Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathan Nguyen.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always been interested in cameras, as I’d always take my mom’s camera when she wasn’t looking on family vacation. When I finally purchased my camera in 7th grade, it was purely for fun. But I fell in love with idea of capturing other people in special moments/framing them in a special way, so I began practicing for free with my friends, and eventually getting paid for it. As the years progressed between middle and high school, I would build a brand out of taking portraits; however covid hit. As the world slowly began to open up, I wanted to branch out of portraits and began experimenting with food, sports, and concert photos along with also branching out into videography. Coming to the University of Texas at Austin was the best decision I’ve ever made. Here, I was able to grow my concert photography/videography portfolio, have the opportunity to work on the Creative Development team for Texas Longhorns, as well as working with many restaurants. I’ve recently completed my freshman year, and I’ve made more connections and had more opportunities in one year than I’ve had in the five years that I’ve had a camera.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. I’ve hit many creative ruts, questioned myself as a creative, and had many encounters with disrespectful clients/creatives, but I feel like these are frequent in any creative’s journey.
Shoutout Cindey for being one of the best supporters. I don’t think I could’ve gotten through multiple slumps without her.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I primarily sell my photography services. When moving to Austin, I’ve mainly done concerts and restaurant photography. My proudest achievement was taking photos for Allison Wonderland and her team at ACL Festival, and I want to thank my friend Will Chao for that. I’d say what sets me apart from other creatives is going out of my way of learning about all of my music and restaurant clients’ journeys. I feel like it’s easy to have a sense of impostor syndrome when working with others a million times more successful than I am, but getting over that hump, and feeling comfortable enough to have personal conversations with those people has been the best choice I made.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
No risk, no story. That’s what I’ve always lived by. Because I’m young, I definitely have a lot more leeway when it comes to risk. That’s why I always encourage my peers and others my age to keep taking risks. I don’t think I’ve made any major risks, but I make risk a habit, whether it’s cold emailing, walking into a business, or approaching a stranger.
Contact Info:
- Website: nathanngyn.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/nathanngyn
- Youtube: youtube.com/nathanngyn
Image Credits
Jordan Prokell (waterfall pic)
