Nick Mele is a renowned lifestyle, fashion and art photographer but also a storyteller. The Washington, D.C.-raised and Palm Beach-based photographer, who has appeared in Vanity Fair, The New York Times and Town and Country, captures luxury lifestyle with a twist, bringing elements of whimsy into every image. During a recent visit to Charlotte for An Evening with Nick Mele at The Grove in Myers Park, he sat down with us to share his insights on what happens behind the camera, what he sees and how he thinks.
WHAT DO YOU THINK DRAWS PEOPLE INTO YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY?
I think people are drawn to photographs that feel like frames from a larger story. I want people to wonder what happened five minutes before and what’s about to happen five minutes after. There’s also a balance between aspiration and humor. The images can feel glamorous, but there’s usually some detail that undercuts the seriousness of it all. I think people respond to that because life is like that. Even in the most beautiful settings, there’s always something a little absurd happening.
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE “THE SHOT”?
I almost never know in the moment. I’m typically trying as many ideas as possible, improvising and hoping when I sit down to edit, at least half of them worked. A lot of my process is experimentation. Sometimes the image I thought would be the strongest ends up being completely forgettable and the frame I barely noticed at the time becomes the favorite.
HOW DID YOU DISCOVER YOUR “VOICE” AS A PHOTOGRAPHER?
I drew inspiration from my family, my friends, the communities I was lucky enough to grow up around and later become part of. The themes that appear in my work now were always there in some form: leisure, family dynamics, social rituals, eccentricity, tradition, glamour, humor.
Visually, it was a much slower process of trial and error. Early on, I studied other artists—not just photographers, but painters, filmmakers, interior designers, even old advertisements. At a certain point, I stopped trying to make images like other people and leaned harder into my own sense of humor and perspective. The hardest part is staying true to that voice once you have found it.
WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO SHOOT AND WHY?
Newport, RI, is probably my favorite because it feels wonderfully frozen in time. A dinner party can feel exactly the same as it did 50 years ago. The houses, the traditions, the slightly eccentric social rituals, the old station wagons filled with sandy towels and even sandier dogs. There’s a visual richness to it. Weathered shingles, old sailboats, peeling paint, grand estates beside slightly ramshackle beach cottages. It feels cinematic without trying too hard. I love the Northeast in the summer. There’s something nostalgic and deeply American about old docks, Fourth of July parades, children running around unsupervised until dark, and families returning to the same places generation after generation.
WHERE HAVE YOU WANTED TO SHOOT THAT YOU HAVEN’T YET?
I’d love to photograph the English countryside or Italian coast during the off-season. Not necessarily the glamorous version people imagine, but the quieter moments behind it. I’m always interested in places where tradition, beauty and absurdity coexist naturally.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE ANIMALS TO INCLUDE?
The boring answer is dogs because they are easy to work with, and have so much personality that comes through, even in photos. Horses are wonderful because they bring scale, elegance and a little danger. Monkeys are hilarious because they immediately destabilize any sense of sophistication in the room.
Animals are useful because they interrupt perfection.
WHAT’S THE MOST DANGEROUS ANIMAL SHOOT YOU’VE DONE? THE FUNNIEST?
I’ve worked with alligators, exotic birds, monkeys, bunnies, horses, camels and, most recently, an alpaca. The alligator was probably the one where everyone was most aware they could lose a limb, but we take all the safety precautions. The funniest moments are when the subjects try desperately to remain elegant while absolute chaos unfolds just outside the frame—mainly because not many of these animals are potty-trained. Alligators are incredibly motivated by pastries, which feels very Palm Beach somehow.
HOW DID YOU JOIN FORCES WITH CHARLOTTE DESIGNERS AND CONTENT CREATORS YOU’VE WORKED WITH? CHARLOTTE LUCAS? ROXY OWENS? OTHERS?
You naturally gravitate toward people who share a similar visual language. Charlotte Lucas and Roxy Owens both have this fearless relationship with color, pattern, theatricality and personality that I immediately connected with. Their work feels layered and joyful and unapologetically expressive, which is something I always respond to.
WHAT ARE YOUR IMPRESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE AND THE STYLE SCENE HERE?
Charlotte has this interesting blend of Southern polish and growing creative energy. There’s a traditional sensibility to a lot of the style here, but it doesn’t feel stiff. People seem increasingly willing to embrace personality and boldness in interiors and fashion rather than everything looking overly minimal and interchangeable.
I also think there’s an appreciation in Charlotte for entertaining and home culture that reminds me of older Southern traditions. It also reminds me a lot of Washington, D.C., where I grew up, and that makes me happy.