Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicolas Romero.
Hi Nicolas, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been in love with photography and film since I was a kid, watching my dad use his cameras and camcorders to record early memories of my sister and I. Fast forward to high school, where he gifted me my first camera, a Nikon D3100. I used it for the entirety of my senior year of high school working on an exhibition project where my goal was to spread self-love and body positivity through photography. This year-long project gave me the opportunity to speak about photography in my own TEDx talk in 2018, solidifying my desire to pursue this career. I later went to Texas Tech University where I worked for the athletics department as a broadcast camera operator. After graduating in 2021 with a digital media and communications degree, my focus shifted toward video work, and I applied for an internship with the Houston SaberCats, dipping my feet in the sports industry and giving video work a try. The season came to an end in the summer, and I transitioned over to shooting high school football for Richmond Foster. Now, I am the director of creative media for the team at the age of 22, and I pursue various passion projects on the side involving documenting our city’s culture and prioritizing documentary-style film work and photography in 2023.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been easy. There have been countless times when I was unmotivated, uninspired, feeling like an imposter, struggling financially, letting people’s judgments get to me, and thinking everyone hated my work. In reality, I slowly realized that growth is non-linear. The best thing I could do for myself was to tune out whatever wasn’t igniting something in me. When I look back at all I’ve accomplished, I can only be grateful for sticking with what I love, pacing myself along the way, and making sure I don’t burn out. As creatives, it’s expected that we have fast-turnaround times, dedicate all our time to our craft, and adapt to any and every situation, and it’s that kind of unrealistic thinking that poisons us. Tie that into hustle culture being far too glorified, and it’s a recipe for disaster. I think if we collectively addressed these stigmas and the way people view creatives, we can hope to see the quality of work and quality of life for creatives benefit altogether.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I do filmmaking and photography, specializing in documentary-style camera work. I’m most proud of my dedication and genuine love for what I do. All the amazing friends and people I’ve met through my work, the connections and experiences shared with individuals I likely would’ve never met had it not been for what I do; that kind of gift is priceless. I aim to create work that makes us FEEL. To create stunning pieces of visual storytelling.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I think there will be more rules and regulations in place to protect and provide for creatives. We see it too often where creatives are manipulated and taken advantage of with little to no repercussions. I hope we stop using social media metrics and views as ways to gauge talent or skill. I’ve seen amazing art from people with hardly any followers. I also think the way people view cinematography and visual storytelling will be so diverse. The best movies in our existence probably haven’t even been written yet. I constantly see so many talented young artists through social media like producers, photographers, and video editors, and their work always blows me away. I look forward to seeing and being a part of the big movement.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nicolasjromero.myportfolio.com
- Instagram: NickRomeroFilms
- Twitter: NickRomeroFilms
Image Credits
@alexseyreyes
