The decision making muscle is one of the most important things in photography and the business of. Over the years, I’ve learned that making decisions faster in everything, especially in business, can be more efficient and profitable…even if you make the wrong decision. Sometimes making the wrong decision and making a mistake is better than not making a decision at all. At the very least you’ve learned something. Making decisions in business takes you another step further from where you are.
More of what I wanted to parlay this into is the decision making muscle of shooting. This directly correlates with my ABS theory, in that you should always be shooting. The decision making muscle is the muscle that is exercised every time you push that button. This is the element of photography that assisting will never ever teach you – because until you’re looking through that camera deciding wether the light is right, the composition is right, the model is in the right position, the wardrobe is spot on, the hair and make up are perfect, everything is lined up right, and everything else that you have to think about in creating a picture is to your liking, etc. – you’ll never be actually logging those learned pieces of information into your brain. Making decisions of every element in your photograph is like exercising a muscle, and you learn more with every shot you take. That’s why it needs to be exercised, so that each time you shoot you are making better and better images.
Your vision is refined by the decisions you make.
What ingredients to add to a photograph: locations, clothes, models, hair and makeup, lighting, etc. These decisions all add up to create your vision which is portrayed through your portfolio. Learning to make better decisions makes your imagery better, and in the end that’s what sells you.
All these little decisions that you learn along the way get amplified when you’re running a bigger set. When you have a 15-20 person crew to steer, you’re learning how to direct not only your subject, but also your team. You are the leader, and that’s what leaders do.
LET'S CONSPIRE & CREATE
CULTIVATING YOUR VISUAL UNIQUENESS AND STREAMLINING YOUR BRAND'S EVOLUTION
The decision making muscle is one of the most important things in photography and the business of. Over the years, I’ve learned that making decisions faster in everything, especially in business, can be more efficient and profitable…even if you make the wrong decision. Sometimes making the wrong decision and making a mistake is better than not making a decision at all. At the very least you’ve learned something. Making decisions in business takes you another step further from where you are.
More of what I wanted to parlay this into is the decision making muscle of shooting. This directly correlates with my ABS theory, in that you should always be shooting. The decision making muscle is the muscle that is exercised every time you push that button. This is the element of photography that assisting will never ever teach you – because until you’re looking through that camera deciding wether the light is right, the composition is right, the model is in the right position, the wardrobe is spot on, the hair and make up are perfect, everything is lined up right, and everything else that you have to think about in creating a picture is to your liking, etc. – you’ll never be actually logging those learned pieces of information into your brain. Making decisions of every element in your photograph is like exercising a muscle, and you learn more with every shot you take. That’s why it needs to be exercised, so that each time you shoot you are making better and better images.
Your vision is refined by the decisions you make.
What ingredients to add to a photograph: locations, clothes, models, hair and makeup, lighting, etc. These decisions all add up to create your vision which is portrayed through your portfolio. Learning to make better decisions makes your imagery better, and in the end that’s what sells you.
All these little decisions that you learn along the way get amplified when you’re running a bigger set. When you have a 15-20 person crew to steer, you’re learning how to direct not only your subject, but also your team. You are the leader, and that’s what leaders do.
1/26/14
Exercising Your Decision Making Muscle
infuse your vision with a fresh breath of creativity and vitality
BOOK A BRAND PHOTOSHOOT
GET THE DETAILS
GET THE DETAILS
infuse your vision with a fresh breath of creativity and vitality
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masterfully aligning perception and reality through personal branding
masterfully aligning perception and reality through personal branding
The decision making muscle is one of the most important things in photography and the business of. Over the years, I’ve learned that making decisions faster in everything, especially in business, can be more efficient and profitable…even if you make the wrong decision. Sometimes making the wrong decision and making a mistake is better than not making a decision at all. At the very least you’ve learned something. Making decisions in business takes you another step further from where you are.
More of what I wanted to parlay this into is the decision making muscle of shooting. This directly correlates with my ABS theory, in that you should always be shooting. The decision making muscle is the muscle that is exercised every time you push that button. This is the element of photography that assisting will never ever teach you – because until you’re looking through that camera deciding wether the light is right, the composition is right, the model is in the right position, the wardrobe is spot on, the hair and make up are perfect, everything is lined up right, and everything else that you have to think about in creating a picture is to your liking, etc. – you’ll never be actually logging those learned pieces of information into your brain. Making decisions of every element in your photograph is like exercising a muscle, and you learn more with every shot you take. That’s why it needs to be exercised, so that each time you shoot you are making better and better images.
Your vision is refined by the decisions you make.
What ingredients to add to a photograph: locations, clothes, models, hair and makeup, lighting, etc. These decisions all add up to create your vision which is portrayed through your portfolio. Learning to make better decisions makes your imagery better, and in the end that’s what sells you.
All these little decisions that you learn along the way get amplified when you’re running a bigger set. When you have a 15-20 person crew to steer, you’re learning how to direct not only your subject, but also your team. You are the leader, and that’s what leaders do.
1/26/14
Exercising Your Decision Making Muscle
infuse your vision with a fresh breath of creativity and vitality
BOOK A BRAND PHOTOSHOOT
masterfully aligning perception and reality through personal branding
GET THE DETAILS
Hey! I'm Nick.
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GET THE DETAILS
infuse your vision with a fresh breath of creativity and vitality
LET'S CONSPIRE & CREATE
CULTIVATING YOUR VISUAL UNIQUENESS AND STREAMLINING YOUR BRAND'S EVOLUTION
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TL;DR – What You’ll Learn in This Post Your Brand Isn’t a Feed — It’s a Frequency We’ve all seen it: the influencer with polished photos but no soul. The brand that feels like a mask. That’s not personal branding — that’s performance. A real personal brand? It’s how you live. It’s what you do […]
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Let’s put it this way: If you want stiff headshots in a gray suit against a beige wall — probably not. If you want a photoshoot that feels like an editorial spread, emotional breakthrough, and creative awakening all in one — then yes. Nick Onken is very good at what he does. What Makes Nick […]
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If you’re searching for the best personal brand photographer in New York, one name rises to the top: Nick Onken. Blending editorial sophistication with emotional storytelling, Nick’s work goes far beyond headshots. His Elevated Realism™ approach captures your highest self — magnetic, polished, and unmistakably you. 📍 A Photographer Who Knows NYC Intimately Nick spent 15 […]
One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make is building their website, offers, or marketing before they’ve ever clarified their brand identity. They hire web designers before they’ve defined their vibe. They write sales pages without knowing the feeling their brand is meant to transmit. But everything — your website, your photos, your content, your brand world — should stem […]
For most people, a photoshoot is about looking good. For Nicky Clinch, it became a mirror for transformation. Nicky is a master maturation coach, author of Surrender, and co-leader of the Emanate Mastermind. When she came to me, her brand was successful—multiple seven figures, sold-out programs, a global community—but something wasn’t resonating. She had reached a plateau. […]
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Introduction Lewis Howes, host of The School of Greatness and bestselling author, was ready to elevate his personal brand with a visual identity that matched his next chapter of leadership. He had already built a massive platform. But he was stepping into a deeper, more embodied version of his brand—one that integrated emotional intelligence with […]
Leadership isn’t just something you declare — it’s something people feel the moment they see you. And in a world where your first impression often happens online, your photos need to do more than look good. They need to position you as a leader. A personal brand shoot isn’t about winging it with cute outfits […]
Let’s cut to it: The cost of a personal brand photoshoot depends on one thing—the level of transformation you want to create. You can hire someone to take nice portraits. Or you can co-create an identity-elevating experience that reshapes how the world sees you. So… How Much Does It Cost? At the top of the […]
If you’re an entrepreneur, coach, or speaker looking to stand out online, then you know photography is not just a luxury—it’s a necessity. But hiring the right personal brand photographer can feel overwhelming. With so many options, styles, and price points, how do you find the perfect fit for your vision? Let’s break it down […]
About the Blogger
I was born in a low middle class conservative religious family in the suburbs of Seattle. Art was and always has been my passion, and more than that a way of life. Starting as a graphic designer, I taught myself photography, built a commercial/editorial business shooting for the worlds biggest brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, Adidas and more. I've also had the opportunity to photograph the world's biggest celebrities like Justin Bieber, Usher, Jessica Alba and more. I've curated a lifestyle around creativity and have learned a lot along the way which I get to share here.
I was born in a low middle class conservative religious family in the suburbs of Seattle. Art was and always has been my passion, and more than that a way of life. Starting as a graphic designer, I taught myself photography, built a commercial/editorial business shooting for the worlds biggest brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, Adidas and more. I've also had the opportunity to photograph the world's biggest celebrities like Justin Bieber, Usher, Jessica Alba and more. I've curated a lifestyle around creativity and have learned a lot along the way which I get to share here.
