Behind a bright purple door near downtown’s Hampton Park, the smell of incense and strains
of rock music float down the stairs, inviting guests into an upstairs apartment. It’s lit by afternoon sunlight and filled with an eclectic collection of local art, all of which hint at the magic Lizzy Rollins is bringing to Charleston.
Born and raised in Mount Pleasant, the 30-year-old freelance photographer and director primarily uses a collection of film cameras to shoot branded content for various local companies. In the evenings, she runs a Parisian-style natural wine bar with her husband, Chris.
Rollins said she rotates between three film cameras and one digital kit for her projects, but primarily focuses on film, shooting mostly on 35mm and 120mm.
After graduating from the College of Charleston in 2015, Rollins started as a wedding photographer but eventually chose to pursue work helping brands create their
commercial imagery.
“I wanted to see if I could grow,” Rollins said. “I wanted to see if I could explore more for myself and challenge myself. When something gets too easy, then it feels like you need to change.”
Rollins is focusing on honing into her own style and taking on work that reflects that. So far, she’s worked with barbecue joint Lewis BBQ, newcomer Italian bistro Vern’s and Red Clay Hot Sauce, as well as national names like Vox Media and Anheuser-Busch.
Approachable style
Her atmospheric and approachable style stems from a love of film, and her study of how photography enables people to get intimately involved in each other’s lives.
Rollins’ self-described inclusive and honest approach to her work bridges into her space — a sunny one-bedroom apartment near Hampton Park. The centerpiece of the home is a sizable, worn wooden table sourced from Craigslist, surrounded by 10 mismatched chairs from the home in which Rollins grew up.
The table, lovingly referred to as “absolute garbage” by Rollins, has been the setting for many years of dinner parties with friends. Each chip and groove into its wooden top is filled with memories for Rollins and Chris.
The couple has made the space their own and filled the apartment with various odds and ends, including her photography, his guitar collection and hundreds of wine corks from their Jackson Street natural wine bar, Bar Rollins.
Parisian influence
The pair dreamed up Bar Rollins after a 2019 trip to Paris — their first time in Europe.
While in the City of Lights, the Rollins were inspired by seeing young people running and operating their own wine bars.
“We had spent so much time years prior learning, consuming and partaking in natural wine culture,” she said. “But we didn’t have a place out in the public to drink it and enjoy it, so we just wanted to make a place that felt like a place where we wanted to drink wine.”
The couple’s dream to create a wine bar for younger people that felt laid back and useful was realized when Chris opened the “wine dive bar,” Bar Rollins, with his business partner, Jess Vande Werken, in June 2022. It offered a rotating selection of natural wines and a new spot for the Rollins’ famous dinner parties.
“You don’t have to be of a certain age to be an expert on wine or to be passionate about it,” Lizzy Rollins said. “You can create the program that you want.”
Next project: The Big Night
Rollins is also creating her own destiny with her next big project — creative collective The Big Night.
The Big Night is bringing together Charleston’s creative talent, including videographers, photographers and producers to help attract larger commercial clients to the Lowcountry. The group is focusing on putting together the sort of projects they want to create and has already attracted several clients, including audiobook company Dipsea and Linne botanicals.
“Instead of sailing these individual little boats, we just made one big boat and are trying to sail that,” Rollins said.
Bringing clients to Charleston fits in with Rollins’ “tricky” relationship with the city she has always called home.
“I feel like it just has had such a hold on me for so long,” Rollins said, gazing over a view of downtown from her second-story porch. “I feel like I’m talking about like a lover when I’m talking about Charleston.”
Rollins said that trying to navigate growth and career changes, through Bar Rollins and The Big Night, has been complicated in Charleston, due to a combination of her niche interests and a smaller pool of clientele. Her affection, however, for the city remains even after 30 years.
“This still feels like the best place in the world,” she said. “We’ve come back from traveling, and just like sitting right here on the porch, chilling and drinking coffee.
“There’s some element of magic that is still present here.”
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