Meet Nicole Lewis | Photographer & Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicole Lewis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, what matters most to you?
I genuinely believe that art is the universal language that connects us all to each other. Art can speak where cultures create barriers between us. Creativity can permeate belief systems, nations, and generations to unite us rather than divide us. No matter how different we believe we are – there is something intrinsic about the realm of creativity that moves the heart and connects us to one another. This is my “why” that is at the core of everything I put my heart into – I live to create a connection between human beings through art because we are far more powerful together than we could ever be alone.

With every photo shoot, project, job, or team I am a part of – my intention is to always serve, inspire, and help people reach their greatest potential by any creative means possible.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It’s ironic that the artistic medium I chose to dedicate my life to cannot exist without light. In order to even take a photograph, you need a source of light. The camera cannot capture an image without it. It is the same with life, we cannot exist without light.

What photography did for me was become a teacher of light and life, inserting beautiful lessons of wisdom along the way.

Years ago I would spend hours in the darkroom in San Francisco developing my film. I learned that the negatives would be so sensitive to light that if it were to be exposed to any ounce of light too soon in the developing process, the roll would be ruined. Just like that. All the photographs would disappear before they even had the chance to materialize in the physical world. I’ve found this to be true in other arenas in my life where I tried to rush the process, cut corners, or take the easy way out. If I didn’t allow myself to take the time to truly prepare for something, whether it was a job opportunity, a relationship, or something I deeply desired–they too would eventually disappear.

Film was kind of thrilling in this way, you were constantly walking on the line of light and darkness in order to create something extraordinary. At every turn there is an opportunity to make a mistake in shooting a roll of film. Mistakes where you could cause a light leak, scratch your negative, ruin half of a frame, and so on. But even if you mess up a few times, those mistakes had an unexpected way of making your photographs beautifully and uniquely you. Some of the best photos I’ve created were on accident. Whenever you make a mistake in life and you learn from it, that difficult moment becomes a part of your story forever. It evolves from a weakness into a strength if you allow it, and that mistake can turn into wisdom.

Film forces you to slow down. You cannot see your image right away, therefore you must master the machine in your hand. You must know numbers and dials of the camera like the back of your hand so that the camera becomes an extension of your eye rather of a piece of metal obstructing your view. Once you’ve mastered your camera, the world becomes your canvas and you can create beauty in every corner of it. Film is limited to 36 exposure in a 35mm roll, even less if you are shooting medium format. You quickly learn that you must be intentional in what you capture, you must pause and really look at what’s in the shot and decide if it’s truly worth going for. If we took that same moment to pause, breathe, and think before every time we made a decision, I cannot help but wonder how much more full our lives would be, how much self-inflicted suffering we could avoid.

Even when you are printing your images in the darkroom, you are forced to slow down. It can take you hours to get your photo print exactly how you want it, but that is where you witness the true magic in the art of photography. Something spiritual happens when you are standing in the darkroom methodically washing your single piece of photo paper in the chemicals in the tray, with nothing but a dim red light to help you see, and witnessing your image slowly appear on the paper for the first time. It is truly magic. You are a scientist and a painter in the same moment, and the light becomes your paint brush.

For about two years of my photography journey, I left the safety of the darkroom and ventured out into the natural world. I put my film camera on the shelf and experienced a different kind of light. I was going through a time where I was really trying to understand what faith, spirituality, and a relationship with God meant to me. I was truly searching for a deeper meaning in life, and even though the kind people at the Christian church meant well, something still didn’t click. It was around this time that I turned to nature to feel the presence of God. I would take my (digital) camera and tripod, and go chase sunrises, sunsets, and milky ways every other day. And I fell in love with the world of landscape photography.

What I learned was that even if I planned out a landscape shot down to the exact time of day for the most perfect lighting, there was still a chance for an unexpected dark cloud to roll in and ruin the colorful sunset right at the last moment. No matter how prepared I could be, I knew that every time I went out and shot I had to leave room for God to show up. It was up to Him to paint those beautiful, awe-inspiring colors in the sky however He saw fit. If you ever questioned the existence of God, there is a beautiful masterpiece of light that is painted outside of your window every morning at sunrise and every evening at sunset. It was during those moments that I truly felt at peace. Like God was sitting right next to me with a paintbrush in His hand and the sky as His blank canvas, inviting me to capture the story He was about to tell us.

Now I live in Los Angeles, and my career has led my right back to my roots, shooting film and people. As much as I loved being alone in nature, creating with the Creator of the universe, what I’ve come to know is that I cannot do this thing called life, alone. In the same way that I’ve found inexplicable beauty in those quiet moments in the darkroom or on a mountaintop underneath the milky way, I find so much beauty in the people I shoot and work with.

Light has been my mentor for over a decade, teaching me the important lessons of art and life. And the most important lesson I’ve come to know is that we are all connected. Art has this amazing way of transcending all belief systems, languages, and cultures. No matter where you are in the world, you cannot deny that art has inspired you and impacted you in some way. Art and creativity is the universal language that connects us all, with light leading the way.

As a photographer and an artist, I live to create a connection between human beings through art because we are far more powerful together than we could ever be alone.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live on the Westside, so naturally we would start at the beach. There is the quiet little strip of ocean between the Venice and Marina pier that is always clean and quiet. When I can, I start my mornings there – usually with a good book, a hot cup of tea, and my feet in the sand.

I would then take us on a long walk through the quiet neighborhood of the Mar Vista homes near Venice Blvd. and Wade St. to gush over the beautiful houses that we will one day own. Then head over to my favorite neighborhood coffee shop on Washington Blvd, Menotti’s. (Tip: Ask Brandon to make you a VBC).

At some point in the week, we are either going boxing at my friend Jack’s backyard gym or taking a pilates class at MDR Studios because movement and exercise is important!

For breakfast or lunch we would hit up any of these spots (in no particular order): Jon & Vinny’s, The Girl and the Goat, Great White, Gjusta, Lodge Bread, and Bluey’s. If we are feeling like another cup of coffee, Alana’s, Maru, Go Get Em, Blue Bottle, Good Boy Bob’s, or Dayglow are all good options. And we would definitely be hitting up La Cha Cha Cha, Gran Blanco, Major Domo, Nueva, Din Tai Fung, Tatsu, and Casablanca for dinner reservations.

Because I love nature, and it’s hard to come by in LA – we would also be heading out to Malibu for a day, Tuna Canyon for a sunset hike, or a long walk up the Culver City Stairs and over the overpass to the top of Kenneth Hahn Park where there is a huge grassy area that is never crowded.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My biggest role model would be my boss and Pastor of Mosaic, Erwin McManus. His authenticity, endless pursuit of creativity and beauty, constant commitment to challenge the way we think, and his relationship to spirituality, faith, and Jesus has changed who I am and how I choose to live my life. Being a part of the community and working at Mosaic has unlocked limitless creativity within me and a deep desire to connect with humanity.

Website: www.nic-lewis.com

Instagram: @nic.lewis

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niclewisphoto/

Image Credits
A selection of images shot for: McManus Gallery Simple Shoes Ari Elle Adidas Originals & Riah