3rd Place winner
Room with a View
DESCRIPTION
Seen from the top of the ancient Porte Cailhau, a gate guarding the city of Bordeaux in south-west France. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the woman smoking in the window, and knew I only had a split second to capture her, adding a focal point to the already fascinating rooftops spanning the old town.
AUTHOR
Rachel Nixon is a British-Canadian fine art photographer – and former journalist – based in Vancouver. Having lived and worked across continents and cultures, Rachel explores issues such as a desire for connection with one’s heritage, as well as secrecy, isolation and memory. She is intrigued by the visual poetry of daily life and seeks out images speaking to beauty and broader messages in the seemingly mundane.
In 2019, Rachel graduated with honours from the VanArts professional photography program in Vancouver. Since then, her work has been exhibited internationally, and she has received a number of accolades including four Julia Margaret Cameron Awards. In 2024, she was named among Dodho Magazine’s top 100 fine art photographers.
Before committing full-time to visual art, Rachel had a successful 20-year career as a journalist and news executive in the UK, US and Canada for organizations including the BBC, CBC and Microsoft where she developed and ran digital news services that reached millions.
Rachel also brings her editorial and photographic experience to her volunteer role as Editor of WE ARE Magazine, a publication of the Royal Photographic Society’s Women in Photography group.
Rachel holds a first class honours degree from the University of Oxford in Modern Languages. Her international experience brings with it a unique perspective on the questions of identity, place and belonging, and the connections we share despite our polarized times.
