Stunning vista’s of American scenery, architecture, wildlife, nature and more; all composed with skilled precision, beautifully processed with clean and vibrant colours. Jonathan Nguyen knows his craft. His work entitled ‘Nature in Monochrome’, boasts images of sand dunes, seascapes, birds and more, that anybody would be proud to have on their living room wall.
From Oregon to Washington D.C, Virginia and one of my personal favourite places, Utah, Jonathan has produced first-rate photography. All of his compositions, including ‘Flora‘, ‘Food and Drink’ and ‘Autumn Leaves’, provide an excellent foundation that beginner photographers can learn from.
You can view and buy Jonathan’s work at his Pixels website: https://jonathan-nguyen.pixels.com
Jonathan is also on Twitter
How did you find your passion for photography?
I have always been a Nature lover. Long hikes on weekends are always been the perfect antidote to a long stressful work week. I remember one time I found myself witnessing a stunning sunset which makes me try to capture the experience. My first attempts were not presenting what I was experiencing in Nature but I was feeling connections to my first pictures and also strong urge to get better. I quickly realized that I have to keep taking pictures but I also needed to get familiar with works of the professional photographers and learn some practical facts and tricks of basic photography. Looking back at some of my first pictures, I see how simple and untrained my eye was but also able to see the smallest details in nature around me and passion in trying to capture it.
How have you learned your craft & what education have you had?
I am a self-taught photographer. My learning process started with reading professional literature, magazines, online blogs by other photographers and taking some online classes. Learning of photography is going to be a lifelong process.
How do you personally know when you are ready to take that perfect shot?
Taking a perfect shot for me is combinations of technical readiness, familiarity with the surroundings, staying focused but also being tireless in attempting to take that perfect shot.
What camera do you use and what lenses are most important for your work?
I am currently using Canon 5D II for most of my photography. there are three main lenses in my backpack, Canon 100-400 mm L, a zoom wide-angle zoom lens 35-105 mm, and a macro lens Canon 100 mm.
What tools do you use for post-processing? Explain your workflow…
I am using Lightroom to organize my workflow and doing most of the post-processing. I use Photoshop CS 6 for further artistic adjustment.
If you could talk to a younger you when you first started Photography, what advice would you now give to yourself?
My advice to me and to every young photographer would be to stay focus, work on building technical skills and to keep challenging themselves.
As a photographer, what would you say are your strongest skills and weaknesses?
My strongest skill… As a landscape photographer, I think I have two skills that are very important: paying attention to smallest details in nature and also patience to wait for a perfect moment. Another important skill that I think I am good at is dealing with weather conditions. As a landscape photographer one has to deal with many factors that are out of human control, being able to navigate that is very important.
My weaknesses… I would say is to work with people. I want my images to reflect the real sense of vulnerability that we human being experience every day. It requires a different discipline and quick reaction, and I am not used to it yet. That’s what I want to master next.
Jonathan Nguyen