Today we’d like to introduce you to Rolando Lopez.
Hi Rolando, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am Rolando Lopez, the owner and founder of Southwest Florida Films. I was born and raised in Costa Rica. I went to college and graduated from Civil Engineering. I became a licensed professional engineer and finished with a Master’s degree in Road & Transportation Engineering. My journey in photography and video started around the end of my master’s degree. I spent years in college but I didn’t have a passion. In 2014 I started offering photography in small elopements in the Guanacaste Peninsula Costa Rica on its lush rainforests and pristine beaches. Around that time I also learned the concepts of video production and editing. Those years in photography and video helped me pay for my college tuition and years later I worked as an Engineer and a government contractor supervising and managing large scale construction projects and also representing the government to different agencies. I moved to Florida in 2020 and in 2022 started Southwest Florida Films a wedding videography & photography company located in Naples and filming weddings across the state. As an Engineer I became very technical and disciplined focusing my energies to specialize in only video for weddings. I became better with every wedding and developed a narrative style for my wedding videos that is specific to every couple.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road. Constantly I had to improve my techniques into every new wedding. Spent hours into research in order to optimize my gear and how to technically be prepared for a fast paced environments and time constraints in weddings. I decided to put my energy into video which is much more technical than photography with much less room for error. I constantly look to overcome any struggles with self discipline and dedication to my work
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am Rolando Lopez and I founded Southwest Florida Films, a wedding videography & photography company located in the sunshine state, in the beautiful west coast of Naples. I specialize in wedding videography but I also do wedding photography and corporate events. I also promote small businesses with professional videos for their websites and social media. Oher important service I offer is Real Estate Photography and videography.
I am mostly proud to offer high quality storytelling wedding videos that couples will cherish for a lifetime. I think I am unique from others because I put all my attention and skills into every couple story, I do not outsource my wedding edits to anyone like most of the competition, I am kind and have a warm personality that makes couples comfortable during a hectic wedding day. I also try to make a connection with every couple and not just make them feel I am just another vendor
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I would suggest trying to find your passion. I believe we all are gifted with something that inspires us and make us be better every day. That also includes finding happiness in what we do. It won’t always be easy as the bible says:
“Of course, any discipline is at the time a matter for grief, not joy; but later, in those who
have undergone it, it bears fruit in peace and uprightness…”-Hebrews 12:11
Pricing:
- Wedding coverage starts at $2000
- Typical all day video coverage is $3000
- Family sessions are $500 with unlimited images
- Flat rate real estate is $250 per property including drone
Contact Info:
- Website: https://swfloridafilms.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swflfilms/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/southwest-florida-films-naples
