This week, we want to give you a new dose of inspiration!
Nathan Gregory is a photographer from California. He told us about his approach to work. Generally, preparation and pre-production for him is the hardest stage in work because he likes to do things as perfectly as he can. At the same time, he loves the real details in photos without a lot of retouching.
Get to know more about Nathan and his experience through his answers to our five creator questions this week.
Who are you and what do you do?
I am a freelance commercial content producer, so I create media for advertising campaigns — photos, videos, GIFs, etc. Over my freelancing career, I’ve worked in different industries. I’ve done food, cosmetics, politics, but now I focus mostly on commercial fashion work.
How did you get started?
I’ve always loved photography. When I was in college, I took a photo history class and was introduced to the work of Nick Knight. That was when I first encountered the idea of commercial photography being very artistic, and I loved it. Since then, I’ve aspired to emulate my inspirations like Tim Walker and Nick Knight.
What sets you apart?
I have a saying that I feel makes me different: maximum pre-production, minimum post. I prepare heavily for all my shoots because I like things to be perfect, or as close to perfect as possible. But I don’t like things to be heavily retouched. I like to see wires and strings and set pieces propped up. I think they add a sense of realism to the work. So I think it’s those two conflicting ideas about “perfection” that give my work a unique perspective.
What obstacles did you have to overcome?
I’ve had many difficulties as a freelancer, but because of them, I’ve learned so much. I think learning to be true to yourself and trust your own vision is hard. I wanted work that would sell and be successful, so I copied what sold and was successful. It wasn’t until I decided to do work that I liked, regardless of what people on Instagram thought of it, that I really started to get my bearings.
Do you have any tips for other creators?
Figure out what excites you. Find the kind of work you like or the projects you want to work on. Your enthusiasm will help attract clients and collaborators to you who love the same things. Don’t try and be someone else.
Check out Nathan’s site here, and take up his advice!
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