Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Walker.
Hi Nick, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I moved to NYC to finish business school and was looking for a job. I was interested in the creative industry but didn’t have a clear path to get a job. My mother worked at a bank back in the LA and one of her clients owned a photo studio. I started there doing anything and everything and after working there for a few months, I had asked the studio manager that I would love to try to get on set and assist. That February they shut down the studios out of nowhere and there were photographers and other people who worked there outside in disbelief and gossiping. People were asking me if I was gonna be looking for work and I shared my info with a few of them. I was lucky enough that one photographer that day, Jesse Winter, ended up giving me a call and asking to help him on a shoot. After that, he took me under his wing and started to teach me about photography and lighting. I had never taken a photo class and that was introductory to learning about photography.
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?
Smooth is a relative term. I’d compare it more to a marathon. Lots of struggles along the way but I was always so excited to keep learning and pushing myself to apply the skills I was learning. Freelance is a very crazy lifestyle. You learn to not pull the alarm and just trust the process. But yes I think the struggle of not knowing when your next job is, mixed with the constant challenge of creating new work can be overwhelming. In addition the life/work balance. But every day I feel so grateful that at the end of the day I know whenever I put the extra effort into a project I’m contributing back into myself and my company.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a photographer and director. I work with a lot of artists in the music industry and other branded content. The thing I’m most proud of is that I treat every job like it could be my last. Meaning I really do MY best to make the best product for whomever it is. I stress the “MY” because oftentimes there’s things you can’t control. But I can control how much effort and problem-solving I can do. I think this sets me apart from the others because I persevere. It’s never a “We can’t get it done…” it’s always a “How can we get it done.”
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love how many pockets of Los Angeles there still is. I still discover new areas every year. I love that you have so many different environments too… The beach, the desert, the mountains, the lakes… All of it.
I wish there were more outside seating situations… Obviously, the pandemic forced LA to do that… But I think its something that was long overdue.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nickwalkerstudio.com
- Instagram: nickwalkerstudio
