Camera Roll with Pia Riverola
Camera Roll is an interview series where we glimpse into the current moment via the mundane and the ordinary — the life documented and forgotten, lived through our phones and beyond.
Photographer Pia Riverola is hard to spot as she passes by — she’s typically moving at lightning speed, jetting between countries for her job, and when she’s at home in Los Angeles, she hides out with her family, making espressos in the kitchen and cooking with her child, Rio. Her Instagram feed is full of sun-bleached flowers and baby hands grasping at ripe tomatoes, showing that though she moves quickly, she savors small moments just as readily. We spoke with Pia about her tenuous relationship with her iPhone, her favorite newsletter, a tradition of making phone calls with no purpose from her childhood in Barcelona, and more.
What kind of phone do you have and how many images are on it?
I have an iPhone Pro 14 with 226,714 photos — wow.
Where are you right now?
In a room at Hotel de Berri in Paris.
What's your morning routine like?
Every morning is quite different, especially if I'm traveling for work. In Los Angeles, my mornings are the closest to a routine that I have. I wake up with the first light, around 6:30 — that usually never changes, no matter where I am. My partner John or I prepare coffee, depending on who stayed up later. We take a 10 minute walk around the block with no phones, then make our child Rio’s breakfast, then ours.
How long do you typically spend on your phone in a day?
More than I should, in any case. On weekdays, it’s really just another work tool that I need to use constantly. During the weekend I definitely care less about it.
What was your upbringing like?
I was born and raised in Barcelona. Divorced parents and several house moves through my youth made me used to being in different places, and gave me an excitement to learn and see the unseen — that appreciation has remained. My grandma kept everyone in the family very close, and strived for weekly family reunions, so despite my love and passion for traveling and getting away, I still find so much comfort and happiness in my home and family.
what do your days look like?
There’s a lot of traveling involved, usually, so each day can be very different. A lot of airports, planes, taxis, trains, but also a lot of new places, people, and food, which is exciting. On the other hand, if I'm home, I become more of a hermit and love spending time at my house, having friends over, cooking — the simplest things.
How do you strike a balance between work and free time?
I'm lucky — I mostly organize my own schedule, so I have a bit more control over what happens and when. Motherhood definitely helped a lot in creating boundaries and prioritizing personal time with my family.
When did you get your first phone, and what do you remember about it?
I got my first phone probably around age 13 or 14 in Barcelona. What I remember the most is what we called “Llamadas perdidas” in Spanish — calling someone without really needing to speak, just if you thought of them, another way to say “hi” when texts were not so common.
what’s been inspiring you on Instagram?
Film labs, florists, people making beautiful food, and garden accounts. I love @lev.nyc, @atmos, @navelichoyal, @cuhnja, @isaisafloral, @ranaflora, and @bruisesgallery.
What apps on your phone do you use most?
Sun Seeker and AmiGo.
Any advice for those who want to do your job?
I always took pleasure in taking photos, and eventually it became my job! I'm quite impulsive and follow my instincts. Try not to focus too much on what other people do, but on what you like and are good at doing. My approach to photography depends on the subject. I like zooming and cropping, and video stills. I don't usually edit my phone images or videos.
What’s in your podcast queue?
NYT, WSJ, and NPR — mostly news channels. I listen in the shower or while I'm cooking.
What are you reading?
Alejandra Smits is quite funny and very real in her Substack “Unsolicited Existence.”
last thing you googled on your phone?
“Train Paris to Marseille.”
favorite new possession over the past year?
These cute espresso cups.
Can you describe your lock screen?
It’s a photo of a California poppy on Rio's hand.
images provided by pia riverola, edited by em seely-katz