Today we’d like to introduce you to Nate Black.
Nate, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
So to start off I have always had an ability to see people, places, and just life in a different light, and when presented with a way to learn how to capture what I saw that no one else did, I took that opportunity and ran with it. I began by learning on 35mm film or as some know it as Analog Photography, a piece of art that is being resurrected in this new wave of vintage. After taking the film class sophomore year of high school, I began to find a love for this so-called photography and wanted to harness those skills to progress deeper into the field. So in the transition of moving from Boston to Georgia a little over seven years ago, I bought my first digital camera and took it with me everywhere. I would soon come to find that I love concert/live event photography, almost as if it was in my DNA, the adrenaline that I get from capturing raw, unique moments in life at shows is something that I crave to this day and I have been doing it for over seven years now.
My passion and drive has connected me with so many amazing artists and other creatives and grateful for all of them and the roles they have played on my journey thus far. To name a few – I have worked with Chance The Rapper, Billie Eilish, Young The Giant, Ne-Yo, Needtobreathe, and A Day To Remember, etc. Working with these incredible artists is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
Over the past seven years, I have put my skills to the tests and have tired various genres of photography such as weddings, street, fashion, landscape, and even pet photography. All of them are amazing in their own right, but I know in my heart capturing bands, the fans, and the venues are my ultimate drive. Just like the beginning of this year, I got the honor of capturing Passion Conference 2020 and was extremely humbled by this feeling that I was a part of something truly remarkable.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would like to say yes, it has been smooth, but that would be a lie – like any creative will tell you its a struggle to make your mark on the world with your art and creativity, but obviously, that takes time to learn and find. My best advice is that trial and error are not your enemies, they are your mentors. I don’t have any specific struggles that I would highlight because I know now that they were just building blocks towards who I am today.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
So my business has gone through many names over the years, but realized that most of my clients and fellow creatives know me by my name and I know I am not the only Nate Black on this earth, but I know I am the only one that is living in Atlanta as a photographer, so that’s why I called my company The Nate Black. I am known for my concert/live event photography, but I try not to put a label on anything in my life, so I simply call myself a Life Photographer because I capture life in its unique forms. When people can recognize my photo without being tagged or credited, just seeing and image and knowing that I captured that raw moment.
I have a huge passion for storytelling, as do a lot of creatives, but I like telling the stories of the outcasts and the ones that are just raw and real about life. I seek out those that want to tell their story through their eyes. (For example, the actor John Krasinski is one my all-time favorite actors because he doesn’t have to say anything just talking through his eyes to see the pain or excitement he is portraying on screen or in real life.) So, in short, I want to capture life through others’ eyes. Something that also makes me stand out is most of my work is in black & white because I feel it draws the eye to the emotion and subject matter in the photograph.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Being apart of the Passion Conference 2020 Photo Team – truly and honor to be apart of this amazing team and I got some of my all-time favorite photos I have even taken.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thenateblack.com
- Email: thenateblack@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenateblack/
Image Credit:
Yungblud, Young The Giant, Sean Curran, Chance The Rapper, Billie Eilish
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
