Out with Brooke Schultz

Episode 56: The Missing Link to your Photography Marketing with Michelle Franzetti

Episode 54: Seasonal Booking and Creative Growth with Lyndsay McNiff