Nino Batista

Hi.

So, I've made a living as a photographer and retoucher since around 2009-ish, but creativity has been part of my life for a lot longer than that, and photography has never been the only way I've expressed it.

I'm a photographer, retoucher, musician, educator, and generally someone who likes making things. I've played guitar and bass for about 35 years, along with fooling around on keyboards, recording, audio production, video, and various other creative pursuits I've wandered into over the years. Some became professions, some became side projects, and some I simply do because I love doing them.

For years I chased the commercial side of the photography industry, sometimes successfully, mostly not. Along the way I discovered that the work I care about most isn't driven by trends, marketing plans, or trying to fit nicely into someone else's definition of success. What continues to inspire me is the creative process itself: the pursuit of beauty, connection, expression, and the challenge of creating something that feels authentic.

Call me a bleeding heart, I guess.

Yeah, ok, my photography has appeared in numerous international publications, I've spent more than a decade teaching photographers around the world, and I've had the privilege of speaking, judging, collaborating, and creating alongside artists from every corner of the industry. Those experiences have shaped me, but they aren't the reason I bother making art of any kind.

At the end of the day, I'm fascinated by creativity and the different ways we can communicate things that are difficult to put into words. Sometimes that's a photograph. Sometimes it's retouching an image until it finally feels right. Sometimes it's a guitar, recording something, producing audio, making a video, or disappearing down some entirely different creative rabbit hole.

And sometimes it's just beauty for the sake of beauty. That's reason enough for me.

If something I make encourages someone to look a little closer, listen a little longer, think a little differently, create a little more fearlessly, or find inspiration in their own artistic journey, then I've accomplished something worth, well, something. At least in my view.

Thanks for dropping by.

Nino Batista

  • Photographer, Retoucher, Musician & Educator

  • Professional Photography & Retouching (2009-present)

  • Photography Workshops & Education (2012-present)

  • Founder, NBP Retouch Tools (2017-present)

  • Guitar + Bass, Recording, Audio Production and Teacher

  • CreativeLive Instructor

  • PRO EDU Instructor

  • ShutterFest Speaker (multiple years)

  • AIBP Retreat Speaker & Judge (multiple years)

  • Intimate Art Society Awards Judge (2026)

  • Internationally Published (30+ magazine covers and editorial features)

  • Industry Brand Representative and Educator for Paul C. Buff, Floricolor, UAF Photo Lab, FusionTLC and others