This month, we have an exciting introduction for you: It is our pleasure to introduce NIKI JAHNS, our new featured photographer and your new Customer Support Specialist!
Tammy: Hi Niki! When we chatted in October, you were a new customer just getting started with floor plans! So in under six months, you have gone from starting to learn about CubiCasa, to wanting to be a part of our team! Will you tell me more about how this all happened?
Niki: A friend of mine told me about CubiCasa about a year ago when I was looking for an easier way to do floor plans. I now have CubiCasa as a part of my real estate photography services since so many agents are wanting floor plans. I was blown away by the technology and ease of use (it’s magic!) and customer support was amazing- I couldn’t believe how quickly they responded to my questions. I received an email from CubiCasa a couple months ago with some updates and helpful tips. At the bottom I saw where they were hiring for a remote customer service rep, so I sent an email with my resume attached really not expecting anything to happen. Long story short, I went through the interview process and was hired! Because I love the product, it’s easy to be excited about it. The company culture is awesome – there is teamwork even though we are all scattered around the WORLD and everyone is so welcoming and I love getting to help customers with a product I use and believe in.
Tammy: Has adding floor plans to your menu of services been a benefit to your business? How did you create floor plans before CubiCasa?
Niki: CubiCasa has definitely been an asset to the photography services I offer. I’ve had quite a few agents ask for accurate floor plans and they love that I can do them while I’m already there doing the photos of their listing- and it only takes an additional 10 minutes. I also work as a freelancer for another real estate photography company that offers floor plans which are done on an iPad app – I have to measure and draw the plans which usually takes me almost an hour to do so CubiCasa is definitely my preferred way of doing plans.
Tammy: Your background in photography will be so helpful in understanding our photographers’ needs. What has your photography journey been, and are you working on any projects right now you would like to share?
Niki: It all started when I was 6 years old… 😉
Photography has been a part of my life since I was a little bitty. I had a Fisher Price camera and took my first real picture (which I still have) of one of our farm cats with my dad’s polaroid when I was six. I took photography classes in high school, then continued to tech school where I received a degree in commercial photography. I have photographed everything from youth and professional sports to real estate to families, kids, seniors to weddings… you name it, I’ve probably shot it. My images have been published in a couple books, online, they are in the archives of the National Museum of the Air Force and I have pictures in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. One of my favorite assignments was when I was working for Wright Patterson AFB as the newspaper photographer and had the honor of photographing the Doolittle Raiders on several occasions including these photos of their Final Toast.
My personal loves are traveling for landscape, nature and bird photography. You can find my nature photography on my Instagram @silver_tree_fineart.
Tammy: When I first visited your website, the work that had the most impact on me was the underwater photos. Are you the underwater photographer? How much planning goes into an underwater shoot, where do you do them, and how popular is this kind of work?
Niki: The underwater photography is done by my fiancé, Dave. He’s been doing it for about 6 years now; it’s his love and creative outlet. The photographs are done as custom art pieces for clients; most of them are professional dancers but we also do maternity, bridal, sports and anything creative that a client wants to do! For a typical underwater session, we have a consultation with the client to talk about where they want to hang their art piece, what type of outfit they want as well as the overall feel of the session. We then spend about 20 minutes in the pool going over the best way to “look pretty and not drown” and the rest of the session being creative! The second portion to the session is the editing. We can create almost anything a client wants. I even had a mermaid client who wanted to swim in the Kelp Forest; all done in post production. 🙂 Underwater sessions were in much demand when we lived in south Florida, but the market where we live now in Huntsville is not really into this type of work. We’re hoping that changes when we move to Jacksonville in a couple months!
The real irony to these shoots is that while I help Dave with the shoots, I don’t know how to swim!
Tammy: Just to get to know you a little better… I think you are based in Alabama? If you’ve wandered, where is your favorite city, and why?
Niki: We have been in Huntsville, AL for a little over two years now and are getting ready to move to Jacksonville, FL in a few months. Dave and I have traveled a lot over the past few years going to places like the Keys, Outerbanks, Yellowstone NP, Glacier NP, Montana, Utah… and there’s so many more places we want to go to! My favorite place has been the Bozeman, Montana area. I love the mountains and the mind-blowing sky of Montana! I would love to live there for a year just to photograph it during all the seasons.
Tammy: Who do you most admire, photographer or otherwise?
Niki: The person I most admire is my dad. He has taught me so much over the years- everything from his strong faith, to work ethics, to how to enjoy life. His faith in God is incredible and is the basis for everything he does. My mom passed away about 2 years ago and to watch him say goodbye to her knowing he will see her again in heaven, to deal with being alone, and then to find a new companion who is now his wife has been amazing. Did I mention he’s 81 years young?
Tammy: If our readers would like to connect with you or see more of your work, where can they find you?
Niki: You can find us on our newly designed website at DaveMcMahan.com. We have lots of our work there – Dave and I both shoot so we show a very broad range of photography. All of our underwater and landscape art is available for purchase for your home or business.
Tammy: Are there any resources or ideas for inspiration that you have found especially useful that you’d like to share?
Niki: I find other artist’s work to be a great source of inspiration. I love spending time on the web looking at different styles, techniques, or subjects and use it to spur my own creativity in photography. I’m also taking up watercolor and acrylic painting. 🙂 One of my favorite artists currently is Sam from samsoriginalart.com. His work is beautiful (I hope to own one someday!) and he is a fun and kind soul. I spent a little time one evening chatting with him on Instagram.
Tammy: Well, Niki, Thank you for taking the time to let us get to know you! Welcome to CubiCasa, we are so happy you are here!
Niki: Thank you so much for the opportunity to chat with you and I’m so excited to be working on the CubiCasa team!
You can find more information about our Certified Photographer Program here. And, if you would like to be the next CubiCasa Featured Photographer, please reach out to Tammy.
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