May 6, 2026 · 1 hr 12 min · 14 segments
On this episode of The PHYS Podcast, Tyson Martin sits down with **Nolis Anderson**, a Chicago-based photographer known for capturing culture, identity, and real human moments through documentary and…
Nolis AndersonGuestTyson MartinHostToday, I sit down with Nolis Anderson, a Chicago-born photographer whose work highlights culture, identity, and storytelling.
Before fully stepping into photography, Nolis took a very different path, earning a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Chicago State University and spending two years working in medicine.
What followed was a leap into the unknown, one rooted in creative conviction, risk, and a belief in something bigger than stability.
Over a decade later, that decision has led to a body of work that speaks not just to what we see, but to what we feel.
In this conversation, we talk about what it really means to trust your path, the tension between security and purpose, and how NOLA's built a career photographing some of the most important cultural moments of our time, including documenting Barack Obama's farewell speech in Chicago.
We also dive into his work with brands and publications like Nike, Apple, The New York Times and Rolling Stone.
And we talk about how he's been able to move between commercial and cultural spaces without losing his voice.
It's about choosing the life that aligns with who you are, even when it doesn't make sense on paper.
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Today, I sit down with Nolis Anderson, a Chicago-born photographer whose work highlights culture, identity, and storytelling.
Before fully stepping into photography, Nolis took a very different path, earning a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Chicago State University and spending two years working in medicine.
What followed was a leap into the unknown, one rooted in creative conviction, risk, and a belief in something bigger than stability.
Over a decade later, that decision has led to a body of work that speaks not just to what we see, but to what we feel.
In this conversation, we talk about what it really means to trust your path, the tension between security and purpose, and how NOLA's built a career photographing some of the most important cultural moments of our time, including documenting Barack Obama's farewell speech in Chicago.
We also dive into his work with brands and publications like Nike, Apple, The New York Times and Rolling Stone.
And we talk about how he's been able to move between commercial and cultural spaces without losing his voice.
It's about choosing the life that aligns with who you are, even when it doesn't make sense on paper.