We were lucky to catch up with Nimsi Coronado recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Nimsi thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?
Being successful doesn’t always pertain to the financial aspect, but mainly on whether if you’re fully doing what you enjoy and love. Hard work shows in many different ways; putting in the effort, being persistent and staying committed. In the photography community, I believe that success is when your work begins to inspire others. When my creative ideas and expression begins to flow consistently. When others view my photos and appreciate them. As the years have progressed and the more experience I have as a photographer, my view on this idea of success has shifted when I see it as the art it is, rather than fully as just a career.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
As cliche as it may sound, my photography journey began as simply as just a hobby. I’ve always had a creative side, with painting and drawing, until taking photos was the one that stuck out to me the most. I have been shooting for about almost seven years now, and even then, my knowledge still continues to expand. I personally don’t have a niche or prefer to stick to just one area of photography, but rather, do find myself focusing more on portraits, sports and concerts.
When I first began this as a hobby, it was initially with my phone, from there about a year after, I was gifted a powershot, the Canon SX520. As my skills improved, I upgraded myself to a Canon T5. For about 2-3 years it was the camera I used the most and is the main one where I started to do more portrait sessions. I became limited very fast as I greatly improved, from which I made the jump to the Canon 5D Mark IV. A year and a half later, the new mirrorless system had quickly taken over, and now shoot with the Canon R5 and the Canon R6 Mark II.
An accomplishment I am very proud of and one that was a turning point in where I recognized how far I had come, was when I covered the band, 5 Seconds of Summer, for one of their shows. As my younger self who had listened to them immensely, being in that position was definitely an experience, and not one I saw in the time coming. Acknowledging this is the beginning to what I hope to stick to in the near future with concert photography.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
I believe some people don’t always necessarily take us creatives seriously, especially when it is our career path in the arts. With photography there is this idea that it is a job that anyone can do and is something that can be done with a just a phone, when compared to cameras, or that it is as easy as click of a button. But it is more that just a mere action, it’s having a specific viewpoint or eye. Having the vision of creating an idea and composing a shot together, whether that’s relying on factors that can be controlled such as strobe lights, backgrounds, or factors that cannot, such as natural light or the weather. Being patient enough to wait for the perfectly composed shot, and finding the best angle.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
When my work is recognized or appreciated is definitely the most rewarding aspect of being a creative. In little ways too, such as my clients using photos I took of them as as their profile for their social media pages, or a post overall. Positive feedback for when they first view their images, being referred to by my clients to others. Or even when other photographers in the community share and compliment my work.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nimsicor.com
- Instagram: @nimsicor
Image Credits
Portrait of Nimsi by Michael Rodriguez