I recently had the opportunity to exclusively interview Nick Romi to learn five random facts about himself and the challenging part about being a photographer. Check out my interview with Nick below:
Loryn: What's a goal you hope to accomplish in the second half of this year?
Nick: I have small little personal goals each year that I hope to accomplish. This year I wanted to hit at least 500 organic followers on Instagram. I hit that already so now I’ve got my eyes set on 1,000. I’d also like to start doing more high fashion shoots and continue working with more clothing companies. If I can achieve these by the end of the year then it’s mission accomplished! If I don’t that’s okay too! I know if I continue what I’m doing I’ll eventually reach them!
Loryn: What has the global pandemic taught you?
Nick: Covid taught me a lot! I learned that you could thrive in any environment and that no matter what happens you still have the power to continue doing what you love. During the pandemic, I had the most photoshoots I’ve ever done in my entire life. I’m not too sure why that is. Maybe a little hustle mixed in with people tired of being at home, but it was one of the best years for me photography-wise. Even though there were so many horrible things going on I kept on track and turned something negative into a positive. I was able to keep learning and growing along the way. Definitely blessed for this as I know a lot of people did not have that same experience.
Loryn: What is the challenging part about being a photographer?
Nick: The challenge I used to face was just getting clients. I used to reach out to people left and right on social media. I rarely got any work. It can be extremely disappointing and discouraging especially when I was first starting out. After years of honing in on my craft and working with people here and there, I’m almost fully booked 1 month in advanced all the time! I have 2-4 shoots just about every weekend now. The challenge I currently face is telling myself it’s okay to take a break. I’m so happy that I’m booked all the time and it’s amazing having people come to me for work weekly but sometimes it gets tough. I have a family so it’s finding the balance between work and at home, life can be difficult sometimes, especially since I’m not trying to go back to not having so many clients. The work is what keeps me going but it can also be the very thing that hinders you too. I’m still trying to figure out the healthy dose for my family as well as my own well-being.
Loryn: Who is a dream client you'd like to work with?
Nick: I’d love to work with designer brands. It’s been a recent dream of mine to work with Gucci or Versace. I’ve been working a lot with Stolen Girlfriends Club and they’ve been awesome! I have almost total freedom over the shoots we do. I’ve been able to experiment with high end fashion brands and see what works best. The goal now is to continue that, keep working with other brands, and eventually open a door that leads to something more. I’ve learned from experience that not stopping will eventually lead you to where you want to be. You never know who you’ll meet or who will see your work. Someone at Stolen Girlfriends Club can end up at Gucci and then that’s my contact there to do a shoot. You make your own opportunities by pushing yourself and networking!
Loryn: What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
Nick: I always get asked “What school did you go to?” I have a quick answer for it: I didn’t. Initially I went to Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore but after my junior year I dropped out. I was studying digital media and film and felt like it was a complete waste of time. The people I was around were very negative and didn’t share the same passion as myself. Everyone wanted to be something but didn’t do anything to accomplish their dream. We read books and analyzed film/photography but never actually made anything or did something productive. I knew it wasn’t the place for me.
I dropped out and just started interning and hustling, taking any photography gig I could. I didn’t know at the time but that was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life. I learned so much through my own experiences than I’d ever get out of a classroom. I would’ve graduated in 2018 and it’s wild now to see so many people I went to school still struggling to find work. I was light years ahead of them by dropping out. It put me in the belly of the beast. I learned how hard and cutthroat this industry can be and it gave me tough skin. I think if you graduate and get a degree, then someone tells you you aren’t qualified since you don’t have any experience, just a degree, it hurts. It’s definitely a hard blow to take after spending all that time and money at school. I didn’t have that. I went in with tough skin and came out even tougher. I’m thankful for following my heart. It can never lead you in the wrong direction!
Be sure to stay updated with Nick Romi by following him on his social media profile:
IG: @nickromi_stills