Meet Nkosi Gomez | Photographer / Film-maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nkosi Gomez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nkosi, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Balance or staying centered is at the forefront of my awareness. I am actively learning to stop, pause, and notice. No decision or action can be made without first moving from the very center. So every day is an opportunity of learning to observe the mind and see what emotions are there as the witness. I understand that things done with a scattered mind reveal scattered results, so when I began to walk this path with true intention, it required that I be vigilant and aware that I am aware. Every morning, I set the tone of the day with Kriyas and stillness. At night, before I rest, I reflect, pray, chant, and listen again to the silence. This is my sadhana or spiritual practice. It keeps me grounded. There is no work life or personal life. There just is. I am spirit experiencing life as a human. Everything is a meditation. There was a time before when I was deeply identified as the wave and not the ocean itself. I was completely consumed by every little hurdle life presented, only viewing the world through the lens of stress and tension due to a lack of awareness. Reacting instead of responding to life moved me away from the center. Integrating this teaching has shifted my focus, and now things continue to remain sound. It is a practice every day to let go of victim identity, be patient, and not take things personally. Everything coming up is strengthening and transforming this experience. I approach life with an open heart, seeing that all actions are of service to something greater than what we comprehend. In all actions, I have a choice: misery or joy, harm or harmony.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have a deep urge for creative fulfillment and expansion within my medium. The camera is the tool I use when the feeling of creativity arises. Tony A. Chirinos, my college professor, taught that photography rewards those who wait and closely observe. I didn’t fully digest that teaching until many years after graduating. Most of the work produced during my studies was conceptual and series-based. At that time, I labeled myself as a minimalist fine art photographer. Now, wherever I am, the camera is too. There doesn’t need to be an idea to execute upon for the camera to come out of the bag. I’ve made this medium a practice. Like a moving meditation. This sharpens the blade of the seer, seen, and sight. I am the silent observer. A moment captured is a response of observation. The mind is quiet yet sensitive to the chaos and harmony inherent in the world. If I become too absorbed in thinking, I miss the shot, and the moment is gone. When I hear and see the great photographic achievements made by others, I become aware of the fact that what they’ve done, I can also do. After all, we are linked to the same universal field of intelligence. Lately, I’ve been shooting with 35mm film to better my understanding of metering light while composing. There’s a deep affection for how realistic and dated an analog image renders versus a full-frame digital camera. Photography and videography is how I sustain practical needs and support my family. I am a one-man team. Commercial work presents its struggles when wearing both caps; however, I manage. I realize I am a teller of stories. My goal when working with others is to fully understand their desired vision and bring it across in a sensible way that moves the viewer intrinsically. I realize clients don’t want to be riddled with hundreds of files to choose from; they want results and a project that creates meaning.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I had a friend visiting, there would be two places that come to mind. The Redland Market & Tierra Amor. The market is a fantastic place for fresh juice, Mexican food, and produce from local family farms. It’s buzzing with people every Friday through Sunday. There’s music, animals, and activities for kids. I visit often to photograph and eat ice cream and tacos with my son. Tierra Amor Church is also in the Redlands, which is a community that offers a spiritual path and companionship to folks on a journey of self-realization, spiritual healing, and well-being. It is a safe space and loving community rooted in ancestral earth-based practices and sacred ceremonies. Often, there are wisdom and song circles each month that I attend and commune with like-minded brothers and sisters.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I dedicate my shout-out to my Mentor Giselle Marzo Segura of Tierra Amor Church. She is a mother to me who continues to guide and offer invitations in many schools of thought. She always reminds me not to believe anything she says until I first have the experience myself.

Giselle@tierraamor.org
https://www.instagram.com/tierraamorchurch/
https://www.instagram.com/alquimia.de.un.renacer/

Website: https://chancenkosigomez.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nkosiart/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nkosiart

Other: Email: Nkosi.artiste@gmail.com