Rosie Valentine (they/them)
I am a queer, nonbinary photographer. Creative connection is deeply meaningful to me.
Photography has been a tremendously healing artistic space for me. I live with chronic pain and am in recovery from an eating disorder. I also spent years coming to terms with my gender and sexuality. I have learned how to honor my life, body, spirit, and community through art.
Today, my photographic practice is dedicated to celebrating and uplifting my amazing clients. This work is one facet of my efforts to participate in changing our world for a more just future.
My photography holds space for the deeply personal experiences of love, identity, family, change, loss, growth, pain, stillness, determination, and passion. Many of my clients are trans/nonbinary, queer, disabled, living with chronic pain, estranged from family, and/or in recovery. I work hard to try to make my clients’ experiences with me as safe and supportive as I can. I am fat positive, sex positive, gender affirming, and neurodivergent.
Every single one of my clients is a phenomenal, complex human being and I honor that richness of spirit and life. The lasting relationships that I have formed with many clients-turned-friends fills my heart with gratitude.
Background & Education:
I have been “serious” about photography for over ten years, but I have loved photography as long as I can remember. Once of my first memories is of watching a polaroid picture I had taken develop.
I got into wedding photography by learning from and working with a wedding photographer who also lives with chronic pain; most of my magical portrait process is self-taught. I developed my own gender affirming and trauma informed photography process.
I took my photography career fully into my own hands in 2019, and have built my business during this pandemic.
I graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Global Studies in August 2018. I also took courses in intersectionality, psychology, human rights, colonization, and gender studies.
I have a background working with survivors of domestic violence at a domestic violence nonprofit, where I was trained in + practiced trauma informed care for our clients. For the past seven years, I have been learning about trauma. For me, this is a lifelong learning commitment.
Tidbits about me:
Hiking with my dog is my favorite thing to do.
The best splurge of my life was my ice cream maker. I’m all about crafting new recipes!
My spouse and I eloped and it was incredible; I highly recommend eloping!
I’m happily and intentionally childfree, and care deeply about abortion access and other aspects of reproductive justice.
Gardening and herbalism are areas of passion that I’m excited to keep growing into.
North Carolina has been my home my whole life.
I’m an outgoing, fun-loving introvert.