Sports photography was a space that Nikki Boutte discovered in a fascinating way. During her time in college, where she pursued a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, Nikki had the opportunity to take a photography class that heightened her love for visual content creation. From the art of storytelling to the technique that went into capturing moments, she was intrigued by the ability to freely create with photography. Shortly after graduating in 2013, Nikki decided to officially start her journey in photography and explore opportunities to strengthen her skills and develop her style in this creative field. Throughout this process, she wanted to combine her passions for basketball and photography, and share the stories of fellow athletes in the industry. After attending the Drew League during the summers to support her friends, Nikki started taking pictures and developing her skills in sports photography throughout the basketball runs. From there, she began to foster her brand in sports while also developing her platform within the entertainment industry. From social events to musical performances, Nikki continued to challenge herself in the creative space of photography. Through her unique style and passion for storytelling, she has created and captured powerful, lifelong moments with some of the industry’s most legendary individuals.
When you started building your personal brand, what was the biggest challenge that you encountered early on? How did you work to overcome it?
That’s a really good question! The Drew League was easier because I knew everybody. I was blessed to already know a lot of people there. My quality wasn’t the greatest then, but that was okay. The challenge was when I went outside of basketball. That summer, I was still fresh out of college, and my friend—who was a club promoter—was promoting different parties. I decided to go that route too and test what it was like taking pictures in the nightclub, and at a party (scene). There, I had to reach out to mutual guy friends or people I didn’t know to ask about opportunities in this (space). I still had my shy habits, but that was when I had to open up more and ask—that really started opening up more doors for me on the entertainment side because I was meeting DJs, promoters, and event organizers. The biggest challenge for me was asking people to take pictures at events, but I definitely got better along the way. I think what helped me (overcome that challenge) was continuing to network with people, which helped build up my confidence.
You touched on a great point, networking. Could you share more with us about the importance of not only meeting and “networking” with people, but actually building authentic relationships with them?
Yes, that is very important. A lot of people try to figure out how they can get people to invite them out to events, but I think relationships are important first (and) foremost. Every relationship that I have developed with people is definitely genuine. Like you said, if you are authentic and are yourself, people are going to see that. Of course, not everybody is going to be authentic and genuine, and that’s okay, but as long as you stay that way the right people will see that. You never know how many doors can open for you. There are so many different people that I can think of now who have helped meet that other person or just develop relationships. It is important to definitely be professional, keep working hard, and stay dedicated, but respecting those relationships is key. Whether it is an NBA player or a music artist or promoter or whoever it is, you just want to make sure you have a good, authentic relationship with them.
What are you inspired by? What are some things that fuel you to continue creating unique content to share with others?