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

Riel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

As a 24 year old, sometimes I feel old when I think about my age. Then I think of things like this which makes me feel like I have yet to live a life because I don’t know what kind of legacy I want to build.

I hold this question dearly because of the passing of my dad not too long ago. My dad’s life was all about music. He was an organ player in high school, a college professor in music, then for the rest of time he was a keyboardist in bands from the Phillippines to Japan to the U.S. He will forever be remembered as someone who spent his whole life doing what he loved.

For me, I grew up loving to do crafts, projects or anything that had to do with creating things. Later in high school and college I soon fell in love with creating visuals through photo and video. It started as an outlet to express my emotions but it turned into something that I can’t imagine not doing for the rest of my life.

Looking back on how I tried to make meaning of the death of my dad, I think that’s it. I simply hope to remembered as someone who tried to live a life doing my best with what I love in the middle of this noise and chaos of this planet.

Riel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Riel Dioquino, I went to Rowan University to study Radio/ Television and Film. I recently moved to LA from New Jersey for work and for my family to start a new life. My love for photography and videography started during the pandemic when I had to take Video Art and Film Photography for my class electives. Those classes and my professors really helped spark that creative drive which brought me to today.

I am a freelance Photographer/ Videographer and Video Editor. My clients vary from modeling, to music videos or promotional/ cover art shoots for artists. To the core, I just really like creating editorial-like photos you see in magazines or tour posters from your favorite artists. I think I have grown to be a strong problem solver. I like to work with efficiency in a reasonably timely manor while still maintaining the quality of the work. When you have one idea that works perfectly or another idea that you may have to put to the side, I allow things to fall into place when they make sense and not be firm with ideas that have to happen even if they will affect the quality of it. I welcome change when I think it is necessary.

I’m really proud of how far I have come when it comes to working with people. It sounds very simple but as someone who struggles a lot with social anxiety throughout their whole life, this is certainly something to be celebrated. I’ve learned how to be genuine and present to connect with others in a way I have not been able to since high school.

When I created my earlier projects, a lot of them were influenced by how I was feeling at that time which a lot of them were very dark. My reason of creating was to make me feel my power and control again even when I wasn’t feeling it. That period of my life has helped me build a foundation of how I want my clients to feel when we create together. Same with how I want that feeling to be translated from the photos to others.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

2021 I can say was the most challenging year of my life. It was the time I learned that grief comes in many forms in life and that it was a transition year that I had to experience. Six days after my college graduation I got in a major car accident. I totaled my car and fractured my arm to pieces that would force me into surgery and rehabilitation. During the next few months, I have gone through an end of a long term friendship, an end of a toxic relationship and ultimately the passing of my father to Covid a week before Christmas and his birthday. My dads death was ultimately the reason we moved here in California to start fresh.

I didn’t realize grief was not only reserved for loosing someone in passing but it was also in loosing a friendship, what I thought was my partner and even a life I thought I was going to still have in New Jersey. I was lucky enough to be in a family where we listened and took care of each other so through time that pain turned into this strength that I will always hold by my side.

Looking back, I thought I would be able to start work after school but I guess I needed to experience life first in order to give me the thick skin and resilience that I have today.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I always ask the question why I want to create this project or why my clients want to come to me to create certain projects. Of course there’s the surface layer answer where it’s for content or a promotional poster for an album. I like to dig deep and go where there was a simple feeling that made them want to create this idea in the first place.

What feeling do we want to portray when we create this little world of a project? Do we want to feel like a badass like you’re the main character? Do we want to have a contemporary approach where certain poses or blocking with people tell a certain story we want to create? The options are endless, but it all boils down to a point where I am their vessel to help them translate anything that is coming through their mind on to screen or photo. It’s honestly a fun process, and it naturally creates closeness with clients since vulnerability tends to be the source of creativity sometimes.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rieldioquino.myportfolio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rmarc99/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/riel-dioquino-6a08b618a