Rachel Waters is a photographer and visual artist living and working in the Midwest. Her practice is rooted in experimentation and alternative photographic processes, using photography as a means to explore perception, emotion, and atmosphere. Through an intuitive approach, her work often inhabits a dreamlike space inviting reflection.

Water’s work often occupies a liminal space — where presence meets memory — creating atmospheric images that feel ethereal, reflective, and quietly resonant. Drawing inspiration from the natural world, poetic language, and the echoes of history, she blends observation and imagination into visual investigations that evoke a sense of timelessness and introspective engagement.

Light remains central to her practice, functioning as both subject and guiding curiosity. Her work is informed by her studies at the Hite Art Institute, where she immersed herself in alternative and historical photographic printmaking techniques. These processes form the foundation of a practice that is deeply informed by photographic history while remaining open to continual experimentation and evolution.

Across multiple bodies of work, Waters explores botanical forms, celestial abstractions, and environments that foster a sense of grounding and belonging. Whether through careful study or subtle narrative suggestion, her images encourage introspection — offering space for the unseen, the abstract, and the emotional resonance that exists beyond the visible.

Raised as a military child and accustomed to frequent relocation, Waters developed an early sensitivity to place, transition, and impermanence. An ongoing interest in travel, culture, language, music, and writing continues to inform her practice, reinforcing a desire to learn through experience and to examine how environments and moments shape perception.

Waters’ work has been exhibited in galleries and online venues, and she continues to develop new bodies of work that expand both process and concept. Her practice remains rooted in the belief that art should provoke thought, stir emotion, and open spaces for introspection beyond the visible.

Rome, 2023

Photograph by Thomas Skaggs

“To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.”

-Mary Oliver, Yes! No!

CV

  • Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Photography
    University of Louisville, 2011

    • 2025 — Film & Photography, Governor’s School for the Arts, KPA, Louisville, KY

    • 2025 — Photo Portfolio Reviews, Visual Communications, Ivy Tech College, Sellersburg, IN

    • 2024 — Film & Photography, Governor’s School for the Arts, KPA, Louisville, KY

    • 2024 — Business Professionals Group of Louisville, Twin Spires, Louisville, KY

    • 2023 — Film & Photography, Governor’s School for the Arts, KPA, Louisville, KY

    • 2020 — Photography & Graphic Design Collaboration, The Hite Art Institute, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY

    • 2018 — Intro to Photo, The Hite Art Institute, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY

    • 2025 — Botanical: The Art of Plants, PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, VT

    • 2018 — On Street Photography, First Light Gallery, Louisville, KY

    • 2017 — Modern Thinkers, Copper & Kings, Louisville, KY

    • 2012 — A&S Show, University of Louisville

    • 2011 — Snap!, Alley Theater, Louisville, KY

    • 2011 — UNBOUND, Ekstrom Library, University of Louisville

    • 2011 — Collective Photographs, The O.Z. Gallery, Louisville, KY

    • 2011 — Art & Sound, Group Installation, School of Music, University of Louisville

    • 2011 — While You Sleep, The O.Z. Gallery, Louisville, KY

    • 2010 — Transitivo: Memorial to the Workers of the Panama Canal, Gallery X, Louisville, KY

    • 2010 — SAL Show, Rouge Noir Gallery, Louisville, KY

    • 2010 — In Process, 930 Gallery, Louisville, KY

    • 2016 — A Collection, Louis’s The Ton, Louisville, KY

    • 2014 — Recycled Dreams, A Tiny Art Show, FPSB, Louisville, KY

    • 2011 — “Remnants”, BFA Thesis, Hite Galleries, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY

    • 2026 — Imagine! Francis Parker, Mellwood Arts Center, Louisville, KY

    • 2016 — Fantasy, Creative Mornings , The Pointe, Louisville, KY

    • 2011 — UNBOUND, Ekstrom Library, University of Louisville (group)

    • 2018 — Silver Award Louisiville, YVPRC Spoken Word, AAF

    • 2018 — Gold Award District 5, YVPRC Spoken Word, AAF

    • 2018 — Culturally Legit Award, YVPRC Spoken Word, AAF

    • 2011–2012 — Allen R. Hite Scholarship

    • 2011 — First Place, A&S Show, University of Louisville

    • 2011 — Jurors Award, A&S Show, University of Louisville

    • Louisville Visual Arts, Member

    • Center for Photographic Art, Member

    • Arts to Hearts Project, Member

    • Louisville Public Media, Member

    • Arbor Day Foundation, Member

    • 2025 — Polaroid Emulsion Lifts, 120 min workshop, La Romita School of Art, Terni, Italy

    • 2021 — Intro to Photography, Private 1:1 Class, Online 6 Weeks, Louisville, KY

    • 2011 — Teaching Assistant, Intro to Photo, The Hite Art Institute, University of Louisville, KY