Today we’d like to introduce you to Zi Nguyen.
Zi, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I never thought that I would become a photographer, despite enjoying marking arts when I was young. In 2009, I moved from Vietnam, where I grew up, to Seattle, Washington for school. My dad got me a basic Canon point and shoot camera to document my life in the US and I got hooked ever since. At first, I spent a lot of time capturing daily life in Seattle and portraits of my friends. Every day, I spent almost 4 hours on the streets taking pictures. This was pretty much how I learned photography. The first “fashion” shoot that I did was for my school’s prom flyers. Looking back, it was horrible (haha..) but it was one of the most fun shoots I’ve ever done. At that stage, everything was very fresh and photography was always so exciting to do. I’ve always had an interest in fashion and clothes so it feels natural to go on and photograph more fashion related concepts.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has definitely not been a smooth road, but because I was doing something that I truly enjoyed a lot, the challenges were a little bit easier to deal with. One of the biggest struggles when I first started out was to get my name out there and work with other people. Once I put together a decent portfolio and gathered enough courage to contact a model agency, that was when things began to take off. The more you get to work with talented people, the better your work (and you) will become. However, when the network began to expand, I found myself in another position where I barely have enough time to work with every single person that reaches out to me. Now, that I’m going back to school and my time becomes very limited, it’s crucial to know when to say no and only accept the work that truly interests me or helps me grow.
My two advice for others who want to become professional photographers is to know and stand by the value of your work and to be realistic. One thing that many people don’t know going into photography (including myself) is that it’s very tough to be a full-time photographer, especially portrait photographer. You need to have plans for when things don’t work out or when the business is slow. The toughest part is to make a living and still enjoy what you do.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Zi Nguyen Photography – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
The majority of what I do is portrait and somewhat fashion photography. I used to focus heavily on fashion and fine art but these days, I find myself happy when capturing portraits of other people. Besides that, I love capturing nature and life in different places when I travel.
I think the one thing that sets me apart is the ability to bring out emotions in other people when I capture them. I’ve got a lot of feedback saying that my photos look very natural and the models seem to be comfortable in the pictures which are exactly what I want 🙂
Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
I can’t speak for different areas of photography but from my perspective, female photographers do have many advantages. We have unique points of view and a lot to offer when it comes to photographing women. As a female photographer, you can understand how your subject feels and what makes them look good in photographs. You’ll know how to make your subject feel comfortable or what topics to chat about during photo-shoots that can relax the subject and help her forget about the camera – things like that. I also think that being a female photographer helps with intimate work – things that can be sensitive such as maternity or boudoir photography.
Pricing:
- $250/ hour portrait session
Contact Info:
- Website: https://zinguyen.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zinguyenn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zinguyenphotos
Image Credit:
Bella Hoag, Andrea Kostovick, Vivian Grace, Jennie Ross, Paisley Gilbert, Livy Poulin, Amanda Schiffer
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
