Today we’d like to introduce you to Irwin Nhan.
Irwin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Nhan-Stop Photography really started organically. I never intended to go anywhere much with photography; it was just a simple joy and form of expression.
I would say it really all started in high school yearbook. I found a deep enjoyment in photographing sports and shooting portraits. Yearbook became the catalyst to a lifestyle based around my camera and my photographer. I saw my photography start to permeate into all the parts of my own life. In my extracurriculars, in school, I became known as the guy who always carried his camera around. My camera literally became an extension of myself; I could not go anywhere without it. By my senior year of high school, my school was offering an ROP Photography class. This is probably the first time I ever considered taking photography more seriously.
Throughout high school, I had friends and extended friends asking me to shoot their proms. It was easy money and I didn’t have a job or anything for my own personal income so it was perfect. Eventually, people started asking me to shoot their graduations. And the trend kind of just went that way all throughout high school until my senior year after that ROP course. Before I had entered college, I made it a point to be more engaged with photography. I had created a Facebook page and an online portfolio to showcase my work. I was really motivated to pursue photography. By the time I entered college, I found myself being asked to shooting engagements and engagements developed into weddings, and other side projects. Really… for the most part, things just happened organically.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It seemed smooth up until it became a business. When I first started to realize that I could make money out of photography, I think my mindset went down a negative path. It started to become more about the money than about my enjoyment for photography; it was work and not play. I found myself to be a bit numb and lacking the same spark and creativity; everything had become routine. And so then, I made it a challenge for myself to truly look to be inspired. I took a short break from doing any gigs and simply focused on just shooting things I wanted to shoot. It allowed me to be more engaged with the surroundings of my life and it was in my engagement that I found my want and motivation to photograph grow again.
Please tell us about Nhan-Stop Photography.
Nhan-Stop Photography is a pun. My last name is Nhan… hence “Nhan-Stop”.
And I would say our specialty is portraits. We aren’t anything too fancy, or super luxurious but we’re casual and down to earth.
One of my biggest things about Nhan-Stop Photography is that we’re more than just photographs, but that we’re a service business. Our customers not only deserve a great end-product but an experience. This means making our shoots fun, engaging and relaxed. Shoots are exhausting; any model or married couple could attest to the strains of being shot. At Nhan-Stop Photography, we hope to create an experience that gives your life and brings joy.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Getting ice cream from the local ice cream truck with my sister and cousins during the summer.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nhanstopphotography.com
- Phone: 714 878 7514
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhanstop_photos/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NhanStopPhotos/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/nhan-stop-photography-brea
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