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

    • 2026 — Invited Speaker, Photography Program, The Hite Art Institute, Louisville, KY, USA

    • 2025 — Invited Speaker, Film & Photography, Governor’s School for the Arts, KPA, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

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

    • 2024 — Invited Speaker, Film & Photography, Governor’s School for the Arts, KPA, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

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

    • 2023 — Invited Speaker, Film & Photography, Governor’s School for the Arts, KPA, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

    • 2020 — Invited Speaker, Graphic Design Program, The Hite Art Institute, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA

    • 2018 — Invited Speaker, Photography Program, The Hite Art Institute, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA

    • 2026 — Water: Element of Change, PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, VT USA - International, Group Show, Juried

    • 2026 — Unique Alternative Processes, Creekroad Homestead Studio, Dripping Springs, TX, USA - International, Group Show, Juried

    • 2026 — Analog: Made by Hand, PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, VT USA - Online + Catalogue, International, Juried

    • 2025 — Botanical: The Art of Plants, PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, VT, USA - International, Group Show, Juried

    • 2018 — On Street Photography, First Light Gallery, Louisville, KY, USA - Regional, Group Show, Invited

    • 2017 — Modern Thinkers, Copper & Kings, Louisville, KY - USA - Regional, Group Show, Invited

    • 2016 — A Collection, Louis’s The Ton, Louisville, KY, USA - Local, Solo Show

    • 2014 — Recycled Dreams, A Tiny Art Show, FPSB, Louisville, KY, USA - Local, Group Show

    • 2012 — A&S Show, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA - Regional, Juried

    • 2011 — “Remnants”, BFA Thesis, Hite Galleries, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA - Local, Solo Show

    • 2011 — Snap!, Alley Theater, Louisville, KY, USA - Local, Group Show

    • 2011 — Collective Photographs, The O.Z. Gallery, Louisville, KY, USA - Local, Group Show

    • 2011 — Art & Sound, School of Music, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA - Local, Group Installation

    • 2011 — While You Sleep, The O.Z. Gallery, Louisville, KY, USA - Local, Group Show

    • 2010 — Transitivo: Memorial to the Workers of the Panama Canal, Gallery X, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA - Local, Group Installation

    • 2010 — SAL Show, Rouge Noir Gallery, Louisville, KY, USA - Local, Group Show

    • 2010 — In Process, 930 Gallery, Louisville, KY, USA - Local, Group Show

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

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

    • 2011 — UNBOUND, Ekstrom Library, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA - Local, Permanent Group Installation

    • 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

    • Speed Art Museum, 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, USA

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