Meet Nathan De La Huerta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathan De La Huerta. 

Hi Nathan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
My journey as a photographer really started about 4 years ago now at a surprise dinner date with my wife. We had just got our drinks when she told me that she needed to go to the car because she forgot something. When she came back, she had the biggest gift bag I’d ever seen and in it, my first DSLR camera. All I remember was thinking that it was, and probably still is to be honest, the coolest and most thoughtful gift I had ever received. From that night on, I was hooked. 

Don’t get me wrong though, a lot of credit has to go to the innovation of mobile photography as a whole. Almost everyone had a camera on their phone and taking picture of your friends and slapping a Valencia filter on it with a caption quoting your favorite song became so ubiquitous and yet so addicting. But having a dedicated camera really unlocked a whole new world for me. The feeling of having something mechanical in your hands, a tool really, became addicting. I had many hobbies and interests that never lasted beyond several months but this was different. I had spent several days on YouTube university, as they say, watching videos on what the exposure triangle was and how color science works, and everything else under the sun. As serious as I took teaching myself how to learn my latest obsession, really I just had fun with it. Whether it was snapping a picture of our friends at the Griffith Observatory or taking a twilight shot in the Tucson desert, I just liked the idea of having a photo to go back to and say I made that…cool. 

Eventually, over time, those photos drew a little attention from some friends who were looking for someone who could take photos of them for a special occasion. Though portraiture wasn’t something I’d really done at that point I jumped at the opportunity, if anything, to say I could do it. Little did I realize that session became a catalyst for unlocking a whole new perspective that would go on to bring my future work feel more personal. That session really challenged me to take a completely different approach on how I captured my images which brought storytelling to the forefront. But those opportunities weren’t coming to me often and I realized I had to go chase them if I was going to tell new stories I had racing through my head. So, I began to reach out to friends and even people online who I had never met and asked if they be willing to lend themselves to be the subject of my work. Soon I started to receive requests from people to book my services and things really started to pick up. 

Almost 2 years later and I’ve had the privilege to work with so many people to capture special moments from weddings to maternity sessions and more. I never expected things to get where they’re at today but I’m excited for the future possibilities. I’m so grateful to all my friends, family, and most importantly my clients who have supported me and have enabled me to do what I love. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There’s a few that come to mind but aside from creative challenges, I’d say the most prominent is developing that work-life balance. There’s a lot of working on the weekends and late-night editing sessions. Although it’s something I’m passionate about, it’s still time spent away from my wife and family or friends, or even time for myself to relax. Not to mention the ever more powerful pressure there is to maintain an active online presence with your work. It can be very difficult to step away to take personal time away whether due to a creative rut or just burnout. And it’s especially difficult to take that time you need when you’re in the beginning stages of starting a small business trying to grow your clientele base simultaneously. It’s all solvable though with the right adjustments. Breaking down my weekly schedule into shooting days and editing days doesn’t feel as overwhelming as it did before. I make sure to give myself planned personal days off as well to make sure I’m always mentally refreshed to give my clients the quality experiences they deserve. 

I do also want to mention a big challenge facing anybody who takes up a form of personal expression like photography. How do I make my work stand out from the rest? A real question that I’ve asked myself and still answering to this day. With so much influence online it’s almost impossible to escape comparing yourself to others. But as tempting as this may be, it only ends up stifling your growth. And really the only solution that I’ve found for this so far is to limit my time spent looking at other people’s work and spend more time in the field doing. Each individual has a slightly different perspective so try to go out and experience things for yourself. Easier said than done of course, but much more rewarding. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Typically, I prefer to have my work speak for itself but I’ll do my best to describe the basics. I have a more specialized focus in the field of lifestyle and fashion editorial portraiture. I’m all about telling a story through my work and look to capture my subjects in a way that invokes that feeling. What I’m most proud of though is the experiences I get to create with my clients. I love hearing how they comfortable they felt to be themselves and how much fun it can be especially from people who had never done any type of professional photography. I’ve made some amazing connections with some incredible people and when they refer their friends and family to me or come back to me for another session, that’s what truly gives me the most joy. 

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Definitely to believe in yourself and trust your potential enough to see it through. It’s cliche but it’s a powerful one that won’t ever leave me. It’s helped me to develop a certain level of confidence in myself that I’ve always struggled with. Remember, self-development is the most valuable investment you can make and you’re completely worth the time spent so put in the work! 

Contact Info:

• Email: Nathan@iamthediary.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamthediary/