Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Nguyen.
Hi Daniel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I found that in life the passions that drove us as children will eventually circle back around to us. If you are lucky, those passions will re-emerge tenfold with a driving force you won’t be able to ignore. This has proven true in my life with my love of photography.
My father, an art gallery and custom framing business owner shot with a Canon AE-1 that my brother and I used to fight over when we were children. I can remember countless hours I used to spend with that camera. When I arrived to high school, my favorite place was undoubtedly the darkroom where I learned the fundamentals of photography. Developing film was my absolute favorite time of day but after the age of 18, I never touched another camera for another ten years and lost touch.
Life moved on and throughout my twenties – I drilled, explored, and exploited crude oil in Texas as Vice President of Operations for Andalucia Oil Co., an independent oil and gas company. Thereafter, I served as Director of Site Acquisitions for a hotel development company, Landmark Consolidated.
Now, in my thirties and having left behind the corporate world; I have learned that like all matters of the heart, you should follow it. I found that photography gives me a sense of joy and accomplishment that trumps all my previous professional experiences and the best part of it is, is that I get to share it with you.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like most endeavors worth pursuing, there can be many challenges. Becoming a professional photographer and opening a photography studio has had its obstacles and starting a new profession, especially in art, can be very difficult. Acquiring professional tools such as lenses, camera bodies, strobes, and other tools can be very costly in the world of photography. On top of that, it will take years to build up a body of work or portfolio to build your profile as an artist so patience is key. I find the most difficult obstacle is developing a client base large enough to support your financial needs but again, if you maintain a strong level of perseverance and faith, I believe you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. I can say however, Opening fotohouse studio has been a very worthy and fun endeavor for me and my partners.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Fotohouse Studio?
Fotohouse Studio is a state-of-the-art photo and video studio where creatives of all kinds can utilize a safe and inspired work environment. More than just a studio, we strive to help other creatives and artists get to where they need to be going professionally through various support avenues. For an example, we do so through curated events and our f.A.I.R program (fotohouse in-artist-residency) where we nominate artists of all kinds and create a special project through f.A.I.R and exhibit the works at our studio.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I am a firm believer that nothing comes from sitting around on your couch waiting and wishing. You have to be out in the world quite often to make new contacts and to develop new business. As far as finding a mentor, I think one must seek opportunities and be bold. As a business owner, many have reached out seeking internships and asking ways how they can help to be a part of the studio to learn and gain experience.
Contact Info:
- Email: daniel@fotohouse.co
- Website: www.fotohouse.co
- Instagram: fotohouse.co
