September 14, 2016

Meet Photographer Willie Romero

Local Stories

Image Credit: Bettina Niedermann

Today we’d like to introduce you to the dapper Willie Romero.

Willie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve been associated with photography in one way or another since my early teens. I started using my parent’s 35mm film camera as a teenager. I’ve come a long way since my teen years. I got where I am today through perseverance and practice.

Has it been a smooth road?
The learning curve was rough at the beginning. I took a few photography classes 25+ years ago, but most of my learning has been through trial and error. I am a hands-on kind of person, so I prefer to try different methods and weed out what doesn’t work. I also ask lots of questions of my photography peers and learn from their experiences.

Who, or what, deserves a lot of credit for where you are today?
My wife, Laura, has been my biggest supporter throughout my career. One of my favorite subjects to photograph is travel photography. She is always willing and ready to travel. It can be a short road trip to Santa Barbara or San Diego or a trip across to the pond to London or Paris. She knows that part of our trip will be dedicated to photography and she supports me when I need to set up a shot or ask her to be part of my shot. I try to inconspicuously incorporate my wife and two kids in my travel photography. I try to have fun with my kids as well. My son, a senior in high school enjoys coming along as my assistant on shoots and asks lots of questions about lighting, composition and other important aspects of photography. He is a budding photographer who recently sold his first photograph during a photography exhibit in a gallery. Boxing photography is a big part of my life. My six-year-old daughter loves to accompany me when I photograph professional boxers all over LA. I think she’s been to more boxing gyms across LA than most adults I know. I’ve made my career a family affair and share a unique part of it with each person in my family. Each of them play a pivotal role in my career.

Do you have a favorite type of client or project?
My favorite projects are photographing boxing champions in the gym. There is something special about shooting a fighter in the gym as opposed to shooting them in a fight. There is so much raw emotion and energy that I am able to capture in my images. Whether it be a private moment between trainer and fighter or an energetic sparring session, there is always something to capture. I love being a “fly on the wall” when I’m in the gym with the champs. I’ve been fortunate to have had an opportunity to photograph some of the best fighters in the world, among them, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, Manny Pacquiao, Roman Gonzalez, Conor McGregor (UFC), Leo Santa Cruz to name a few. But I also enjoy photographing and spending time with up and coming prospects and amateur fighters. I also enjoy working on photography projects with prospects to get them exposure.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I could go back and change one thing, I would have asked a lot more questions at the beginning of my career. I would have sought the help of more experienced photographers. I would also tell budding photographers not to be discouraged by negativity regarding their work. Use the feedback to grow.

I would also tell budding photographers to create their own style and be original…stand out from the rest.

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