“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.”
- William Shakespeare -
My name is Nicole Rulff
I have been practicing and studying photography for most of my life. I began when I was just an adolescent, inspired by my father and artists like Freeman Patterson, and armed with an old film camera passed down through the family. Over time, I came to value photography as a way to slow down and connect with the world around me, to find meaning and value in places and subjects that are often overlooked, and to remind myself of my own place in this world.
My photography strives to convey the feelings evoked from immersing ourselves in the natural world. Whether these be feelings of deep belonging and serenity, or feelings of vulnerability and urgency; my goal through my art is to connect us all more deeply to our local environments by looking beyond the obvious and spectacular to the beauty and complexity in the unassuming,
I often spend hours in a single location listening and photographing as the world unfolds around me, revealing new layers of life, wonder, and beauty. It is only through patience, solitude, and an observant and curious eye that these hidden wonders emerge. These are the images I want to share with the world. Images that we are often too busy to discover ourselves, but that themselves can bring deep sense of belonging and peace to all of our lives.
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August 2023
Hibernation Arts
17 Peter St., Orillia, ON, Canada
A selection of work from fall forest studies, as well as a selection of small prints and cards.
Recent Past Exhibits
July 2024
Muskoka Arts and Crafts Gallery
Bracebridge
June 2024
West Toronto Artists
August 2023
Hibernation Arts
17 Peter St., Orillia, ON, Canada
July 2023
Muskoka Arts & Crafts Summer Show
Bracebridge, ON
A solo exhibit of more than 30 images expressing the connection between us and the natural world.
A selection of work from fall forest studies, as well as a selection of small prints and cards.
A selection of work from fall forest studies, as well as a selection of small prints and cards.
A selection of work from fall forest studies, as well as a selection of small prints and cards.
2019 - present
South Simcoe Arts Council Store and Community Exhibits
41 Victoria Street, Alliston, ON
A variety of work, both paintings and photography
before 2019
a few locations in Kingston, ON
A variety of photography
Awards and Honours
October to December 2023
House & Gardens Art Edit
(print - magazine)
Honourable Mention
Monochrome Awards 2020
Winner: Less is More 2019
Arts on Main - SSAC
Interview - Metro Morning
2014
Three pieces showcased in the art edit section of the magazine, one for each month, along with a short bio.
For "A Quiet Winter"
Awarded the prize "Less is More" for my photograph "A Quiet Winter" at the Arts on Main juried show with the South Simcoe Arts Council.
Interview with Matt Galloway on Metro morning about photographing Cherry Blossoms in High Park.
Past Events
Join me at one (or all) of three unique events in the next couple of months where I will be exhibiting my photography and sharing my process.
The West Toronto Artists Art Tour - Site 15: see brochure for location details
11 am -5 pm on Saturday May 25th and Sunday May 26th
I will have a selection of works from each of my major series, including:
- Serenity: a wistful and mesmerizing series of water images that convey the deep peace of relaxing summer days by the lake
- Fire: a serenade to the Japanese Maple and the fiery goodbye of autumn
- Winter: Peaceful and powerful, cold and beautiful, this series captures the allure of winter, while also reminding us of our vulnerability in the face of natural power
- Escape: a black and white abstraction of local ponds that walks the line between fantasy and reality and asks us to look deeper at those places that we take for granted
Photography Workshop: 2.5 hours - Carden Alvar, Cameron Ranch Trail
June 1
With Photographers Nicole Rulff and Deb Halbot and the Couchiching Conservancy
Join myself and Deb Halbot as we explore the photographic possibilities on the unique and beautiful Carden Alvar. We will discuss technical aspects of photographing in nature, as well as compositional techniques to achieve the image in your mind's eye. Then, we will photograph!
Solo Exhibit! Untethered - MA&C on Main (63 Manitoba Ave. Bracebridge, ON)
Opening Gala: July 1st 4pm - dusk!
June 28 - July 21
My first and only solo exhibit this year, all the pieces are new and mostly unpublished - taken exclusively for this exhibit. In an exporation of belonging and responsibility, these pieces seek to disrupt our concepts of the forest as a place of constancy by untethering us from our own tightly bound timelines and whisking us into the current of the forest. These works are meant to inspire and ignite the feelings of connection and belonging felt from within the forest, and then gently encourage our minds down new pathways of understanding.