Hockett Profiled in Royal Photographic Society Digital Imaging News
Nicol blames her Dad for inspiring her love of photography.
My Dad bought a Yashica Lynx-14 in 1966 while stationed in Seoul and he captured beautiful photos of wrinkled old men with oxen, yards full of kimchi pots, lush mountains, stilt houses, and temples. Documentary in style and with a compassionate lens, he was especially interested in workers, children, and the functioning of daily life.
He continued his photography after returning home and produced the images of my childhood. These photographs possess beautifully blended colors and light with soft contrast. They were of the family Christmas tree engulfed in festive presents, of my aunt in cropped geometric green pants, and of my grandma in the kitchen. When I see these photos, I relive the moments – not just the images, but the scents and sounds, the warmth and textures, my emotions. These photos are witness to a life and relationships. They are testimony, documentation, proof. Love letters.
If we are lucky, we can come to know people better and more intimately through their photography. After all, we are seeing the world through their eyes. We can understand them in a more profound and meaningful way.
While I enjoy abstract photography, my passion is for portraiture. I try to create a maximal focus on the subject, with just a simple prop or two to convey subtle context — an outfit, an old wooden crate, a hand-knit teddy bear. I seek meaningful, authentic expression that reflects the subject's honesty, reality, beauty, and soulfulness with a dash of character. I seek an heirloom – a portrait so special that it becomes "the one."
My wish is that someday my children will reflect on these photographs and know how I felt when I took them.
Please visit www.nicolhockett.com for more of my work.
To view the March issue of the RPS Digital Imaging News, please visit https://bit.ly/3tfTUAz