Meet Daniel Nguyen | Editorial Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Daniel Nguyen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Daniel, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Have you grown up in an asian household or know someone who grew up in an asian household? The work life balance doesn’t quite exist haha. I grew up watching my parents constantly grind to take care of the family, and that was what I was exposed to.

I didn’t know what it meant to have a work life balance, I felt that if I took a break “now” I would be falling behind in my career. I was hesitant about taking vacations with the fears of missing out on potentially incredible opportunities or letting others down if they needed me on a job asap. I was constantly grinding without realizing that the current work life balance I was on would lead to an inevitable burnout.

Experiencing burnout helped put certain things in perspective. If I had kept on grinding I would gradually hate my career, and I would have probably given up and follow a plan that my parents had for me. Go to college, get a masters in engineering, a PHD to be a doctor, or be a lawyer.

But thankfully I didn’t drop my creative career. I learned through friends and therapy that it was ok to take a break from work, if there’s ample time between “today” and the deadline I could afford to stop & recharge. It’s ok to take a day off to take care of yourself.

I think the current work life balance I have is better than the one I previously had. I don’t feel as burnt out, I don’t hate my job as a freelance photographer, and I am able to have quality time for the important people in my life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The type of work that I like to create is quirky with a bit of story telling; that’s the best way I can describe it. I like making people laugh, playing with the shapes of the shadows, and share an interesting story with a handful of images.

Honestly what sets me apart from other photographers is the amount of directions I give, some can be very specific to paint a clear picture of what I want my subjects to emulate. I also take the time to get to know each of the models and clients I work with, to have a better understanding who they are and their style to provide better directions on set.

It has certainly been awhile since I started and suffice to say it’s been a difficult journey. To be successful in Los Angeles, it really depends who you know, most of the gigs I receive are through referrals and through collaborations. It required me to be extroverted when I’m actually an introvert. Putting myself out there is one of my biggest challenges, but for me to collaborate/ work with other creatives, and clients I am required to be an extrovert.

If there’s a lesson that I can share is there’s no shame in asking for help. Sometimes we think ourselves as a burden to friends, and family but in reality they support us! I would encourage creatives to reach out to them, especially to other creatives for advice! There is a possible chance that some creatives might not be as helpful to provide insight to the question being asked or some might not be helpful in general but it never hurts to ask regardless, there will always be someone in this industry that might be able to point you in the right direction related to your career.

I pursued this creative life because it’s fun, I love creating art and love creating with others, that’s pretty much who I am. Sometimes I wish I had a interesting story to tell, alas the most I can tell you is that I came from a small town in the far corner of LA county, and it’s been a journey to get to where I am.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There are quite a few places that I’ve been to a thousand times that I would revisit I would revisit with my best friend.

Chinatown for starters, there is a tight knit community that has grown since the pandemic, and many small businesses that opened and thrived after the pandemic.

Steep LA – is my go to tea shop during the day and for their after dark program

Thank You Coffee x Paper Plant – I honestly go there for the vibes from the staff, coffee and an occasional pick up on stationary items.

Endorffeine – It’s been my go to spot for speciality coffee, specifically espressos. Jack always knows how to make the best espressos and each cup he creates has his personal touch when he makes his pours.

Amboy – A burger shop created by Chef Alvin Cailan, that has good smash burgers and there’s always a weekly special that Chef Ria Barbosa cooks up that always has me looking up their instagram for an updated special

Chunky.things – Chunky is a fun shop that’s operated by a husband and wife team, and most of the products on their shelves are created by local asian artists. I think when it comes for shopping local, you’re definitely going to find unique gifts, and if you’re lucky, they may have a small art gallery set up that happens every couple of months!

There are many shops to name that I’m afraid would take up most of the webpage with text! A lot of the places mentioned are spots that I frequently visit every week, I check in on the folks that work there, walk around chinatown to check in on some of the older businesses that are still around and chat with some of the owners.

Personally I think Chinatown is one of the most underrated section of Los Angeles, not too many people think about this community when they think of Los Angeles. Which is kind of good in a way, that area in general is pretty chill, and it’s a safe haven for local residents especially the elderly to walk around their community visiting friends.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
It’s hard to give credit to one person. In reality it’s a group of people that I am thankful for; my friend Thanh Tran from Louisiana, Jonathan Yacoub from Chino hills, Melanie Northam out in Virginia beach and the friends I’ve made in Chinatown Los Angeles, such as my friends at Steep, Lang, Thank You Coffee, Paper Plant, just to name a few!

Honestly without their support, I wouldn’t have gotten this far. Everyone was there for me during challenging times; and they all provided good vibes throughout my creative journey.

Website: https://www.d-nguyenphotography.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/dnguyenphotography

Other: email: d.nguyenphoto@gmail.com

Image Credits
Main Photo:Jonathan Yacoub