Lesley’s passion for photography began in adolescence and evolved into a career that
encompasses documentary photography, curatorial experience, and now fine art
photography. She received a BFA in Photography from the Hartford Art School at the
University of Hartford in 2000. After leaving Connecticut, Lesley’s passion for the vivid and
authentic documentation of her subjects led her around the world, but primarily to Latin
America.

Lesley’s love of photography also encompasses a love for the community of artists and the
process of sharing work. In the spring of 2009, Lesley opened her own photography gallery
in Austin, TX. As one of the few photography galleries in Austin, L. Nowlin Gallery housed a
wide array of genres, focusing on black and white, fine art, documentary and alternative
process. After two dynamic years, Lesley made the decision to close the gallery in order to
retrain her eye and energy back to the art and process of photography that captured her love
and attention as a teenager.

After years of focusing on the techniques of documentary photography, Lesley is now
focusing her work on the fine-art print. Inspired by artists of all mediums, she takes
particular interest in the work of painters such as John William Waterhouse, Gustav Klimt,
Caravaggio and his daughter, Artemisia Gentileschi. Their content, the chiaroscuro, the
feminine influence, and the highly real yet ethereal subject matter all resonate with the layered
and multi-dimensional approach she takes when constructing a piece of art. Echoes of this
can be seen in her process from the initial direction of subjects to the manual execution and
manipulation of the photograph, using alternative mediums such as platinum and palladium to
strike a more conceptual tone while delivering a powerful image steeped in narrative. Lesley
hopes to imagine work that will draw in the viewer, creating beautiful pieces of art for people
to hang on their walls and enjoy every day.