Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Nez.
Hi Christopher, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m originally from Phoenix, AZ and went to school for Film and Editing. I interned at a small music recording studio (Digi Labs) and then worked at Arizona Studios as their cinematographer, editor and colorist. During my time at the studio, I didn’t even own a camera or even a simple SD card. I would always ask to borrow a friend’s camera just to shoot some videos and just practice doing some still photos. Around 2018 is when I finally purchased my first DSLR with the help of a nice tax return. This was a huge step for me because I never owned my own equipment before and it just felt like I purchased a new car. My interest in doing photography grew dramatically and I just wanted to shoot as much as I can, whenever I can.
For my first “official” photo sessions I did, it was like most portrait photographer’s that start out was with a friend. I want to give a huge thank you to Melissa for being that first client I got to shoot with. She was so patient and understanding as to how awkward I felt because I wasn’t use to being alone during a shoot. You have to understand that working in film and being on set, you’re always working with a crew and always have some to help you. Being solo on shoots has taken some use to, especially having to lug around lighting gear.
For the rest of 2018, I would be learning from youtube about photography lighting with strobes/flashes. What a huge difference in lighting technics from Film to Photography. One is constant lighting and the other is a flash of light. I was shocked at how much of a difference those types of lightings are. Another major step in photography that I had to learn was editing those photos.
I believe during the post phase is where you separate yourself from others and start to develop your own style. I also believe that the post part of photography is what’s going to make or break you. You can expose properly and have great composition but if you don’t have a solid post-process, I feel like thats where some people fall short. I was lucky to have a friend that went to school for photography and that I would always ask her for her honest opinion about my photos. She was honest and didn’t hold back. So many times I was told that my work was cringe, sucky and even TRASH, but hearing that did hurt, but it also gave me the push I needed to change my post. Little by little I would go on Instagram and check out other photographers and would even ask them for help. Some would reply and give me advice and others would just leave me on read and thats totally fine with me.
Around the beginning of 2019, is when I started to get more paying gigs. I have done so many shoots for free just to get my portfolio up and running. Little by little, I was getting clients to a point to where it was starting to affect my main job at the studio. There comes the point when trying to work two jobs will overlap one another, and something is going to have to give. Unfortunately, midway through 2019, I was let go from Arizona Studios. I look back at that time and now see it as a blessing in disguise. I believe it was meant to be and it was motivation to push even harder to make photography my main business.
From mid-2019 to November 2019, I pushed and hustled as hard as I could to make enough money to pay rent and also to have money to move out to San Diego. While doing photo sessions here and there in Phoenix in the middle of summer, I was offered an opportunity to film a family for their YouTube channel. “Rolling with The Rodriguez’s” was the channel and the father was a radio personality in Phoenix on 101.5 FM. It so happens that Joey (Father) is close friends with the R&B singer Frankie J, who you might know is a local to San Diego. When I told Joey that I was going to move out to San Diego, he was happy for me and that he would get me in contact with Frankie J and set a photo session up. This was another big step for my business.
November comes and I moved to El Cajon. The feeling of moving closer to the beach is an amazing feeling and even better knowing you’re getting to shoot with a well know local artist. Well, you might think I was sitting well at this time, but reality hits me hard again. The fact that no one out here in San Diego knows has seen my work and that the competition out here is a lot more competitive. I feel like I have to start back from square one, back to where I was in 2018. It didn’t help with covid making its way stateside and lockdowns were in the talk. I was fortunate to squeeze in that shoot with Frankie J and come to find out that the images are going to be for his album cover. I can not thank Frankie J enough for taking a chance with me and letting me shoot his cover.
2020 comes rolling around and what is there to say? It just sucked. Fast forward to today because I’m sure a lot of you don’t want to hear about how crummy it was during that year. Talk about a doozy. Im still doing portrait photography and was recently contacted by expertise.com and was told I was part of their “Best Portrait Photographers in San Diego for 2021” So I think I am doing good for this year and I do believe there is still room for improvement.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been one of the roughest road I have faced in my life and I don’t think it’s going to get any easier soon. There are so many struggles that I have encountered, but there is one that sticks out the most and it dealt with a lot of financial struggle. It’s having the FEAR of people not wanting to hire you. It’s been a lot of self-doubt and trying to please everyone. In the beginning, I would price my service cheap just to please those and hoping they would book me and possibly book me again down the road. So much potential profit that I lost out on, just to please those. It took a while to finally put the saying “know your worth” into effect and to also accept that fact that not everyone is going book you but it will pay off in the long run, Eventually, there will be clients that will pay for the quality of service.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Nez Production LLC is a photography and videography small business based out of San Diego. I specialize in Portraits, Business Headshots, Fashion and now Family Portraits. I also film testimonial, interviews, music videos and promo videos as well. Our quality of work and style is what separates Nez Production from other photography business’s. I feel that I have a certain look to my images. Im very proud of being able to work with R&B singer Frankie J and shoot 2 of his latest album covers and get some of those images posted in “People En Español.”
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
There are a few people that have helped me on this journey. Of course, my parents played a huge roll in all of this. Without them, I don’t think I would’ve had any time to set up shoots. Nothing but love for them and they showed nothing but support to me and my photography career.
I would like thank my friend Ty Schell who showed me the real side of owning a business and to this day, has always been by my side and been encouraged me to continue on with photography. Also, he introduced me to Joey Rodriguez. Thank you to Joey Rodriguez and his family for letting me film their show while I was still in Phoenix and without Joey, I wouldn’t have meet up with Frankie J. Finally, I would like to thank Emilia Zuazo. She has been there from day one and has seen me go through the struggle. She has never doubted me, even when it has came close to crumbling down on me. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
Contact Info:
- Email: nezproductionllc@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.nezproduction.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_nezproduction_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NezProductionLLC
Image Credits:
Karla H. Amanda Rose Ashley Snoozy Melissa Marie Kiarra Anais Joey Rodriguez Frankie J Kevin Clemons
