Meet Christopher Nez | Photographer & Videographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christopher Nez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christopher, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I believe that risk taking is always going to be a huge role for anyone that is starting up their business. The feeling of not knowing what the outcome will be or even if your business is going to succeed can make you scared or even quit from the get go. When I first started my small photography/videography business, these 2 main questions will always run through my head “What if’s, or I should’ve done this/that better.” But that is the beauty of taking these risk. You will learn so much from the mistakes you make and I’m not going to lie. You will fail a lot and feel like it won’t get any better but, if you’re able to make the changes from your mistakes you will come out on top. Success doesn’t come over night.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a photographer, i believe my works stands out from others. From the vibrant colors, the composition in the image, to the creativity that goes into the image. When shooting on location, i love to use the sun as my back light and use a portable strobe as my key lighting. As a portrait photographer, i don’t use the typical 80-105mm lens. Majority of the time I shoot on a 35mm prime lens. Many would think this isn’t the right focal length lens to use but I like to be different and change it up, and well… its been working out for me. One project that I am proud of working on, is shooting an Album cover for San Diego’s local Frankie J. Not only did I get to work on his latest album (Back 2 US) but the previous one as well (Canciones Que Recuerdo). This album was recognized by “People En Espanyol Magazine” and was featured on their website also on Billboard.com.
The road to where I am with my business was a rough one but well worth it. In a nut shell, it really comes down to who you know. You could be the best photographer there is but if you don’t know the right people, you’re not going to go too far. You need to make those connections. Network, Network, Network!!
I was introduced to Joey back in Phoenix by my buddy Ty who use to run a recording studio. Joey was looking for a photographer/videographer to start his YouTube channel and thats when I was contacted. I was nervous to meet Joey, just cause I knew how popular he is on the radio in Phoenix and here I am just a nobody that had little to show for this role. I knew that if i wanted to get far with my career, I need to take a risk. I took the opportunity to work with Joey and since then, its been great. In the words of Joey Boy “You got the risk it for the biscuit”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Living in San Diego, there is just so many places to for my friend to visit. I know for sure I would take them to the beach I hold dear to my heart and that would be Imperial Beach. I just love the community out there and locals are just friendly. I enjoy the fact that it doesn’t get crowded like other beaches and the vibe there is super chill. Las Americas Premium Outlets is another spot that I would like to take my friend to. Not only do you shop at great shops but also get to see how close we are to the boarder. We would also visit Balboa Park and walk the trails. Some other spots that i would like to visit is Sunset Cliffs and also the tide pools in Ocean Beach. Some of the food spots that i would like to take my friend would be “Tacos El Gordo” off of H street. The Local Eatery & Drinking Hole in downtown and Karl Strauss Brewery in Downtown as well..
But in reality, i would spend as much time at the beach as possible for as many days i can. Pack lunch box with food and water and grab a couple cold ones from the nearest liquor shop and just soak up the sun to some tunes in the background.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people that deserves credit for my success in my small business. I want to give a huge thank you to my good friend Ty Schell. He has been there before my business was a thought and always encouraged me to start my own business and just go for it. Ty has helped me linked me up with multiple people that have hired me for my service but mostly I’m truly honored to have met him and still continue to work with him on multiple projects for his latest platform called Feeturre. Another individual that i have to give thanks to is Joey Rodriguez aka “Joey Boy”, who is the Lead radio personality on “The Morning Mess” crew, on 101.5 Live in Phoenix and B96 Chicago. Working with Joey has helped with a huge jump in my social media and business. While working with Joey, he has introduced me to multiple artist’s and talents in the entertainment industry. While working with him on his YouTube channel “Rolling with the Rodriguez”, Joey has became a fatherly role model to me and has shown me how to balance work and being a family man. The way he has shown his love for his family and kids has been very influential.
Finally I would like to thank my parents (Helena and Mike) and Emilia Zuazo for always being supportive form the begging and through the hard times when i wanted to quit. I also want to give thanks to Frankie J, who has been supportive as a client and also as a friend.

Thank you all.

Website: https://www.nezproduction.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_nezproductionllc_/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-nez-532124ba/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NezProductionLLC

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/nez-production-spring-valley-2?osq=nez+production

Other: ViewBug: https://www.viewbug.com/member/nezproduction

Image Credits
Frankie J, Cobra Lightning, Lacey Magdaline, Ashley Rowland, Courtney Laning, Ashley Young, Kiarra Barnes