We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nina Covington. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nina below.

Nina , appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

One of the most meaningful projects I have ever worked on was a photographic series I called Goals. Brainstorming a new series celebrating women ages 40 and over jump started some truly intense self-exploration. Why had I always feared aging? Was the lack of representation of women over 40 shown as anything other than moms, grandmothers, or AARP members shaping my negative view? I thought about the women I did get starry-eyed over, like Madonna, who were all well under 40. I remembered as a teenager putting up posters of her and other teen idols all over my wall, the same as many other kids my age. As I examined this childhood ritual through the lens of a now-older woman, I realized that you never see a poster in a teenager’s room that celebrates older women. I wanted to disrupt that traditional thinking with the photos for #Goals. So I invited women age 40 and older to sit before my camera, unabashed and courageous to create their very own poster! I told them, “Think of this image as one you would show to your younger self and say, ‘Look at what you have forward to: This! This is nothing to be afraid of. You’re going to be awesome when you’re older! You’re going to be gorgeous and strong; you’re going to have all this knowledge and confidence. This is the picture that’s going to embody that and show who you are, right now.’” Working with these women helped me erase the fear of aging, because in each picture, they absolutely became someone that some teenage kid wants to put up on their wall and go, “That’s who I want to be when I’m 50 or 60.”

Nina , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am Nina Covington, a Nashville-based artist and activist. I have always known that my job is to tell stories. I started out as a model, telling stories in front of the camera for others. A pivotal moment came when I realized I could only tell half of the story as a model; the other half was always told by the photographer. Wanting more control, I began taking self-portraits, which eventually led me to photograph other people.

In all of my work, I get down to basics. My images are stripped down, honest, and dark. From my fine art equestrian photography to my long exposures, I play in the shadows. My work is cohesive, with each detail in the execution of my photographs adding to the story I’m telling. Most importantly, I use my work to give voice to those who step in front of my camera and to bring light to imprtant social issues and injustices.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Giving voice to those I photograph

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Currently with the inuncation of AI I think the most important thing people can do is support real art over images created by artificial intelligence.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ninacovington.com
• Instagram: @ninacovington
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ninacovington1/
• Twitter: @ninacovington
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@nina.covington

Image Credits

I took all the photos

Models in order

Annalee Kelly
Christina Wiggins
Abby Div
Roarie Yum