We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Xavi. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Xavi below.

Xavi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I learned by experimenting. I started borrowing my mom’s point-and-shoot 35mm camera when I was in fifth grade, and from the beginning it was all hands-on. There’s no substitute for that when it comes to a craft.
Over time, I realized that the most essential skill isn’t technical, it is understanding the relationship between light and emotion. Light shapes how we feel about an image, and how a subject feels within it. I’m less interested in what you are supposed to see in a photograph, and more in what you feel when you look at it.
Another key skill is learning to observe. You can’t rush to have an opinion about everything. You have to let moments unfold. When you do, you start to find meaning and beauty in places most people overlook.
As for learning faster, I don’t think speed is the goal. Chasing that can take you in the wrong direction. What matters more is reaching a point where the craft becomes second nature, where you can enter a kind of flow state.
The biggest obstacle isn’t access or resources, it is internal. Beyond that, it is navigating a world that often rewards visibility over depth. Finding your place in that, while staying true to your values, is an ongoing challenge.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a Puerto Rican photographer and filmmaker based in Miami, working across photography, narrative film, documentary, and commercial projects as a writer, director, cinematographer, and editor. My path into this field started early. I was experimenting with a camera long before I understood the industry, and that hands-on curiosity is still at the core of how I work today.
Over the years, my career has taken different forms, from shooting campaigns for brands like Coca-Cola and T-Mobile to directing documentaries with institutions like HistoryMiami Museum, and more recently, developing long-form narrative work. My first feature film, Sunnyland, was completed during my time as an Oolite Arts Cinematic Arts Resident and went on to win Best Narrative at the New York Latino Film Festival.
At the core of everything I do is storytelling. Whether I’m working in a single frame or over the course of a film, I’m interested in capturing identity, culture, and the emotional realities people live through, especially within communities that are often overlooked. I approach each project with the same intention, to create images that don’t just communicate information, but evoke a feeling.
What I offer clients is not just execution, but perspective. I help translate ideas into visual language that feels honest and grounded. That often means focusing on atmosphere, light, and small human moments rather than over-explaining. I think what sets my work apart is that balance between a cinematic approach and a sensitivity to real, lived experience, regardless of whether it’s a photograph or a moving image.
I’m most proud of building a body of work that feels consistent in its intention, even as the formats change. From photography to short documentaries to narrative film, the through line is always the same, an attempt to create something that resonates on a human level.
For potential clients or collaborators, the most important thing to know is that I care deeply about the work. I believe anything worth doing is worth doing right. I’m interested in work that is intentional and honest. If it lasts, it’s because it speaks to something natural and human, not because it follows a trend. What matters most is doing my best, and continuing to grow.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think what can be difficult for non-creatives to understand is the tension between idealism and reality. Many of us build our lives around a vision, something meaningful, something beautiful, but that path can be precarious. The world doesn’t adjust itself to your purpose. You still have to make a living, and find a way to exist sustainably within your circumstances.
Where it often becomes complicated is around risk. How much uncertainty is worth embracing in order to pursue something you believe in? That’s where artists and more traditional paths tend to diverge. From the outside, it can look irresponsible. From the inside, it can feel necessary.
Ultimately, that threshold is personal. Only you know how far you can push things.
What I would say is this. There’s risk on both sides. You can fail at something you love, but you can also fail at something you don’t. You can lose a “secure” job just as easily. So the question becomes, if risk is unavoidable, what is it in service of?

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

A piece that had a real impact on me is a talk by Mark Duplass called “The Cavalry Is Not Coming.” It reinforces the idea that no one is going to arrive to validate your work or open the door for you. You have to take initiative and build your own path.
Growing up in Puerto Rico, that mindset was already part of how I approached things. There’s a certain self-sufficiency you develop, both out of necessity and culture. But hearing someone who had navigated the industry successfully articulate that idea so clearly gave it weight. It wasn’t just instinct anymore, it became a conscious philosophy.
That perspective shaped how I think about both creativity and business. Instead of waiting for the right opportunity, you create it. Instead of asking for permission, you start making the work. It shifts you from a passive mindset into an active one, where momentum comes from doing, not waiting.
It’s simple, but it’s something I come back to often.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://xavimedina.mypixieset.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corner_people/
• Other: https://xavimedina.portfoliobox.net

Image Credits

Photos by Xavi Medina

Models:
Anastasia
Marcis
Dariella
Mia
Maisa
Andrea