Nicole Leever, Photographer

When she was twelve years old, her father gave her his Canon Rebel. Ever since then, Nicole has been taking pictures; capturing moments in time and exploring the world around her. A recent graduate of California State University Fullerton, she worked as Photo Editor for her school newspaper, winning several awards for her photographs.

Her most recent project, Portrait of Rwanda, is a collection of work shot over her summer holidays while in college. None of the photographs in the collection were posed; in fact, most of the work was shot with a 16-35mm lens, allowing for a more personal feel. "It was very important for me to keep this body of work as true to the beauty of the people as possible."

Nicole has traveled across the globe taking photographs, most recently as a photojournalist for renowned pastor/author Rick Warren during his work in Rwanda. Nicole's passion for the lost and hurting led her to found the non-profit organization Project: Raise Your Voice, a media production company that focuses its attention on using different forms of art to educate, inspire and galvanize a generation of young people.

Visit Nicole's website

Click below to enlarge artwork

Below are from a collection of photographs from the 3- year period, 2006-2008, called project, Portrait of Rwanda