Nicola had a nomadic childhood, living on four continents by the age of eight. Originally from Derbyshire, England, Nicola somehow ended up in Sydney, Australia and in 2003 Nicola was accepted into the prestigious Australian Film, TV and Radio School to study an MA in Cinematography, where she trained on film under Andrew Lesnie ASC ACS and Peter James ASC ACS. At film school Nicola worked on the 2006 Academy Award nominated drama short 'The Saviour'.
In 2014 Nicola became only the 8th woman in Australian history to be accredited into the Australian Cinematographers’ Society. And in 2023 Nicola was invited to join the British Society of Cinematographers. In 2022 Nicola was award the Craft award for outstanding work by Women in Film and TV in the UK. In 2024 Nicola was inducted into the ACS Hall of Fame.
Nicola shot documentaries for 10 years all over the world, in some of the most talked about places on earth - North Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan and after having survived that she now shoots high end TV drama and feature films. Her latest film ‘Benediction’ premiered at TIFF 2021 and was directed by the highly acclaimed UK director Terence Davies.
Nicola was the lead DP on ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 5 with director Elisabeth Moss, with whom she shot 3 episodes. She has numerous TV shows under her belt including ‘Harlots’ for Hulu, ‘Half Bad’ for Netflix, ‘Domina’ for Sky, and ‘Gentleman Jack’ for HBO. Nicola has just finished shooting the finale of season 2 of the flagship show Halo for Amblin Entertainment and Paramount Plus. Halo incorporated huge VFX and stunt sequences.
Based in London, Nicola is available for work worldwide.
AWARDS
Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences since 2020
2024 Awarded an Award of Distinction by the Australian Cinematographers’ Society for outstanding work in a TV drama series for ‘Ballet’ The Handmaid’s Tale ep 2 S5.
2023 Awarded a Gold Award by the Australian Cinematographers’ Society for outstanding work in a TV drama series for ‘Ballet’ The Handmaid’s Tale ep 2 S5.
2022 Awarded the MBS Craft Award for outstanding work in her field by Women and Film and TV London
2024 Inducted into the ACS Hall of Fame
Accredited into the British Society of Cinematographers in 2023
Member of BAFTA since 2018
Winner of the ICS 2022 award for Best Cinematography for ‘Benediction’
‘Benediction’ wins a Silver Award in the feature film category at the Australian Cinematographers’ Society Awards 2022
‘Domina’ wins a Bronze Award in the TV drama category at the Australian Cinematographers’ Society Awards 2021
‘Swan Lake Bath Ballet’ wins a Gold Award in the experimental category at the Australian Cinematographers’ Society Awards 2021
Chosen for WFTV UK Mentor scheme 2015
2014 Only the 8th woman in Australian history to be Accredited by the Australian Cinematographers' Society
2014 Australian Cinematographers' Society NSW Gold Award 'I am Emmanuel' - short drama
2012 Selected to attend the Berlinale Talent Campus
2011 World of Women Festival Award for Best Cinematographer 'Cockroach'
2010 ACS NSW Gold 'Cockroach' - short drama
2010 ACS NSW Silver 'Wall Boy' - short drama
2010 World of Women Festival Award for Best Cinematographer 'The Party Shoes'
2009 FujiFilm Flickerfest Award for Best Cinematography 'Play'
2009 ACS NSW Silver 'The Party Shoes' - short drama
2009 ACS NSW Silver 'Death in The Garden' - short drama
2007 ACS NSW Bronze 'Play - short drama
2007 ACS NSW Bronze 'Emergency, Emergency: The Hot lies' - music video
2007 'The Saviour' - nominated for an Academy Award for short film
2006 ACS Bronze 'Sony Tropfest Trailer' - Commercials
2006 ACS National Award for Best Student Cinematographer 'Debut' - short drama
2006 ACS National Award of Distinction 'Crooked Mick' - short drama
2005 'The Saviour' nominated for an Academy Award in Short live action
2005 ACS NSW Gold 'Debut' - short drama
2005 ACS NSW Gold 'Crooked Mick' - short drama
2005 ACS NSW Bronze 'Open: Break your Heart' - music video
2005 AFTRS High Achievement Award in Cinematography
2005 'Australian Summer' - winner of Tropfest Australia
2004 ACS NSW Gold - 'Late Shift' - short drama
FEATURE FILMS
‘Benediction’ - 2021 EMU films/ Dir: Terence Davies - Sony Venice
'Pin Cushion' - 2016 Prod: Gavin Humphries/ Dir: Deborah Haywood - Arri Alexa XT
'Manolo: The Boy Who Made Shoes for Lizards' - 2016 -Dir: Michael Roberts - Arri Amira
'Black & White & Sex' - 2012 - All at Once/Wintertime Prods/Dir: John Winter - RED
'Thirst' - 2011 - Imagine Films/Dir: Robert Carter - RED
'Girl Clock' - 2008 - Elephant Girl Prods/Dir: Jennifer Ussi - HD
TV DRAMA
‘Gangs of London’ S3 eps 5 and 6 - 2024 Dir: Tessa Hoffe/ Pulse Films - Sky/AMC - Arri Alexa 35
‘Halo’ S2 - eps 7 and 8, S2 - 2023 Dir: Dennie Gordon/ Prod: David Weiner - Amblin/Paramount Plus - Arri Mini LF
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ S5 - Lead DP Dir: Elisabeth Moss/ Prod: Warren Littlefield/Bruce Miller - MGM/ Hulu - Arri Mini
‘Half Bad: The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself’ S1 - 2022 Dir: Debs Patterson/ Prod: Steve Clarke-Hall, Imaginarium/ Netflix - Arri Mini LF
‘Gentleman Jack’ S2 - 2021 Dir: Amanda Brotchie/ Prods: Phil Collinson and Stella Merz, Lookout Point/ BBC and HBO- Sony Venice
‘Domina’ S1 - 2020 Dir: Debs Patterson/ Prod: Carmel Maloney and Simon Burke/ Sky TV- Arri Mini
‘Paradise Lost’ S1 - 2019 Dirs: Neema Barnette and Elodie Keene /Prods: David Kantor, Rhodes Fishbourne and Arrika Mitman / Paramount - Sony Venice
‘Harlots’ S3 - 2019 Dir: Chloe Thomas and Debs Patterson/ Prods: Alison Carpenter and Pat Tookey-Dickenson/ BBC2 and Hulu - Arri Mini
‘The Letdown’ S2- 2018 - Dirs: Sarah Scheller, Alison Bell, Amanda Brotchie, Trent O’Donnell, Prod: Linda Micsko/ Netflix - Panasonic Varicam
DRAMA SHORTS (SELECT FEW)
'Holy Cannelloni' - 2018 - Dir: Carolina Giammetti - Arri Mini
'Londonstani' - 2018 - Dir: Nirpal Bhogal - Arri Mini Anamorphic
'Smear' - 2017 - Dir: Kate Herron - Arri Mini
'Prince of Denmark' - 2016 - Dirs: Alex Kirkland and Rob Rafalat - Arri Mini Anamorphic
Sky Arts Christmas Shorts - 2015 - Dir: Dave Lambert - Baby Cow Prods. - Amira
'Pregnant Pause' - 2015 - Dir: Alice Seabright - Arri Mini
'F*ck it' - 2014 - Dir: Destiny Ekaragha - Alexa
'Memorias' - 2014 - Dir: Bertie, Producer: Big Balls Films - Red Epic
'I am Emmanuel' - 2013 - Dir: Genevieve Clay - Alexa
'Vote Yes' - 2013 - Dir: Nick Waterman - Alexa
'Cockroach' - 2010 - Dir: Luke Eve - RED
'The Bind' - 2010 - Dir: Michael Chrisoulakis - Genesis
'The Party Shoes' - 2009 - Screen Australia - Dir: Michelle Blanchard - Super 16mm
'Play' - 2007 - Screen Australia - Dir: Ben West - Varicam
'Australian Summer' - 2005 - winner of Tropfest Australia - Dir: Luke Eve - Super 16mm
'The Saviour' - 2004 - Academy Award nominated - Dir: Peter Templeman - 35mm
'Debut' - 2004 - Dir: Ben West - 35mm
'Crooked Mick' - 2004 - Dir: Phil Smith - Varicam
COMMERCIALS
Numerous commercials for productions companies including Chromista, Dazed and Confused White Label, Kode, Missing Link, as well as many leading Australian companies.