Meet Diamond Bar Photographer: Daniel Nguyen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Nguyen.

Daniel, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started photography in Highschool. At first, it was just a class that filled my art prerequisite before I can graduate, I later joined yearbook in my last year then I joined the school newspaper in Cal Poly Pomona. I honestly wasn’t expecting to be a full-time photographer, it just happened to peak my interest the more I experimented with my friends with creative shoots. My mentor taught me about work ethics on set and there was more to photography than just taking “sexy” photos and simple portraits. There was a different side to photography and I shouldn’t be afraid to think out of the ordinary. She encouraged me to work with agency models to learn about the industry and learn how to better plan shoots.

Later in the third year of college, I met photographers from the east coast who’ve encouraged me to aim for publications. They’ve told me I can present my creative work to a bigger audience and set myself apart in the photography industry. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my friends who have supported me, my mentor who taught me there was more to photography and there is fun in planning a well thought out shoot.

Has it been a smooth road?
Haha. I would be lying if the road was smooth. In the past I wasn’t the best communicating, I was very shy and at times I was a pushover. I’ve always relied on my friends to help express my thoughts when it comes to directing models. Balancing school and photography was always a struggle, my parents saw photography as a distraction with my studies and wanted me to quit. I’ve had struggles making a project happen due to the lack of funds, and certain concepts did not appeal to model and the rest of the team.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment was when I worked on my personal project with my best friend Clay. It was one of my very first projects, I pitched a creative idea to one of my favorite film directors on youtube (Julian Smith). It took months of planning bouncing back and forth with locations, scheduling and since we didn’t have a budget we scavenged for materials to make our props. The shoot itself was very fun, it was rewarding to see Julian get into the shoot and express the emotions to fit with the theme of the shoot. After shooting with him, it gave me the confidence to reach out to other talents and plan creative shoots.

Every story has ups and downs. What were some of the downs others might not be aware of?
There were many moments when I was struggling, I’ve invested so much of my time in photography that it left me in a financial bind. It was very difficult to compete against other photographers who shoot the same genre and charge a cheaper price. When I first started out in photography I mainly shot with Asian women, and it was difficult to work with modeling agencies with a limited portfolio and a different style from what they are looking for in a photographer. I’ve had cases where I was rejected by the agency, but after improving my work they gave me a chance to work their models.

A lot of the creative ideas were very difficult to pitch to my team. A lot of my ideas didn’t seem applicable for photos, they were ideas that could be seen in short films. They were also “too creative”, in some ways the shoot sounded more complicated when I tried to describe the story and the shot list. Since I never had any publications done in the past, I didn’t have any credibility that these shots will work unless I have tested them out beforehand or I could find a reference that they can visualize.

Is there something we can do as a city to improve the outlook for professionals like you?
I feel like LA is the best place for my photography career, it’s the place to be for work. I have had thoughts about moving out to New York for photography, but it would have meant that I would need to start fresh and in the past, it didn’t occur to me how difficult it will be to find work and adjust my style.

I honestly don’t know if I want to recommend other photographers who are starting out to start in LA. The idea of being photographer photographing celebrities, and shooting gorgeous models sounds glamorous. It’s the dream to most photographers who want to go that route, but that dream can easily be broken especially when you don’t have thick skin. I’ve had friends and heard stories from their friends who moved to LA to jump start their photographer career, some were successful but others realized that this city was not for them.

There isn’t anything that this city can do to improve. Aside the high cost of living the photography industry in LA is meant to be difficult for a reason, it separates those who actually want to be a photographer and those who love the idea of being the photographer.

It’s a very grim outlook but if a photographer can endure the struggles of working in LA then they are one of the very few who will more than likely be successful. All that is left is your will to keep going as long as you don’t question yourself twice that you’ve made the right decision to pursue this dream then you’re going to be ok.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.d-nguyenphotography.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: dnguyenphotography
• Facebook: facebook.com/dnguyenphoto