_K0A4040 2.JPG — hi, im nathan.

TECHNICALLY NATHANIEL, BUT NEVER NATE.

Photographer. Cinematographer. Dachsund Lover.

I’M A 21-YEAR OLD PHOTOGRAPHER BASED IN COLORADO DOCUMENTING MY LIFE. I AM ALSO THE COMPANION OF THE BEST WIENER DOG IN THE WORLD NAMED MANGO.

I’VE BEEN

SHOOTING PORTRAITS

FOR 3 YEARS NOW

and have loved every moment of it. I’ve made so many meaningful relationships while pursuing photography, and found my interest in photographing people through lifestyle and fashion work.

I LOVE

CAPTURING

EMOTION AND BEAUTY

EVERYWHERE.

OH, AND TRAVELING

WHENEVER I GET THE CHANCE.

My Approach

I’M A FIRM BELIEVER THAT THE BEST PHOTOS COME OUT WHEN EVERYONE IS COMFORTABLE AROUND EACH OTHER. I PROMISE I WON’T MAKE YOU STAND AWKWARDLY FOR YOUR ENTIRE SESSION IN COMPLETE SILENCE. I ENCOURAGE MEETING ONE ANOTHER PRIOR TO SHOOTING, TO ENSURE WE’RE GOING TO BE A GOOD FIT! WORKING WITH PEOPLE IS A TWO WAY RELATIONSHIP, SO THINK OF ME AS YOUR FRIEND, WHO EVERY SO OFTEN, MIGHT TAKE YOUR PHOTO!

EVERYONE I SHOOT HAS A DIFFERENT STORY.

IT’S ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS I LOVE WORKING WITH PEOPLE.

SO BEFORE YOU TELL ME YOURS,

Here’s Mine.

The Beginning

Backstage

at one of the first concerts I ever shot!

So I got a GoPro.

THE FOLLOWING YEAR I ASKED FOR A GOPRO FOR MY BIRTHDAY, AND IMMEDIATELY FELL IN LOVE WITH IT. THE PROCESS OF SHOOTING AND EDITING, TRYING TO ACHIEVE AN IDEA THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR HEAD STILL FASCINATES ME TO THIS DAY. THAT SUMMER TOPHER AND I TRIED TO MAKE EVERYDAY AN ADVENTURE, AND DOCUMENT EVERYTHING WE DID (WHETHER IT WAS SMART OR NOT…).

But there was a problem

DURING THE WINTER, I HAD NOTHING TO DO. I DIDN’T SKI OR SNOWBOARD, AND I HATED THE COLD. THERE WAS NOTHING FOR ME TO FILM, BECAUSE THERE WASN’T ANYTHING THAT I REALLY WANTED TO DO (BESIDES STAY WARM). OUT OF BOREDOM, I PICKED UP MY MOM’S CAMERA, AND STARTED TO TAKE SOME PICTURES. WHAT STARTED AS A WAY TO PASS THE TIME, TURNED INTO MY PASSION. I WAS HOOKED. WHAT STARTED AS A WAY TO PASS TIME TURNED INTO MY CAREER.

I WAS BORN IN VIETNAM AND ADOPTED INTO MY LOVELY FAMILY. I MOVED A LOT WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, BUT EVENTUALLY SETTLED IN THE SMALL CITY OF FORT COLLINS, COLORADO. AFTER ABOUT 3 WEEKS INTO THE 4TH GRADE, I MET ONE OF MY CLASSMATES NAMED TOPHER. I KNOW. WEIRD NAME RIGHT?I THOUGHT SO TOO. BUT AFTER KNOWING HIM FOR AS LONG AS I HAVE, YOU START TO THINK HIS FULL NAME (CHRISTOPHER) IS THE WEIRD ONE. ANYWAYS, HE WAS ONE OF THOSE GUYS THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH GOOD AT ANYTHING ARTISTIC. PAINTING, DRAWING, WRITING. YOU NAME IT. IF IT INVOLVED CREATIVITY, HE EXCELLED. ALMOST TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS ANNOYING.

My experience

BEING RAISED IN A SMALL TOWN FORCED ME TO ALWAYS FIND SOMETHING TO KEEP ME ENTERTAINED. I DID GYMNASTICS FOR A WHILE, PICKED UP SKATEBOARDING, BUT EVENTUALLY SHIFTED AWAY FROM ALL OF THAT. IT WASN’T UNTIL MY JUNIOR YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL THAT I STARTED TO BECOME INTERESTED IN VISUAL ARTS. AT THIS TIME THE RISE OF SOCIAL MEDIA HAD JUST BECOME ACCESSIBLE TO ME, AND I IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDED MYSELF IN A DIGITAL WORLD OF CONTENT CREATION. APPS LIKE INSTAGRAM, VINE, AND YOUTUBE BECAME MY SOURCE OF INSPIRATION. I KNEW I WANTED TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT MOTIVATED OTHERS THE SAME WAY THE PEOPLE I FOLLOWED INSPIRED ME.

It’s the one thing I’ve picked up, and never put down.

AND I DON’T THINK I EVER WILL. FOR ME, PHOTOGRAPHY IS ABOUT CAPTURING A MOMENT THE WAY YOU SEE IT. IT IS ABOUT THE BEAUTY. YOU KNOW THE TIMES WHERE YOUR LIFE FEELS LIKE A MOVIE? THE TIMES YOU WISH YOU COULD EXPERIENCE OVER AND OVER AGAIN. IT’S THAT FEELING THAT INSPIRES ME TO KEEP TAKING PHOTOS. KNOWING I CAN CREATE SOMETHING SOMEONE CAN LOOK BACK ON, AND FEEL THOSE SAME EMOTIONS MAKES ME INCREDIBLY HAPPY. IT’S MORE THAN CLICKING A BUTTON. IT’S ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU MEET, THE PEOPLE YOU WORK WITH, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.