Randee St. Nicholas is an acclaimed, award-winning Photographer and Director based in Los Angeles.
After studying painting into her early twenties, chance opportunities led St. Nicholas to pick up a camera, revealing her destiny to become a professional photographer. Her photographs of global superstars have appeared in major publications, including Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Elle, Interview, etc. Her client list is a who’s who of celebrity talent across music, film, and television: from Prince, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan, the Bee Gees, Van Halen, Rod Stewart, John Legend, Celine Dion, Dolly Parton, Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac, Carrie Underwood, Miley Cyrus, and Britney Spears to Tom Cruise, Richard Gere, Matthew McConaughey, Patrick Swayze, Angela Bassett, Kim Basinger, Charlize Theron, Martha Stewart, Paris Hilton, Howard Stern, Jamie Foxx, and Sarah Jessica Parker.
When Prince convinced St. Nicholas to direct his music video “Gett Off,” her career as a director was born. Her second music video for Whitney Houston’s smash hit, “I’m Every Woman,” became one of the most celebrated videos of all time. To date, Randee has directed hundreds of music videos for iconic artists across all genres and won countless Music Video Awards. St. Nicholas recently won the CMT Music Video of the Year for Carrie Underwood and John Legend’s haunting duet, “Hallelujah.”
Upon signing with Ridley and Tony Scott’s production company, RSA, St. Nicholas expanded into directing commercials, beginning with 19 award-winning spots for Martha Stewart. She has directed dozens of commercials for a diverse roster of clients ranging from Revlon, Elizabeth Arden, Ford Motors, Ivory, Juicy Couture, Lancome, Estée Lauder, Urban Decay, and L’Oréal.
Randee has also directed several long-form projects, including Prince’s “3 Chains O’ Gold,” Alison Krauss & Union Station’s “Paper Airplane,” and Grammy-nominated “The Hang,” with jazz icons Don and Dave Grusin. She is currently completing a documentary short film with music superproducer Glen Ballard and Grammy award-winning artist Shelby Lynne.
St. Nicholas published her first book, “21 Nights,” with Prince in 2008, documenting his historic 21-night residency at London’s O2 Arena. Since then, she curated “Whitney: Tribute to an Icon” in 2012 and published a 25-year retrospective entitled “My Name Is Prince” in 2019. Both works illustrate St. Nicholas’ extensive working relationship with each.
St. Nicholas is currently working with legendary photography gallerist David Fahey of Fahey Klein Gallery to bring her work to the fine art world for the first time and create more complete retrospective projects from her archives.
St. Nicholas was bestowed an honorary doctorate by Academy of Art University’s Director of Liberal Arts and the School of Art History, Gabriela Sotomayor, on Thursday, May 23. She delivered the following speech to this year’s graduating class.
Thank you to Elisa Stephens and the faculty of the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, for honoring me with this very special doctorate. It is completely unexpected, quite humbling, and pretty amazing all at the same time.
A whirlwind of memories and emotions has been swirling around in my head ever since I received this doctorate invitation. While looking through the vast archives of my work to loan to the Academy for the video presentation you just saw, I journeyed back through 100’s of music videos and commercials that I directed and album covers and advertising projects that I photographed, many of which I have not looked at in years.
There are so many fond recollections of the incredible team of artists that gathered to make each project come to life, the crazy production stories of how we got there, and the impossible assignments that were laid before us that we somehow managed to power through.
All of it, every detail from the beginning of a project to its completion, reminds me of just how lucky I am to have found my creative path and how much I truly love the work.
It’s all about the work. The challenge, the process, the team you’re working with, and the happy surprise at the project’s conclusion when the final creative is even better than you ever thought it could be.
As all of you begin the next part of your own unique adventure, I think it’s important to take note that being an artist in the commercial world can be a bumpy road. Artistic vision is subjective. Not everyone will get you or your vision. There are those who will honor what you do and hire you over and over again. And there are those who will never give you the chance to share your creative insights.
If you stay out of your head and stay true to the inspiration that fuels you, you will find true enjoyment, satisfaction, and appreciation in the work that comes your way.
When I was still in high school, I had one art teacher who just did not get me. He used to tell my parents that I made no attempt to follow his assignments. My parents always stuck up for me and told him that even as a young child, I always had my own imaginative way of seeing things, which he did not respond to favorably. The strange thing about this teacher was that he used to keep all my paintings at the end of the school semester instead of returning them to me as he did with the rest of the class. I never quite understood if that was a kind of punishment or if he was going to use them as a reference for what not to do. But I never forgot him because of it.
Years later, when I finally achieved some recognition in the music industry, I secretly hoped this teacher, who I knew was a music lover, would see some of my music videos or album covers and privately, to himself, acknowledge that I had at least some talent.
Sometimes it’s the non-believers who energize us to let go of needing other’s approvals and soar to our own heights.
In defense of Mr. DeSoto—the non-believer—his assignments, although I found them to be un-imaginative, turned out were hugely important and useful for my future work in the commercial advertising industry. In truth, his disapproval of my work forced me to stretch myself, to be either more rebellious or find a way to conform without losing the work’s integrity to get his approval—either way; it did give me a foundation for understanding how to work within confines and structure.
It turns out that boundaries are not necessarily limitations; they can just provide a safe place for creativity to flourish within while still accomplishing the goals we set out to achieve.
Arm yourself with inspiration—being inspired is a gift!
It saves us every day from the mundane and protects us from our own unavoidable insecurities.
Be as fearless as you can. Be resolute and passionate in the creation of your work while remaining unguarded and open to your ideas evolving and changing at the same time. And most importantly, pay attention to everything! SEE and LISTEN: there is inspiration everywhere. It’s all around you. Don’t miss it by overthinking things. Just stay open to the endless opportunities that present themselves. Take it all in and make it all your own. And do your very best to find a way to enjoy the ride!
Thank you again for honoring the work! It makes me smile to know that it is appreciated.