Meet Nicole
More Than a Photographer Horse Photographer, Horsewoman & Dog Lover
Horse Photographer, Horsewoman & Dog Lover
Hey, I’m Nicole.
Horsewoman. Dog mom. Coffee enthusiast. And the person behind the camera who’s probably cheering for you just as much as I’m photographing you.
How it all started
I was 12 years old, living in Germany, when my best friend introduced me to horses — and that was it. I was gone. I started out in dressage. That first feeling of connection with a horse? It never left me. It just grew into everything I am now.
From dressage to dirt
These days you’ll find me in the cutting pen and the ranch riding classes, not the dressage ring. Somewhere along the way I traded the white breeches for boots and a cowboy hat — but it’s all the same thing to me. It’s all about that partnership with the horse. Dressage taught me feel. Cutting taught me to trust it. And trail riding reminds me why I started in the first place.
My heart horse
Her name is JJ. She’s a Quarter Horse, and I show her in ranch riding and cutting. She’s also my heart horse — the one. The kind of horse that changes a person, that you’d rearrange your whole life around without thinking twice. If you have one, you already know. If you don’t yet, I hope you find her.
And then there’s Penny — JJ’s daughter. She’s the next generation, my future ranch riding and cutting horse. There’s something full-circle about training a horse that came from the horse that changed your life. I can’t quite put it into words, but I don’t really have to. You get it.
And then there’s Zoe
Zoe is my Belgian Malinois. My best lil girl. If you’ve ever loved a dog like that — the kind that’s not a pet, they’re a person, they’re your shadow, they’re your family — then you already know why I photograph dogs the way I do. I’ve never known life without dogs. They’ve been in every chapter of my story, teaching me loyalty, joy, and how to slow down for the little moments that end up meaning the most.
Why I do this
Here’s the honest truth: I love holding onto memories. I love watching moments back after they’re gone. I love that a photo can take you right back to a feeling you thought you’d forget — the way your horse looked at you, the way your dog leaned into your hand, the way a single afternoon felt like everything.
That’s why I’m behind the camera. Not because I love taking photos. Because I love giving people back the moments they don’t want to lose.
When I’m not behind the camera
You’ll find me on a horse, with my dog, with my family, or somewhere outdoors — camping, out in the open, nowhere I have to be. That’s my happy place. Give me dirt and sky over four walls any day.
What I want you to know
I’ve spent my whole life around horses and dogs. I know that every single one of them is different — different personality, different comfort level, different way of trusting. Reading their body language and earning their trust isn’t a skill I learned for photography. It’s something I’ve been doing my whole life, and it’s one of my favorite parts of what I do.
Whether your horse is a seasoned show pro or your dog is a tornado on four legs, I know how to adapt, stay patient, and let them be themselves. That’s when the real moments happen — not when everything’s perfect, but when everything’s them.
I’m not here to make it complicated. I’m here to make it feel easy — so you can be present, breathe, and walk away with images that feel like you, and like them.
Let’s tell your story.
I’m here to make sure it feels easy.
Kind Words
She is our favorite!
Nicole is very professional and always takes time for the details. She is our favorite when we need pictures of our horses – Nick S.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kind Words
We highly recommend Nicole
We highly recommend Nicole Pols Photography. She took the time to speak with us before the shoot to get a sense of what we were looking for and provided advice on what to wear. We were delighted with the pictures she took of Karsen and her horses. Nicole captured moments we will treasure for a lifetime.