ANNOUNCEMENT! NEW WEBSITE AND LAYOUT COMING SOON!!!
Nathan Waters began his journey into photography in Darkroom Photography in 1997 shooting on a 35mm Canon Rebel X, on ChodaKrome B&W film. It was here that he learned how to manually and blindly load film into a canister, develop the film, then use light image enlargers to project those images onto photo paper and develop them by dipping them into bucket trays of developer chemicals that would bring out the image, freeze the process, and then cure it. These are the fundamentals of photography that every person should experience before they ever dare to call themselves a photographer.
These are the very basics of photography which teach beyond camera functionality, but how to calculate the perfect exposure. After all, in the 35mm days, you couldn't just snap snap snap a photo every single time without it costing you precious time and crazy amounts of money spent on film that would either not come out at all, over expose, or under expose. And if you were shooting anything very important, having such a disaster happen would destroy your reputation. It was first taught here to "get it right in camera."
Starting in 1997, Nathan studied and worked on everything from weddings, infant and newborn, kids, events, modeling, portrait, fashion, landscape, aerial, aviation, sports, commercial, product and other types of photography which has changed his way of seeing things into a freeze frame mindset that he can evaluate before it happens. Everywhere he looks, Nathan can see a portrait or candid memory to be captured and wishes so much he could just walk up and say "Can I photograph you or your children?" After all, that would be so super creepy. #BurdenofPhotographers
In 2012, Nathan graduated from Polk State College with an Associate of Arts Degree, and then returned to his home school at Southeastern University in Lakeland Florida to complete his Bachelor of Science Degree in May 2015, majoring in broadcasting and journalism with a film minor. He has worked on many student films, and a couple feature films and worked hand in hand with some of the greatest directors of photography he has ever met. This experience also helped him fill the gap in between photography and video/film production which is exactly the purpose of cinematography. With this new knowledge, he was given a whole new view and education to how light bends, shapes, and transforms. This has helped the photographer create new works of art through both natural and artificial lighting using studio strobes/speedlights, or reflectors to bounce and soften the light hitting the subject.
In July of 2016, Nathan met the love of his life and proposed to her that Christmas of 2016. They were married later the following year August 2017 in her hometown of Jacksonville, Florida surrounded by family and friends where he also now lives and calls home.
A brand new chapter started on December 20, 2018 when Nathan & Alana welcomed their first child and daughter into the world. It has been a very time consuming but very rewarding and wonderful experience to date for them both and is shifting focus back to newborn and infant photography.
With his new daughter and new responsibilities as now a husband and a father, Nathan has just enrolled as of April 2019, into Wilmington University's Entrepreneurship Small Business online program.
Also, within the coming months, Nathan is looking at a new studio space in Downtown Jacksonville where he can host shoots, classes, tutorials, film projects, interviews, etc.
From Nathan:
"This is my work. This is my dream. This is my passion. I want each client and those who view the images to see their photos it as if they are living it for the first time while standing inside the memory of the photo. Overall, I will return glory and credit to my creator as the only reason I am alive, and that is to bless Him back with what blessings He gave me. Thanks for your time! NOW LETS SHOOT!
~Nathan Waters
