Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicolas Banda.
Hi Nicolas, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I discovered my passion for photography early on in my middle school years. I would take pictures with my phone just for the fun of it. Junior year of high school (as cliche as it sounds) I woke up one day and randomly decided to purchase a camera. I had been saving money for most of my life at this point and there weren’t very many expensive purchases for a Junior in high school to use his savings on at the time, so I decided to buy a Canon T6i. Fast forward three years, after doing portrait sessions for free with friends, beginning to do video work, and eventually charging clients, I have since built a name for my production business in my hometown of Laredo and all across Texas. Banda TX Photo & Film (@banda.tx on Instagram) is the business that has allowed me to produce media and develop relationships with clients like Bally Sports Southwest, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, FBU, AreYouHappy on TikTok (@areyouhapppy), Country music artist Jacob Stelly, United High School in Laredo Texas, and many more. Aside from my freelance production business. I have maintained a position with The University of Texas’ Texas Athletics program as a senior creative development associate. What started as an internship my freshman year at UT has developed into a part-time position creating photo, video, and graphic content for all sports at UT. From covering UT football games surrounded by thousands of fans to being able to tell the stories of our hard working students athletes here at Texas, being a creative for Texas Athletics has been one of my greatest joys thus far in life. The Texas Athletics workplace and the Texas brand is without a doubt one of the largest communities I have ever been a part of. Everywhere you go you’ll see a longhorn, you don’t even have to be in Texas. To be a creator who’s job is to elevate that brand to new levels is something I am very proud of. Today, as a Sophomore at UT, my day to day life includes attending classes as I pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Art and Entertainment Technologies, producing media content for clients all over Texas with my freelance business, and producing content for UT sports.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Some of the struggles I have encountered throughout my journey of where I am today include: self-doubt (imposter syndrome: “am I really as good a creative as I seem to be,” the doubt of others: the “starving artist” perception or whether getting a “film degree” is worth it, years of teachings myself most of what I know, learning from others to fill the gaps of what I don’t know, learning the in’s and out’s of a business and client work along the way, finding a work-life balance as a student, freelancer, and part-timer, and continually being creative every day.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I would consider myself primarily a sports creative. I certainly love and work in the creative industry outside of sports, but sports is what takes up most of my work. I wouldn’t say I specialize in anything particular. Since I do photography, videography, and graphic design, my client. Work is always changing and welcomes any and all work. I would say I’m likely most known for my sports work and work with UT. That takes up the majority of my Instagram feed, where most of my business is shared, I am most proud of my ability to create individually. In the most humble way, I don’t need a team or employees, from landing clients, planning shoots, executing shoots on the day of, and post-producing work, I have learned and taught myself it all. This is not to say that I’m set in stone for life, I certainly learn more and more every day, and I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am today without my relationships with fellow creatives. Additionally, this doesn’t mean I avoid projects including others, some of my best work has come with producing content with multiple creatives. However, knowing that I can do it alone and that I’ve taken the time to learn every branch of producing content is something I am very proud of. I believe what sets me apart from others comes down quite simply to my love for art and creation. I love what I do. To put it simply, I don’t think I’ve ever worked a day in my life. This love for creation is hard to replicate. Add that on top of my endless desire to learn more and grow as a better every day, I truly believe this sets me apart from the rest. There is a quote echoed by Texas Alum Kevin Durant “hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.” What happens when you combine talent and hard work?
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I would say the most surprising thing people find about me is my age (20). There have been instances where I have found it hard to get people to believe that my work is mine. I’m sure many of my young creative piers would agree with this. The industry has simply come to a point where age is meaningless. If you can produce the high-quality content people are looking for, then who cares if you’re still high school or college.
Contact Info:
- Email: nicolasbanda101@gmail.com
- Website: www.bandatx.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/banda.tx
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bandatx?s=21
Image Credits
The image of myself holding the camera on game day was taken by Olivia Ramirez (@oliviapaige.r on instagram)
