Featured Photographer #57: Jorge Nieto

January 23, 2017

Hi, my name is Jorge, I am from Madrid and I am a soon to be 40 year old big kid. I’ve been working in audiovisuals for a while, sometimes it feels It’s been for way toooo long. I am a 3d animator who loves to play with lights at the studio and works as a camera operator. Weird profile, I know, but somebody has to do the job! I always say that I will end my days living in an island, shooting pictures and just sitting in the sand watching the world go by. A cold beer in this scenario would be nice too.

What did you want to become in your childhood and are you that person today?

Man, if I had become everything I wanted to be when I was a child, probably I would be suffering of some kind of multiple personality disorder these days. A vet, an ice cream seller, a rockstar... now I can understand my mother's worried face.

Where did you meet photography or where did photography meet you?

Well, I guess I should blame this on my father. He used to be a photographer and he taught me well.

As a kid, I've been always surrounded by all kinds of film rolls and emulsions. I remember playing with a Kodak Brownie Fiesta at my grandparents place... those were the days. Just imagine my dad's eyes, raised into old school photography when his boy brought home his first digital camera. Priceless, believe me.

Where do you think the wisdom and instinct for a good photograph comes from?

What is a good photograph after all? Whose eyes judges it? Which are the rules? What feelings are involved in the shot? Is a picture made with a pinhole camera less valuable than the one shot with a Leica glass or a high end 1DX? In my opinion, we care too much about manuals and how to's. Maybe that forgotten shot made with a disposable camera becomes your favourite years later. You never know. Find that connection. Keep shooting. Fail. Retry. Learn.

This is my bag. There are many like it but this one is mine.

I've been shooting with Canon DSLRs for many, many years until that pain on my back told me to stop. I remember flying to Japan a few years ago and packing five lenses, two bodies and a little Fuji X-E1 that turned out to be a game changer in the way I used to see photography. Since then, I started to pay attention to the mirrorless market until today. I changed my huge Lowepro full of heavy glass, Canon bodies, flashes and expensive gadgets from the outer space for a little Domke bag filled with a Fuji X100T, an Xpro2, a couple of prime lenses and the little kickass Lumu (goodbye $600 Sekonic!) ..damn guys!, where have you been all my life!? Can you see me smiling?

Depending on the mood, I like switching from the Fuji equipment to a 35mm film Pentax ME Super and a little Yashica rangefinder, but light gear as well.

I like shooting both digital and film. I really enjoy using film for my personal projects but I don't think one is better over the other. For me, both are fun to use at the right time. Long story short, when it comes to takes pictures, embracing simplicity does the job for me.

How often do you / don’t you shoot?

I always have a camera with me. Every single day that I leave my home, there is at least one camera in my bag. Do I shoot everyday? I try to. I like challenging myself setting up different tasks related to photography, matter of fact, a few weeks ago, this book ended in my hands,The Photographer's Playbook. It's fun to read because it crosses the line about how to's, tips and tricks and comes up with really practical ideas and other times with really deep considerations that goes beyond the shutter sound and the prints in your hand.