Rising Stars: Meet Nickolas Wolf

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nickolas Wolf.

Hi Nickolas, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story? 
Currently, I work as a SAG Actor and a professional motorsport photographer, with other photographic opportunities in the sports and news space popping up when I have the chance. I started acting when I was about 11 or 12 after my parents asked if I wanted to try out for some commercials and have fun as an extra on TV shows. Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to work on some film and TV projects that have allowed me to become part of SAG Aftra. I have worked on projects all around the country, but primarily in Georgia. 

On the Motorsport side of things, I was originally a massive racing fan before I ever started acting, building relationships with drivers and teams at every race I attended, initially conducting my own interviews when given a chance. They seemed to have enjoyed doing short interviews with a young kid who wanted to be part of the sport somehow. At first, I only knew about NASCAR, but as I grew and began experimenting with photography, I learned about endurance racing and other forms of road racing. Since about 6 years ago, when I first turned 18, I have been working as a professional motorsport photographer, being able to travel the country to different historic venues and photograph teams, drivers, and manufacturers at some of the biggest races in the country. Most notably, I’ve captured images for Audi Sport, Mazda, Toyota Racing, and Lexus Racing. In 2024 I have some more expanded opportunities to work at NASCAR events, which is very exciting to look forward to. 

Alongside both my Acting and Motorsport work, I’ve been getting more involved in journalism, writing short articles and capturing images for a news organization at events that challenge what I’m currently familiar with, like Basketball Games and Rocket Launches at the Kennedy Space Center or Wallops Launch Facility in Virginia. 

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?
I would say more for Acting than for my photography, the road has been extremely long, with a lot of bumps and disappointing moments along the years. While I’ve worked a good amount on TV Shows and Feature Films, the grind to book larger, more involved roles is always present. Auditions come and go and even with times where bookings seem all but certain, it can be difficult at times to keep your head high and keep moving forward. I’m lucky enough to have another form of work to travel and build upon, so I can keep moving and working through pandemics, strikes, and just a lack of opportunities. However, when an acting project does come up, I never take it for granted. It’s a difficult thing to think about, but more with acting than anything else, you never know when another booking will arrive. I wish to keep moving forward, no matter the struggle, to keep my mind occupied and to “create” and learn. Both forms of work have difficulties (mostly with finding and keeping work opportunities), but both are also extremely unique and satisfying to be involved in. I’m lucky enough to be able to have work in both disciplines. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Acting and photography are interesting because both exist to record the human experience, whether it be through fictionalized stories or recording the work and experiences of people in sports. For one discipline, I’m in front of the camera, and for the other, I’m behind. 

The act of memorizing multiple pages of dialogue and play it out in coordination with all the crew members and other actors is a delicate and time-consuming dance that is hard not to be fascinated by. I find myself drawn at times more to listening in on what the crew is doing more than our acting scene between takes and shots. Whether it’s a massive AAA film set or a smaller local project and film team, the draw is always there, especially with how different teams and people work and problem-solve. I adore having the ability to work on these sets, and then to be able to see the completed work months after when the project finally releases. It’s hard to describe, but it’s nonetheless addicting. 

Photography, more specifically Motorsport Photography, allows me to not only capture the lives and work of those in the racing industry (an industry which I’ve loved since a child), but to also have a small part in it. I get to travel the country and see the same faces as they struggle, succeed, and fail throughout the season. I get to capture their stories and play a part in racing history as new generations of drivers, cars, and fans advance the sport. Just like with acting, my work is recorded, and I’m able to look back on it and learn. I can share it with others and maybe even make something creative and new. The hours can be long, the work tiring, and the money invested in equipment and travel heavy, but I never regret the struggle because of the memories and experiences I’ve had. Whether it’s working alongside drivers and team members over the course of a 12- or 24-hour race, rain or shine or standing next to a wall capturing cars travel past me at over 180mph, I would never replace the experiences. It overloads your senses and emotions. After about 3-4 days and after capturing between 10,000 to 25,000 images, the weekend is done, and you reset for the next event. I wish more people could experience and appreciate the racing world. Hopefully, they can through some of my images. 

As an added note, photography isn’t just limited to racing for me. When I’m home I absolutely love to capture images of the stars and deep space objects, and the occasional rocket launch if scheduling lines up. Space science, spaceflight, and astronomy are a newer love for me, but photography allows me to capture distant objects and the night sky in ways many only ever read about. It’s an extremely tricky art to experiment with and, at times, requires specialty equipment, but similar to capturing race cars around a track, I’m addicted to the process. I’ve captured distant galaxies, star-birthing regions of space, comets, and planets, and have captured historic rocket launches that help propel our knowledge of space and technology. It may still remain as a hobby, but a hobby I wish to share with anyone I can. 

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Both acting and the motorsport (sports) photography world are shifting seemingly every week. Between changes in technologies, laws, and new generations of creators and viewers, the shifts in what people want to see and experience never is stable. In the world of social media and online streaming, what people wish to see matters. Where is their attention? What other hundreds of things are consuming their time every day? Do they want to watch the same type of stories anymore, and do photos really matter in the digital space compared to shorts and videos that follow quickly changing trends? In these ways both industries I have a hand in are affected. I’m still growing, and so is the frontier for digital creation and recording. Both are surfing on a wave that can grow or shrink or be affected by technological changes very quickly. To find success or simply have a small chance at work, you have to learn and experiment. You also need to lean on those who are most experienced in the old ways of conducting work in both industries and learn how they are changing to keep afloat. Post-pandemic, everything seems strained and unstable, while creative outlets expand in other new ways. Education, experience, and flexibility in both fields are of the utmost importance. Nothing can remain stagnant. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickolaswolf/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nickolas.antonescuwolf
• Twitter: @nikiawolf
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4234640/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Image Credits
Leslie Stahlschmidt
Kyle Schwab
Fred Hardy