Style

Portfolio Review: Photographer Rockie Nolan Shares Her Favorite Works

The fashion and portrait photographer talks narrative, color, and unique beauty.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Intro

Rockie Nolan is a true photography hustler. Her work is genuinely rooted in storytelling, intricacy, and beauty, with a vision that's cohesive throughout her portfolio. These qualities, combined with an understanding of social media and self-promotion, has brought her tremendous fans, awards, and accolades for her amazing work.

You wouldn't even know that she just graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design, with awards from PDN, H&M, and Comm Arts already under her belt. Not only that, in addition to photography, she runs a popular style blog, The Wanderlusters. At the rate she's going, it's safe to say that pretty soon she'll be running the internet. 

Portfolio Review: Photographer Rockie Nolan Shares Her Favorite Works



Light-seeker

Light-seeker

"I created this image for designer Victoria Cullinan. She drew inspiration for the collection from the wings of moths. I photographed the images in dusty rooms and focused on making the images have alluring light to play on the moth's attraction to light."

Advertisement

Cellular

Cellular

"This was a collaboration between graphic designer Michael Brown and myself. The garments are creations by Erin Goodman, who designed the collection based off of inspiration from the formation of cancer cells."

Century Girl

Century Girl

"Photographed for the debut collection of design duo EGAN + WALLACE, this photograph plays on the contrast of femininity and masculinity that is a key element to the designs."

Advertisement

From the Fog

From the Fog

"Taking a fog machine onto a sunlit beach, I wanted to exaggerate the model's striking beauty. I liked the idea of making a character who was dark, slightly off-putting, and yet enchanting."

Ana

Ana

"This portrait and the series it belongs to was inspired by science fiction and space. I wanted to create a character that seemed other-worldly."

Advertisement

Ephemeral

Ephemeral

"A collaboration with the Audrey Grace Boutique, we wanted to create a story reflecting fleeting youth."

Flora

Flora

"This set was created to be youthful and reflect a carefree attitude. I enjoy creating stories of young women who are both feminine and adventurous."

Advertisement

Hard to be a saint in the city

Hard To Be a Saint in the City

"This was a part of a series shot for vintage retailer Rock Paper Vintage. We went out to the streets of New York City last summer to create a story depicting rebellious young women."

Golden Forest

Golden Forest

"At this time I was creating many images that took place in golden sunlit forests. I wanted to do something different and push it further, so I painted sections of this forest gold and used gold painted backdrops to mimic a studio environment in a natural setting."

Advertisement

Her Secret Menagerie

Her Secret Menagerie

"I shot this using a large format film camera. I attached dead birds (collected from city streets) to strings to create an ominous puppeteer of death."

The Last Flower in the Greenhouse

The Last Flower in the Greenhouse

"I found the location, an abandoned greenhouse in my hometown in Texas, rather poetic in that there was no longer any greenery in the building. For this story I wanted the girl to be the only flower remaining amongst the tumbleweeds that had taken over."

Advertisement

Lunar Girls

Lunar Girls

"Utilizing the unique beauty of the young girls and the strange landscape of these rock piles, I was inspired to make images that seemed to take place on another planet."

Secret Flowers

Secret Flowers

"This image is about womanhood. Flowers are a common element in my work, especially using them to depict femininity, and in this photograph I chose to do so more directly."

Advertisement

Rose & Ash

Rose & Ash

"These images were inspired by a fairly common interpretation of "Ring Around The Rosie" that relates the lyrics to the Black Death. I found the contrast of the youthful poetic words to the plague to be inspiring, so I decided to make photographs which reflected the theme."

The Boy In Question

The Boy In Question

"This is a personal photograph of my best friend. I wanted to make a portrait capturing the quieter side of his personality."

Advertisement

Stay ahead on Exclusives

Download the Complex App