Some people grow up near Hollywood. Emma Quirós grew up in Barcelona, where, she says, Hollywood seemed like something very far away. She fell in love with movies at about ten years old and made little videos with her friends, but filmmaking stayed a hobby. She studied healthcare instead. Then, around 2022, she made the decision that changed everything: she left her family, her friends and a safe career path, and moved to Los Angeles alone to become a cinematographer.
Today she is a working director of photography and camera assistant whose credits run from Olivia Rodrigo’s FC Barcelona campaign to a 2026 FIFA World Cup commercial. She also just wrapped production on a short film she wrote, directed and shot herself. In an interview with Rob Pene, she talked about the leap, the hustle and the one rule she uses to decide which sets are worth her time.
See her work at emmaquiros.com and follow her on Instagram at @emma.qb.
Quick answer: who is Emma Quirós?
Emma Quirós is a Barcelona-born, Los Angeles-based cinematographer. She studied cinematography at UCLA after leaving a healthcare path in Spain. She works as a director of photography and camera assistant on narrative films, music videos, fashion editorials, branded content and live events. Her credits include camera work on Olivia Rodrigo’s campaign with FC Barcelona and Spotify and a 2026 FIFA World Cup commercial featuring Becky G for Peacock.
At a glance
- Name: Emma Quirós
- Role: Cinematographer, director of photography, camera assistant
- From: Barcelona, Spain; based in Los Angeles since around 2022
- Studied: Cinematography at UCLA
- Selected credits: Olivia Rodrigo x FC Barcelona and Spotify, FIFA World Cup 2026 x Becky G for Peacock, Niall Horan promo video, Lionsgate’s Fall 2: Deadpoint screening event
- Now: Post-production on her own short film, which she wrote, directed and shot
- Portfolio: emmaquiros.com
- Instagram: @emma.qb
Key takeaways
- Emma Quirós left a healthcare path in Barcelona and moved to Los Angeles alone, without knowing anyone, to become a cinematographer.
- She built her career the hands-on way: studying at UCLA, volunteering on sets, working as a camera PA and assistant, and earning referrals.
- She has worked in the camera department on campaigns for FC Barcelona with Olivia Rodrigo and for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Becky G.
- She follows a teacher’s rule for unpaid or uncertain gigs: go only if it pays well, teaches you something new, or puts you with people worth knowing.
- Her own short film is in post-production and headed for the festival circuit.
Who is Emma Quirós?
Emma Quirós is a cinematographer whose portfolio describes her work as driven by emotional storytelling, intentional composition and a collaborative approach to filmmaking. She shoots across narrative film, music videos, editorial campaigns, branded content and live events, and works with both local and international clients from her base in Los Angeles.
Her job, as she explains it, starts with the script. “I talk with the director, and we read the script,” she said of how she brings a director’s vision to the screen. “I help with the visuals: what do you want to show emotionally? The image has to reflect what is in words.” In practice, that means building the mood, the look and the feel of a film, so the audience feels on the big screen what the writer put on the page.
Why did Emma Quirós leave healthcare in Spain for film in Los Angeles?
For years, film was something she loved but did not think she could do. “Where I come from, Hollywood seems like something very far away,” she said. She studied healthcare, but the pull toward filmmaking never went away. As she got older, the question became whether she would live with the regret of never trying.
You only live once. I’m getting old. Do it now. You’re going to regret it in the future if you don’t do it.
Emma Quirós
She moved from Spain to Los Angeles around 2022, alone. She had visited the city only once, for about a week. “I was scared for sure, because I didn’t know anyone here, and I came alone. I left my family, my friends,” she said. “But new beginnings are always exciting. It was excitement and fear, for sure. But I don’t regret that decision.”
Her family needed a minute to catch up. She has an older sister who still lives in Spain, and when she told her parents she was moving to LA to study cinematography, their first reaction was, “But Emma, are you sure?” They knew she had the passion. They did not know yet that she would be brave enough to take the risk.
She later summed up the decision on Instagram in a line that could serve as her artist statement: “I traded certainty for curiosity. Left what I knew and followed what I loved.”
How did Emma Quirós break into the Los Angeles film industry?
She did not try to skip steps. “I need to have a base of knowledge in film,” she said, so she enrolled to study cinematography at UCLA. School gave her the craft and something just as valuable: people. Classmates were already working as directors and directors of photography, and they always needed help on set.
So she showed up. She volunteered on productions for free, started as a camera PA and camera assistant, went to emerging-filmmaker events and networked. “I think in this industry it’s a mix of being lucky, being in the right place, being good, and having a good attitude,” she said. “I had this predisposition and good attitude, like, I want to help. I want to learn.”
That attitude turned into referrals. Early on, much of her work came through word of mouth. A former classmate would land a gig they could not take and pass it along: “I have a good friend, she’s a cinematographer. I think she’s a good fit for you.” Clients who liked working with her hired her again. Friends who threw events asked her to film them. Social media did the rest, giving people a place to see what she had been making.
What is Emma Quirós’s “three reasons” rule for taking a gig?
One of the most useful ideas from the interview came from one of her teachers. Whenever you say yes to a set, especially one that pays little or nothing, it has to give you at least one of three things:
- Money. You are getting paid, and it is a good amount.
- Learning. You will learn something new that you do not know yet.
- People. You will work with people who are worth getting to know, and you will grow your network.
If a gig checks none of those boxes, she passes. “When you are doubting, it’s like, okay, let’s think about these three things. Is it worth it or not? And then you decide,” she said. For anyone freelancing in a creative field, it is a simple filter for protecting your time without closing doors.
What has Emma Quirós worked on?
As a Barcelona native, one credit means more to her than most. She was in the camera department, as a camera assistant, on Olivia Rodrigo’s campaign with FC Barcelona and Spotify. “It’s my soccer team,” she said. “I’m from Barcelona.” More recently she worked as a camera assistant on a 2026 FIFA World Cup commercial shot in Los Angeles, featuring Becky G for Peacock.
Big sets are long days, often twelve hours, but she loves them. “I’ve been surrounded by such creative people, very inspiring,” she said. “You’re always learning when you’re there.”
Her portfolio shows how wide her range has become:
| Project | Emma’s role |
|---|---|
| Olivia Rodrigo x FC Barcelona and Spotify | Camera assistant |
| FIFA World Cup 2026 x Becky G (Peacock) | Camera assistant |
| Niall Horan promotional video | Camera assistant |
| Fall 2: Deadpoint Lionsgate screening event | Cinematographer, with Teres Films and Experiential Supply |
| Poolside, an upcoming short film by Alessia Dianese | First camera assistant |
| BICIVOLADORES cycling short | Director of photography |
| Calzedonia swimwear editorial | Director of photography |
| Maison Privee Los Angeles fashion film | Director of photography and camera operator |
| Wave Hello Studio brand content | Director of photography |
| UPDATE Energy Drink social campaign | Branded content, BTS and photo |
| IFFLA (Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles) 2026 | Red carpet and event photography |
Brand work is a growing part of the mix. Sometimes a client hands her a clear shot list and she executes. Other times she gets creative control. She described a recent job for a boxing gloves company where she had the freedom to create the visual story herself, from the look to the short reels. Her portfolio also includes promotional video and photography for the boxing brand Gladius Fight. Depending on the client, she delivers finished edits or hands the footage to their in-house editors.
Does a great cinematographer need a signature style?
Her answer runs against the grain of the social media era, where every creator is told to build a recognizable look. “I think a director should have a style,” she said. “But for us, we need to adapt to every project. A good cinematographer is when you see something and you cannot recognize what cinematographer has done that.” A drama should feel like a drama. A horror film should feel like horror. “We should adapt to the story.”
What is Emma Quirós’s short film about, and when can you see it?
Since January, much of her energy has gone into her own independent short film. She wrote it, directed it and served as its director of photography. Pre-production meant building the whole machine herself: casting, crew, makeup and production design. “I’ve seen more of this industry now that I direct,” she said. “It’s been crazy, the amount of work you need to do.”
The crew was about ten or eleven people, including a producer, actors, sound, a gaffer for lighting, camera assistants and production assistants. Most of them are friends she has made on other sets. “It’s a professional crew, but also my friends,” she said. “We are a family.” Production is finished, and she is now in post with an editor and a composer. The finished film should run about ten to fifteen minutes.
The plan is to submit it to short film festivals first, then likely release it on YouTube so as many people as possible can see it. She is also cutting short teaser clips to build buzz before the release. She hopes to hold a screening for the cast, crew, friends and family in early 2027, ideally in January. “What for you was an idea a long time ago, now it’s real,” she said. “And you made it with the people that you love.”
The project also clarified what she wants. Directing means guiding actors and managing every department, from the first idea to the final cut. She is glad she did it, but it confirmed where her heart is. “After my experience with my short film, I think I prefer being only the director of photography,” she said. Her real goal for the film is to show what she can do as a DP. “Maybe, who knows, they see my work, they like it, and someone wants to make a feature. That would be amazing.”
Her portfolio also lists a forthcoming project called Brilliant Traces, a promotional campaign on which she is credited as writer, director and director of photography, marked “coming soon.”
What does a typical week look like for a freelance cinematographer?
“Every day looks different,” she said. As a freelancer, some weeks are packed and others are quiet. She uses the quiet weeks to push her short film forward and the busy ones to grow as a DP on music videos, brand reels and commercial work. The hard part is choosing. “I need to find a balance, like, what can I accept,” she said, “because I don’t want to forget my personal short film.” When she is not on set, she also edits, mostly in Adobe Premiere Pro after starting out on CapCut, though she admits editing is not her favorite part of the job.
What advice does Emma Quirós have for aspiring cinematographers?
Her advice is the same leap she took herself. She came from another background and another career, and she went anyway.
If you want to do this, just do it. Jump. You’re never going to be ready, but you need to jump and do it, even if it’s with fear. I’m still afraid. My English is not perfect, and it’s a challenging industry, but you just have to push it and go for it.
Emma Quirós
For a cinematographer who works in her second language in one of the most competitive industries in the world, that is not a slogan. It is the plan she has been following since the day she landed in Los Angeles.
How to see Emma Quirós’s work or hire her
Emma Quirós’s full portfolio, including narrative, commercial and event, and photography work, is at emmaquiros.com, where you can also reach her through the contact form. For new projects and behind-the-scenes moments from set, follow her on Instagram at @emma.qb.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Emma Quirós?
Emma Quirós is a Barcelona-born cinematographer based in Los Angeles. She works as a director of photography and camera assistant across narrative film, music videos, fashion editorials, branded content and live events.
Where is Emma Quirós from?
She is from Barcelona, Spain. She moved to Los Angeles on her own around 2022 to start a career in filmmaking.
Where did Emma Quirós study cinematography?
She studied cinematography at UCLA, where she also began volunteering on productions and meeting the people she would later work with.
What has Emma Quirós worked on?
Her credits include camera assistant work on Olivia Rodrigo’s campaign with FC Barcelona and Spotify, a 2026 FIFA World Cup commercial featuring Becky G for Peacock, and a promotional video for Niall Horan. She has also been director of photography on fashion, fitness, brand and narrative projects, and first camera assistant on the upcoming short film Poolside.
What is Emma Quirós working on now?
She wrote, directed and shot her own independent short film, which is now in post-production with an editor and composer. She plans to submit it to short film festivals and hopes to hold a cast-and-crew screening in early 2027.
How can I hire Emma Quirós or see her work?
Her portfolio and contact form are at emmaquiros.com, and she shares new work and behind-the-scenes moments on Instagram at @emma.qb.
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