Film Photography and Album Art: A Watkins Alum's Creative Path

Luke Rogers translates musicians' stories through visual storytelling 

Alumnus Luke Rogers ('20) has built his career capturing moments that last and creating visual worlds for Nashville's rising music artists. As a creative director, photographer and designer, Rogers brings a distinctive nostalgic style to his work, shooting exclusively on film to achieve what he describes as "a very raw feel" with grainy and saturated aesthetics. 

Rogers, who studied design communications with an emphasis in photography at Watkins College of Art, credited Belmont's strategic position in Nashville's creative ecosystem for helping launch his career. "The location was such a big thing," said Rogers, who originally hails from upstate New York. "I started just shooting musicians at Belmont, and a lot of my friends. Eventually, I kept shooting with friends that I thought were going to make it. Then the label stuff started happening. It's all really word of mouth in this town." 

While he initially planned to work at a design agency, a transformative experience in Associate Professor Christine Rogers' photography class changed his trajectory. "Seeing the magic of film was just so cool," Rogers recalled. "It was like the closest thing that I know to magic... I knew after that class that I wanted to keep exploring this world of film." 

The intimate nature of Belmont's art program provided Rogers with both creative freedom and structured guidance. "Being in the art program there felt like a different school," he reflected. "Where the building is, we're so secluded from the rest of campus that it felt like our own little club. The professors were very gentle with us, but they pushed us through the projects they gave us. I never felt like I was drowning, but I did feel creatively challenged and motivated." 

This balanced approach, combined with Belmont's diverse student body, created an ideal learning environment for Rogers. "Belmont is really special because very few people are from Nashville. You meet so many different people from different cultures and different parts of the states. And everyone has different styles." 

Since graduating in 2020, Rogers has established himself as a sought-after creative force in Nashville's music scene. Recently featured in the "Among the Beyond" Watkins alumni exhibition, his work has included collaborations with artists like Ashe, fellow alumnus Jake Wesley Rogers, Stephen Sanchez and Briston Maroney. His comprehensive approach to artist development encompasses everything from photography and cover art to merchandise design and music video direction. 

For current students aspiring to follow a similar path, Rogers emphasized the importance of organic networking at Belmont. "Networking can just be doing a photo shoot with one of your friends who wants to do music, or just having your name be passed around for doing shoots," he advised. "Eventually, you'll start working with people that you really admire." 

Rogers' journey exemplifies how Belmont's distinctive combination of intimate class sizes, industry-connected location and balanced curriculum can empower students to forge their own creative paths. His work can be viewed at lukemrogers.com and on Instagram.