Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicolas Jaramillo.
Hi Nicolas, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My name is Nicolas Jaramillo, I am a photographer originally from Colombia now residing in the United States to pursue my career as an artist. I got my start in photography at 12 years old with an android phone doing Street Photography in Colombia. I fell in love with how I could capture the world in the way I saw it. Little by little I started developing my eye as a photographer and advanced to better, more capable cameras, the first time I saw a professional camera I almost passed out from the excitement!
Throughout high school, I was always looking at how I can advance in my career. I would go to school in the mornings and get paid for shoots in the afternoon. This motivated me to keep going and eventually after graduating decided to skip college and focus on my art. Since then, my mission has been to tell stories that I feel need to be told and grow my business one picture or video at a time.
Currently, the motivation for my work resides in telling a story and finding subjects and themes that are important to my community. With my work, I look to inspire, bring hope and light to social issues, and show appreciation for culture whilst utilizing the power of the image to bring attention to the story. Being a first-generation immigrant, I feel the need to capture and showcase the beauty of Latinx culture and show the world the diversity of Latin America through my work. Over the last 6 years, I have worked on developing creative ideas and capturing remarkable moments while showcasing artists within the community and giving a spotlight to the great talent present within it.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road at all, as an artist most of the time we look for ways to financially support our journey while keeping up with everyday life.
Whether that looks like lowering your expenses to the bare minimum so you can live off of your art, or having a day job that can finance your passion in the evenings or late at night. Overall I have no complaints about the life that I chose to live, I do what I love and get to meet incredible people, and have unreal experiences behind the camera. My time is mine, and I can use it to tell stories, that is all that matters to me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I currently work in photography and filmmaking. My work is divided into two sectors, Art and Commercial work. Commercially, I work for a production company called Nigoja Productions, and we specialize in telling stories and creating marketing pieces for businesses or individuals that are in need of visual content.
The other side of my work is more artistic, here I capture the beauty of creativity and Latinx culture that is so close to me. I hope that my work sparks an emotion in whoever is watching and that I can serve as a voice for those important individuals in my community that are not usually recognized by mainstream media.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
What I like about Saint Paul and Minneapolis is the beautiful architecture you can find anywhere you look, the contrast between the cities offers an incredible scenery that serves any kind of story waiting to be told. On the other hand, lately, it feels less and less secure to go outside and capture the essence of both cities.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nicolasjaramillo.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nigojapics/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nigojapics
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaramillo-nicolas/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa1zgOT-zpeG7AsClZNtqmA
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/nigoja-productions-saint-paul
Image Credits
Sammy Bramble
