What began with a camera on a family trip in Colorado has grown into a lifelong pursuit of capturing the raw and often unpredictable beauty of the natural world. In this piece, Nick shares the lessons, stories, and creative evolution that continue to shape his journey behind the lens. He also provides insights and lessons about his image taken in Patagonia, which won Best of the Week 12, 2025.
Growing up in Colorado meant being immersed in the outdoors—nature has always been an integral part of who I am. It was during a family trip to the mountains nearly ten years ago that I first picked up a camera, unknowingly starting a passion that would shape much of my life.
I discovered more of the world when I had the opportunity to spend a few months studying in Florence, Italy, during my college years. I had a strong love for travel previously, but it was in Florence where travel and photography came together. I spent most of my time in Florence shooting 35mm film, learning to develop film, and making prints in a darkroom. It was also when I decided to create more space for photography in my life.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned over time is the value of getting out and shooting, regardless of the conditions. Some of my absolute favorite photos have been taken amid storms, wind, and rain, as they capture the environment in its most raw form. For example, the image of a couple in the dunes of White Sands National Park in New Mexico, was taken in the middle of a windstorm with gusts reaching up to ~50 mph. There was sand everywhere, but it made for a great sense of haze and atmosphere!
Another valuable lesson is the importance of perseverance. As photographers, we will spend days, months, and years chasing the best conditions for a single photo. There have been places that I’ve revisited multiple times on a trip to just get the right light and composition, and I’ve always felt that it was worth it. So to anyone out there feeling desperate and about to give up: Keep trying—the photo is out there, you just need to be persistent enough (and, admittedly, stubborn enough) to find it.
When it comes to project work, for myself or clients, I have also had my fair share of lessons. Toward (potential) clients, being communicative and sharing my excitement for projects has gone a long way. It helps to build professional relationships where you’re hired just as much for the kind of person you are as the visuals you’re capable of creating. You’re the embodiment of the brand while you’re working with them, so don’t be afraid to be yourself!
All the while doing client work, I’ve realized the importance of personal projects. I love shooting for clients, but it is essential to prioritize yourself and your creativity. Personal projects have played a huge role in keeping me from burning out, whether it’s just going to shoot somewhere new for fresh inspiration or trying new photographic mediums.
The photo that won the Best of the Week represents the story of this balance between client work and personal projects. The image was captured on a recent trip to Patagonia. When I arrived in El Chaltén, a storm was rolling in, obscuring all the mountains from view. After a 3-day storm and 75+ mph winds, my travel partner, Mylz, and I were anxious to hit the trail in between client shoots.
We had planned to be backpacking in the nearby Los Glaciares National Park during the storm, but of course that didn’t quite work out. We spent most of our time during the storm bouncing between empanada shops, breweries, and maté cafes, hoping for a solid weather window. On our fourth morning in El Chaltén, Mylz and I woke up to clear skies and caught our first glimpse of Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy in the blue hour light (finally!!).
We hiked up to Laguna Torre after watching a breathtaking sunrise over the Fitz Roy massif. Funny enough, this was one of the places we were supposed to be camping the previous night.
At the end of the lake is the base of Cerro Torre, a notorious mountain that any climber around the world knows. It is a giant granite spire carved by glaciers and covered in frosty “mushroom” formations at the summit.
Standing at the base of this mountain as an avid climber was such a humbling experience, and it felt like a huge accomplishment after my relatively short time pursuing photography professionally.
The moment felt huge, but getting the actual photograph was a relatively small part of it—I had Mylz pose on our way out of the basin, snapped the picture, and we headed back down to town. I think that’s part of what makes the photo so special, though. It captures the raw feeling of being there in a very simple way, with the clouds drifting between the mountains and the wind howling around us.
It’s that emotion and drama that speaks to me when I look back at the photo, and I’d say it made the days of waiting completely worth it.
My goal here was to highlight the scale of Cerro Torre, and that is what guided the composition choice for the image. With the moment being such a humbling experience, I chose to replicate the drama of that feeling with a 135mm focal length.
I’m a big fan of simple compositions that let the landscape speak for itself. This composition isn’t too complicated, so it’s easier for the viewer to make their interpretation of what it felt like to be there.
When approaching any of my edits, I aim to keep things true to how I experienced them. I took a bit more creative liberty on this one, silhouetting Mylz with a few masks to keep the focus on Cerro Torre.
As it relates to the colors, I wanted the photo to look realistic while still being warm and stylized. I went for a more teal blue and increased the saturation of the oranges and reds. There is a lot of contrast between the dark foreground and the right mountain, so I made sure to keep the shadows up and highlights down on the mountain. That way, it leveled out the contrast across the whole frame and stayed true to the slight atmospheric haze that you get when looking at far-off peaks.
Colors always play a major role in my editing, as with most photographers. I love learning about color theory, and it honestly seems like I learn something new daily. Aside from tone curve adjustments, I spend most of my time on meticulous split toning and making adjustments to the color mixer in Lightroom Classic. I like things to feel realistic yet stylized, and it’s a difficult balance to achieve, but once reached, I feel the impact of it.
As part of maintaining a healthy balance between client work and personal creativity, I’m currently pursuing a project I’m deeply excited about: my first photo book. I will be returning to the Italian Dolomites to make a collection of photographs exploring the way of life there.
Given that the mountains of Italy are really where all this started, it seemed fitting to make them the focus of my first book. This is purely a personal pursuit, so it’s been a lot of fun to have a more long-term endeavor outside of commercial work. I’ve learned a lot about the value of ongoing creative passion projects, and it’s been incredibly creatively fulfilling.
The book is set to release at the end of this year, and I’m excited to share this deeply personal project with others who share my love for mountains, culture, and quiet moments of discovery.
Looking at the future, I see myself continuing to travel, refine my photography, and focus on spending time outside!
I am a part-time creative and see myself staying that way after finishing a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. My ultimate goal is to produce a series of books that I can share with other people who are passionate about travel and photography.
To get there, it’s really going to be a game of continuing to seek out new situations and pushing myself out of my comfort zone to improve. The best photos come from the most unexpected situations, and I can’t wait to see what stories I get to tell next!
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