Capturing the Moment
Capturing the Moment
Photographer & God Winks, Inc. Founder Nadine Saviano relocates to Ellicottville
Variety is the spice of life, as the saying goes, but for photographer Nadine Saviano, variety has also been the key to her success as the owner of her own full-time business and non-profit organization, God Winks Inc.
A career photographer, western New York native Saviano has 24 years of experience in just about every area of the business. “In my years of photography, there’s no aspect that I haven’t done,” said Saviano. “Everything from weddings to corporate and family events to high school senior portraits, maternity, newborn, and baby milestone sessions, boudoir and engagement photos, to bridal shoots and product photography.” Saviano has even done sports photography, as well as real estate shoots, both residential and commercial.
With such an impressive portfolio, it’s not hard to understand why Saviano would make the move from working as a manager and subcontractor for others’ studios to strike out on her own in September of 2019. But starting her own business six months before the start of a global pandemic? Simply put, Saviano never anticipated such a challenge during her first year of business. Despite the restrictions of the pandemic and its crippling financial effect on small business owners, Saviano has not only grown her business, but also made the full-time move to Ellicottville to take it to the next level.
In January 2021, Saviano and her family moved from East Aurora to Ellicottville, where her family has had a long history. Saviano explained, “My husband is on ski patrol with Holiday Valley, and our kids ski and snowboard, and we mountain bike and hike during the summer. There’s a lot of activity in Ellicottville, and we were spending so much time down here - just about every weekend - that we got an apartment.” Moving to Ellicottville full-time was actually the Savianos’ projected goal for retirement, but instead the family decided to move up the plan by several years, which has worked out quite well!
Saviano’s versatility and her editing and design skills are a key combination that has helped her develop a reputation for excellence. She credits her years of on-the-job experience for her ability to capture her subjects in their most authentic, natural moments, while also creating a great experience for all involved. “My mother is a portrait artist, so I grew up around all different kinds of art media,” Saviano explained. “She put a manual camera in my hands at a pretty young age. Before long, I was entering into children’s photography contests, and in high school, I took every photography class there was to take. We even had a dark room to process our own film and develop our own prints.”
At a transitional point in Saviano’s life, she was introduced to the owner of a photo studio looking for help. Her artistic edge and photographic eye were quickly recognized, and Saviano began subcontracting for more studios in need of her talent. Not only did she learn how to work with many different personalities in a variety of settings, but she also learned how to edit her own photos. “I found that editing your own photos helps to hone your skills as a photographer because you’re seeing where you went wrong or how to improve the next time,” Saviano said.
Saviano is also the president and founder of God Winks Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which she established in 2015. She explained, “I work with families that are facing terminal or life-threatening diagnoses. I offer professional family portrait photography at no charge, whether it’s cancer, ALS, Alzheimers or any other potentially life-threatening diagnosis, a loved one in palliative care or end of life care, a baby in the NICU, or a stillbirth or miscarriage.” Saviano has professional affiliations with several western New York healthcare organizations, including Kaleida Health, Hospice, Essential Care, CompassionNet, Catholic Health, and more, but she also works with patients receiving treatment at other healthcare facilities in the region.
Saviano’s faith is what inspired her to create this organization and is what continues to propel her to help more families. “This wasn’t necessarily something I was looking to create,” Saviano explained. “A series of people came into my life, and these seemingly random or coincidental conversations kept taking place. Looking back on it, I saw these ‘God winks’ from above. It became so overwhelming at one point, I stopped and said, ‘Okay, I will do this but you have to help me.’”
Nadine explained her mission: "To provide hope, support and prayer for families in need. It's rare that people have updated family portraits and the opportunity to have a family photo session helps them to step outside of their current situation and just enjoy one another during that time, to simply be together and laugh together. Certain situations are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for family photos and provide priceless and precious memories." Professional referrals are not required, and families can contact Nadine directly through her website, Godwinksinc.org.
In her words, “I’m a perfectionist when it comes to my work. Part of that is making sure that the families that I work with through either God Winks Inc. or my studio have a positive experience and a comfortable experience. I strive to really make sure that the personalities are reflected in the photography. I want to see natural smiles, natural interactions, so that people’s personalities actually come out in the photography.”
To learn more about Saviano’s photography business and schedule a session, visit nadinesavianophoto.com and complete the contact form or call her at 716-510-5259. Find Saviano on Facebook or Instagram @nadinesavianophoto to see more samples of her work.