About

Nicol Hockett is a photographer and contemporary lens-based artist whose work spans documentary, photojournalism, portraiture, and abstract art. She is known for projects that preserve history and amplify human stories, including a five-year study of the Lonaconing Silk Mill, coverage of the Women’s March on Washington, and philanthropic events such as the American Heart Association’s Heart’s Delight. Her assignments have included premier occasions such as the Embassy & Winemaker Dinner at the Residence of the Ambassador of France, the Sotheby’s Vintners Dinner & Auction, and gala festivities at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C.

Hockett’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including at FotoNostrum in Barcelona, the National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C., and galleries across the U.S. and U.K. In 2025, her photograph Power’s Afterglow was featured in Sex and Politics, a curated exhibition presented by Art-Icon at the Bastille Design Center in Paris during Paris Photo Week. The exhibition was covered by Vogue Adria for its exploration of sexuality, representation, and power in contemporary photography. Her images have also appeared in the Journal of the Royal Photographic Society, Photographer’s Forum annuals, and distinguished U.S. public art collections.

Born in Dayton, Ohio, Hockett spent four decades in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area before returning to her hometown to be closer to family. The move renewed her connection to the visual and emotional language that has long shaped her work.

She is an Associate of The Royal Photographic Society (ARPS), a Professional Member of the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), and a Professional Member of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP). Hockett holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication from Old Dominion University and a Master of Arts in Communication from Johns Hopkins University, as well as a Professional Photography Certificate from the Washington School of Photography. At Oxford University, she studied the Old Masters and Art Appreciation, focusing on visual design and the art of visual analysis.

Before establishing her photographic practice, Hockett built a distinguished career in digital strategy. She was a founding member of Web Services at UUNET Technologies — the first commercial ISP — and later joined AT&T during its acquisition of CERFnet. Her work helped guide the early online presence of organizations ranging from emerging startups to major global companies. At Johns Hopkins, her graduate studies centered on political communication, media effects, digital culture, and communication for social change, leading to her becoming a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA).

Hockett’s photography is informed by history, memory, and preservation — an inquiry into how the ephemeral might be sustained. She explores both the monumental and the intimate, from collective movements and public life to the fleeting qualities of light, color, and atmosphere. Her images function simultaneously as record and meditation, ensuring that what might otherwise vanish is rendered immediate, resonant, and enduring.