Meet Nick Rufo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Rufo.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
My photography career story is not as unique as others might be. Visual arts have always been apart of my life and upbringing. I grew up with my Dad being a feature film editor and my Mom who also dabbled in many forms of art. I always had a camera starting at a young age but instead of photos, my time was spent shooting short films and skate videos with my close friends. We spent years creating all kinds of different videos, simultaneously trying to get sponsored by skate companies and/or becoming YouTube partners from our short films while we were only in middle school. Neither of which came to fruition.

This ultimately led to drifting away from the video and experimenting with still photos instead. Near the end of High School, 2014, I was taking photo classes but I never liked to learn things from other people, I always found more enjoyment in researching things on my own and learning them at my pace. I used the photo classes in High School primarily for the project ideas/assignments that were given on a weekly or monthly basis, other than that I was progressing and learning everything on my own. I always loved to create stories within film and film editing, but I was now beginning to fall in love with creating stories out of still images.

Please tell us about your art.
I’m primarily a photographer who works with both digital and film, and who really has no limit on the specific photographic genre. If I had to narrow it down, I shoot a lot of street photos, portraits and cityscapes. Although, I shoot a lot of concerts, lifestyle campaigns, retail commercial photos, landscapes when I get the chance to travel, and I’m always open to shoot new things and try different styles. I also still work with video/cinematography as well as some art direction here and there.

I really like photographing things that I think look cool, and the inspiration comes from how I appreciate colors and certain subjects, and how a lot of different things can come together and make an interesting composition and story within an image. A lot of the inspiration comes from the city I live in and the things I see every day, as well as the feelings I go through in my personal life and trying to evoke that in the photos.

I’m still not sure what I want people to take away from my photos, I put them out into the world sometimes not knowing what I take away from them because it can change over time for me, so I could never anticipate what another person may think about them. I just hope they enjoy them and find something to appreciate.

Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
“The best camera is the one that’s with you”.

Financial challenges can no doubt show up for artists, but we’re supposed to be creative. Just like you’d want to be creative taking a photo or making a film, you have to be creative in getting around some of those financial challenges and figure out how to make the art you want to make. Some of my shots are made with my DSLR and other equipment that adds up to a couple grand, but some of my other shots are made with a film camera that can be bought for under $100 now.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nickrufo.com
• Email: contact@nickrufo.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/killthecity
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/nickjrufo

Image Credit:
@killthecity, @igetignored

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