Nicholas Donnelly

Director of Photography
Emmy-nominated, Award winning.

Global visual storyteller.

National Geographic, Netflix, PBS, Disney+, PBS, TLC, and more.‍ ‍

Here’s the thing.

My work has always centered on how images makes people feel. My entire career, I’ve been obsessed with the idea of finding small instances of nuance in life, the seeming insignificant, the subtle, the fleeting, the profound, The Moment. I’ve dedicated years to how I might best capture these opportunities without disrupting their delicate nature. Some days require a soft, gentle touch and others need the sledgehammer. As a cinematographer and producer, I look at all the angles, both physically and metaphorically. My guiding principles: shaping stories with tone, atmosphere, ambiance and honesty. Whether it’s a film, a campaign, or a quiet moment between takes, I’m drawn to projects that find power in restraint and meaning in the details.

Allow me to explain

Rapido + Sucio. The literal translation is “Quick and Dirty”. If you’re wondering what this means, you’re not alone. It is not be confused as being impatient and careless. What it means is agility and fearlessness. It’s about resourcefulness and authenticity. If we’ve worked together, you’ll know that if afforded the time to tweak the tiniest fragment of a frame, I’m gonna do it.

Quick and dirty is the moniker I’ve earned from years of figuring out how to overcome obstacles, completing unrealistic shot lists, and doing more with less. In full disclosure though, I’m typically the dirtiest person on set by the end of the day, and I love that.

Rapido + Sucio Digital Cinema is the result of nearly 2 decades of relentless work in an industry where experience truly matters. It’s core values are rooted in classical fine art principles—emphasizing aesthetic literacy, historical awareness, color theory, and effective framing. On some projects, these things are intentionally inverted to create work that becomes more compelling, unexpected, and thought-provoking. In either case, everytime I look through my viewfinder, I ask myself the same questions- “Is this frame a painting?”

This dichotomy of thinking is what shaped Rapido + Sucio’s highly practical production methodologies. And decades of boots-in-the-mud, good old-fashioned hard work is what has proven and battle-tested it.

Please explore the evidence of this philosophy by clicking the embedded links in each title below.

Selected Credits

2026

El Clasico Del Clasico. Long Form Documentary (NLB Films, Wannabi Puerto Rico.)- Director Of Photography
From The Hill To The Horizon, Documentary Film. (The Parks Project) - Director Of Photography

2025