Meet Nathan Whelan of Ngwhelan Photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathan Whelan.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve always had an interest in photography. Starting pretty young I loved disposable cameras, then I moved on to my Gameboy camera (which was black and white), to early cell phone cameras, then my dad let me borrow his digital camera and so forth. What I love about photography is that it’s like adding your own director’s commentary on life. It allows you not to just capture a moment, but to capture an image that displays how you saw or felt about a unique situation.

I bought into the idea that being an artist is not a respectable career and that you wouldn’t make any money trying to pursue an artistic career. I took the safe route and got my degree in hospitality management. I enjoyed it, and had multiple hospitality jobs that I liked, but I kept fighting the feeling that it was not something I wanted to do forever.

After making lots of excuses, and trying to talk myself out of it, I finally came to terms with the fact that I would be the happiest working for myself in a creative capacity. So I started to learn everything I could about photography. Taking courses, learned through assisting, and countless hours of practice. Slowly I started to gain a deeper knowledge of light, and the mechanics of photography. The more I learned the more I wanted to learn and I still feel that way today, which is how I knew that I wanted to do this professionally.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The most difficult challenge that I continually face is that of self-esteem. At the beginning of my photography career, I gave away shoots and prints for free. I felt like if my work didn’t look like a movie poster no one would want to pay for it. On top of that It was hard for me to gauge the value of my work. Since I did not have any experience in the industry I looked to others for validation. I would have anxiety about whether or not “clients” (people I was photographing for free) would like the photos, and if they didn’t I had doubts about my skill level. When going through my portfolio I would think about what people would want to see, what I thought would be most popular etc.

This kind of thinking really held me back. I learned that being a photographer is about having a voice, and being able to take creative control. You have to be confident in your abilities. I started doing work for my portfolio that I loved. I learned quickly that technically “perfect” work, with correct lighting ratios and immaculate skin retouching felt cold to me. I looked at my portfolio one day and realized that I had been trying to imitate successful photographers, their proven methods, using their recommended gear (which they’re paid to endorse) and I still wasn’t happy with my work, because it wasn’t mine.

That’s when I understood that I needed to go back to the drawing board and figure out what I wanted to say and how to say it; which is quite a process.

Please tell us about Ngwhelan Photo.
I specialize in commercial photography. I love to do fashion, but end up photographing lots of different things that interest and challenge me.

What sets me apart most is my desire to create things in real life. We live in a world where we can fix just about anything in photoshop. New hair, new clothes, new places, props, anything you can think of. Two of my biggest inspirations are Nick Knight and Tim Walker. I love how they use light, sets, wardrobe, and movement to create the message they’re looking to convey.

I think that working with elements, like a set, gives photos a human feel and makes them more relatable. In post-production, I only look to minimize distractions, everything I wanted in the frame was there on the day of shooting.

It’s a fun creative challenge and leads to a lot of conversations usually starting with “how did you do that?”

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over I probably wouldn’t do anything differently. Even though I’ve had my challenges I treasure both the lows and highs in my career as triumphs that not only shaped my career, but me as an individual and artist. If I went back and changed anything I would be a completely different person.

Contact Info:

• Website: Ngwhelan.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: instagram.com/ngwhelan

Image Credit:
Models: Ariel LaFontaine
Tristan Rehwald
Claudia Rowe
Martta Rebekka

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