Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Bello.
Hi Anthony, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was stationed in Japan for two years from October 2018-October 2020 where I decided to document my time by vlogging with aspirations to be a Youtube Vlogger. It gave me a reason to venture out and see as much of Japan as I possibly could during my time off. Consistently seeing and trying different things and immersing myself into Japanese culture, I fell in love with the process of filming. I paid very little attention to photography as my main focus was video. I started out with a Go Pro Hero 7 then later transitioned to my first DLSR Canon T7i, wanting to get a little more reach with video capabilities. My traveling and vlogging came to a screeching halt when the pandemic struck. We were basically locked down to our general area with little to no movement. That’s when photography began to take the forefront. Staying at home gave me a lot of time to watching Youtube endlessly on “how to take photos”. By trial and error and taking creative at-home photos is where photography began to gain its appeal. At some point, they began to let us go out in a small radius and was able to start taking pictures of friends, and ultimately when I began taking portraits. My skills began to develop and started to gain interest from others to want to have their photos taken by me and its when I realized, I might have finally found something that I have a passion for, and good at. After leaving Japan and coming to California, I continued my journey finding individuals to collaborate with and hone my skills to where I am today.
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 hasn’t been a smooth road following my passion as a photographer. Developing the skills to want people to work with me, or to give me a chance has always been an upward hill of sorts. Being turned down or not having enough experience to leverage potential clients is usually the hardest part for anyone starting up, which I completely understood going into this. Networking is probably one of the tougher aspects at some points as an outsider trying to get into creative circles. There are ebbs and flows and it definitely hasn’t been a linear process. I have gotten lucky at some points getting references or filling gaps for creatives that I can provide whether it has been being a second shooter, videographer, or an assistant. Those have led me to other jobs, and I have been extremely grateful for those opportunities because I just never know where those doors might lead me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a photographer and videographer that has had a focus predominantly on portrait photography, where over the past 3 months I’ve been doing more event photography such as weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays. My first publishing in a magazine was a momentous achievement for me. Something about that validation from a standpoint of someone with an unbiased opinion of my work felt that my work belonged in their magazine. I believe what sets me apart from others is that when I take a photo, there is so much more than just that, a photo. You look at the image, and you feel something, you connect with it in a distinct way.
Any big plans?
My plans for the future is to continue building my brand and business, developing community and enjoying the journey. I’m looking forward to what’s ahead, taking Tony Nomadic Media to the next level, producing engaging content and continue to advance my skill set. I’m in the beginning phase of creating my first short film that I’m extremely excited about! It’s a loose adaptation of my favorite book “The Alchemist” with some sci-fi fused in.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tonynomadic.media
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tony_nomadic/
