Spring has sprung! The snow piles have finally melted, I see kids on their bikes around town, there are people enjoying their lunch outside and everyone seems to be smiling at one another as they pass by on the street. We’ve waited extra long for spring this year and it feels so good that it’s finally here.  

I don’t know about you but historically March seems to a particularly long month here in the Northeast. The weather seems to tease us with it’s constant shifting back and forth from winter to spring. Oh and just when you think it’s over, there’s one last snowfall.  

So a few years ago I decided do something about it. Many of you know me as a photographer but in addition to that, I am a fitness instructor and personal trainer. I have a business called TK-Fit which I own and teach classes at five times a week. During the summer I teach a summer program called Outdoor Summer BootCamp which extends all summer long and gets people to exercise outdoors to see awesome results.  

Beginning in 2012, during the winter, I decided it was time to extend that outdoor lineup of workouts to the winter too. I created a 6-week adventure workout session that began at the end of February and ran until the end of March. This program includes snow shoeing, sledding, a lumber jacked themed circuit, basketball and our finale is a 5K. We have so much fun and it really makes those last lingering weeks in winter fly by. I’m surrounded by clients who are some of the most awesome people I’ve ever met. We work hard and laugh the whole way. In addition, by the time we are peeling off the layers of winter clothing we are feeling fit and in shape.  

One aspect that I loved adding in the past couple of years is to have a photographer join us to capture all the fun. This year I asked my intern Nikki Laudon, a senior at Lee High School to join us. She is an athlete herself competing in various varsity sports throughout the year. Nikki will be going to college in the fall and photography will be a big part of her studies there. Nikki was the perfect fit for this task. She had the energy and enthusiasm necessary for this kind of work and we all loved to see the creative captures she took each week.  

As I’ve done in the past with interns, I wanted Nikki’s work to be featured on my blog and to ask her to provide some more information about herself. Nikki was excited to share. I asked her to provide some more information about herself as well as her thoughts on a few questions. Nikki was excited to share, and here is what she said: 

Tricia: Nikki – Can you explain what began your interest in photography?

Nikki: My interest in photography began with my grandfather, it was a passion of his and he taught me so much and when he passed he gave me his camera and It became my passion. 

Tricia: What are your favorite things to photograph?

Nikki: My favorite things to photograph are people, I truly find the beauty in everyone and I think that is a huge skill to have while taking pictures of people. 

Tricia: What has been your favorite assignment or project to photograph to date?

Nikki: My favorite project has been working on my project for the Norman Rockwell Museum. It was a collage of a photoshoot I did with my best friend and I felt it showed what I liked to shoot most very well. 

Tricia: What was it like to photograph Winter BootCamp? What did you learn?

Nikki: Shooting for the TK-Fit BootCamp was like a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. It gave me so much experience with so many different things like being creative with shooting, how to work with lighting and aperture with different weather, and how to be more confident with what and who I’m shooting with.  Thank you Nikki so much for your creative energy. I am so excited to share all of the images that you created for us.