Meet Nicole Carson Bonilla

Hello, my name is Nicole Carson Bonilla and I am a contemporary portrait photographer. I grew up in North Hollywood, California and earned my bachelor’s in Visual Arts from Brigham Young University in 1998. I’ve enjoyed a 25-year career in graphic design and added photography and videography to my creative services in 2017.

I have a comfortable portrait studio in my home and shoot artificial light and natural light indoors, outdoors and on location. In 2021, I was voted Best Artist in Phoenix Magazine’s Best of the Valley. And I’m only the 14th photographer to be awarded Fellow in the Portrait Masters International Awards and Accreditation program. I have a youtube channel @NicoleCarsonBonilla where I share new creative ideas and simple techniques for creating epic portraits. My creative photography Instagram account is @Nicole.Carson.Bonilla and my senior portraits Instagram account is @NicoleBonillaSeniors.

Contemporary Portrait Photography Encompasses My Lifetime of Experiences

Principles of Design

Working as an art director for almost 25 years I utilize the universal principles of design on a daily basis such as composition, color, value, shape and repetition to create stunning photos for my clients.

Control of Light

Photography is simply a capture of light in front of the camera. I utilize natural sun-light and artificial light to create the lighting scheme which best captures the desired image.

Fashion Design

I started sewing when I was 12 and never stopped. I love the design of clothing and I know how to flatter all body shapes and sizes. I can design and sew pieces from scratch or maximize the potential of existing pieces by making a few flattering alterations.

Hair & Make-up

My five sisters and I grew up performing in a family wild west show and always had long, fun hairstyles. My Mom was a beautician and I loved creating shapes, styles and attitudes with hair design and make-up.