Feature Photographer: Ashley Nguyen

Tallatainment:How did you come to find that you had a passion for photography? Is this what you always dreamed of doing?

Ashley: I found my passion for photography accidentally. My interest in photography first began in college while helping out a friend with an image for his Myspace Music page. I experimented with Photoshop a bit during high school and thought that I could create something eye-catching for his work. I took a photo of him on a regular point and shoot camera, photoshopped it a bit, and by the time I was done, people visiting his page thought he had professional photos taken. I was in still college at the time, so I decided that photography would be more than just a fun hobby, it instead would help me pay bills.

I never dreamed of doing photography... It just sort of happened and I fell in love with it. I get butterflies when I get an idea to put into photos/photo montages or am inspired by someone elses work. Although photography began as a friendly gesture, it quickly became a passion for me.

Tallatainment:What is your primary style? Any forms of photography you'd like to branch off into?

Ashley: The work that I am best known for is portraiture, primarily because it paid the bills while I was in college. Now that I have just graduated, I have more time on my hands and I have expanded into directorial photoshoots. I am also interested in doing mixed media with collaborating photography and encaustic or painting.

Tallatainment: Typically, where do you draw your inspiration for a shoot from?

Ashley: Originally, I was solely inspired by the styles photography I was primarily surrounded by, styles such as media and superficial glamour. I worked for fashion-photographer Nadia Pandolfo for two summers as a photo assistant to learn because although I felt that I had some raw talent, I felt to further enhance my skills and knowledge on photography, I needed to be formally trained. Working with Pandolfo was a valuable experience and her style definitely left an impression on me and is evident in some of my work.

Some classes I took the last few months have made me look back to the masters of photography and gain a new appreciation for their brilliant work. Photographers such Philip Lorca diCorcia, Annie Leibovitz and Robert Heinekin have inspired me to think outside conventional photography and try something new. Contemporary photographers I enjoy looking at for portraiture influence are Marc Baptiste, Randall Slavin, and James Sutton.


Tallatainment: Where is the most interested place your craft has taken you?

Ashley: The most interesting place photography has taken me is Los Angeles. I wanted to learn more about the finer aspects of photography so I emailed (enter her name here) because I admired her work and asked her if I could intern for the summer. Thankfully, she agreed so I went to L.A. and learned a million things about photography and life in general.

Tallatainment: What is your ultimate goal for your work and your career as a whole?

Ashley: My ultimate goal is to be able to expand to different areas of photography and make it more of an art rather than commercial. I want to be able to enlighten the world somehow with it. I'm just not sure if I have tapped into exactly how I will achieve this, due to the fact that I have so many ideas constantly running through my mind, but I do believe I can make it happen.

Tallatainment: What's next for you? What should we be anticipating in the next few months, years?

Ashley: I am planning on applying to Grad School for the arts to expand and take various art courses to diversify my work. I want there to be more meaning behind my photos than what the meets the eye. I want to capture people in their true essence.... things don't always have to be pretty. So far in my learning experiences, I have found that it can be hard to shake the Hollywood style of commercial photography, but I want to utilize my experience, and create something beautiful that is beyond the typical magazine standards. Eventually, I want people to be inspired by my work to create something great for themselves.