Phil Nguyen is a commercial photographer specializing in travel, lifestyle, and portraiture. Born and raised in Houston, Texas but constantly on the road, Phil adopted photography to visually interpret his changing environments and the people around him with an emphasis on storytelling and emotion while retaining a natural aesthetic.
We featured a set of his best travel photography on the @worldphotoorg Instagram feed.
Hi Phil. Please introduce yourself and your photography to our audience
My name is Phil Nguyen and I am a freelance photographer from Houston, Texas. I specialize in commercial, lifestyle, and travel photography. A lot of my inspiration comes from travel and the adventures that I go on, where I attempt to express what I see or feel through natural aesthetics and storytelling.
The series of images featured sums up a lot of my adventures throughout the past year. Whether it's cruising around the Canadian Rockies, seeing the Northern Lights in Iceland, or camping in the backcountry of California, each photo represents a different adventure and that's the message I'd like to put out - to go out there and explore and see and experience different things because this is what shapes us and builds our view of the world.
My favorite image definitely has to be seeing the Northern Lights for the first time in Iceland. I can still remember the rush I had watching these green streaks light up the night sky. It was an out of body experience and every time I see that image, I just light up.
Being able to capture a moment and look back on it is incredibly powerful. As humans, we are wired to always look forward and continue progressing. And we sometimes forget about where we came from and the experiences that shaped us into who we are today. Photography helps bring that back and really reminds me of the invaluable experiences I've had along the way.
Do you have a photographic philosophy?
My philosophy is to capture things as they are. The images I produce are minimally retouched and err on the side of natural tones. I think as we progress technologically and become better and better at using technology to create the most flawless and stunning images, we lose a sense of authenticity and emotion that comes with seeing things just as they are. So I'd like to retain that rawness in my photography.
Being out in nature and being on the road with good company inspires me. I firmly believe that action invokes more action and there's no better way to find inspiration and explore my creativity than being in-field and being around those who are proactive.
philnguyen.co
@philngyn
@worldphotoorg
