[ Tam Nguyen Photography ]'s photostream  

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In my bag:
Nikon D90 + extra battery
Lowepro AW200
Nikon SB-600 AF Speedlight
Nikon AF-S DX 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED
Nikon AF 50mm f/1.8D
Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II (NEW, as of 10/26/10)
Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG Macro
Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 OS HSM Macro
LumiQuest Pro Max 80-20
Some other random crap!
Adobe Lightroom 3 (feel free to ask me for the templates)

I'm single and ready to mingle!


When and how did you get started in photography?
Photography has always been my passion since I was young. One of my brothers was a professional photographer, and I think he had a big influence on me when it came to photog. He would bring his equipment home, and then had me be his subject for practicing. Those were the days when SLR cameras were your only option. The fact that everything was manual and his being able to have nice shots right off the bat was just amazing.

When I started college and working a part-time job at a retail store, I had the opportunity to work with camera equipment. This helped me understand more about the technical aspects of it all. I picked up a beginner’s photography book, read it all within a week, and tried to understand as much technique as I could. Besides the artistic point-of-view, photog is straight up science and physics. The courses in “Heat, Wave, [Light] and Modern Physics” and some Calculus significantly helped. I could hardly wait to get my hands on a camera to start shooting.

What was your first SLR/DSLR camera? Any particular reason why you chose the cam as your first?
I made my first purchase: the Canon (yes, Canon!) PowerShot S2-IS. It was one of those “point and shoot” cameras with big zoom and the ability to control your shutter speed, aperture, ISO, etc… I bought it for cheap as the model was being discontinued, and I thought it would give me what I need for my photog. Soon enough, I found that I need more than just a tiny sensor with a fixed lens and some illusional control of the camera. I needed a DSLR.

After doing some extensive research, I went to a retail store to shop for a DSRL. It was a Nikon D40. At first, I only intended to have a little try-before-you-buy thing, but I loved it so much, I decided to keep it. Apparently, I advanced a bit faster than expected; my D40 couldn’t keep up with me with its 6-megapixel sensor and the kit lens. I shopped around and found myself with a D80. I was happy.

What is your current setup, including camera and lens?
Long story shorts, I lost my D80 with all of the equipment at one point. Here are what’s in my bag:
Nikon D90 + extra batteries
Lowepro AW200
Nikon SB-600 AF Speedlight
Nikon AF-S DX 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED
Nikon AF 50mm f/1.8D
Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG Macro
Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 OS HSM Macro
LumiQuest Pro Max 80-20
Some other random crap!
Adobe Lightroom 3.0 x64 (feel free to ask me for the templates)

In terms of photographic style, what do you prefer? Landscape, macro or portrait shots?
My main interest is macro photography. The idea of “blowing things up” and making them look cool just amazes me. Things like “Wow, I never thought snails could look so cute!” and “Dude, I would have never thought that’s what it is!” are what get me going.
Lately, I want to improve myself on shooting for events and people. Shooting buttons or a jeans zipper is nice and easy, as they don’t tend to run around. Shooting people is hard; you need to be able to express their feelings, and to tell the story behind it, all within a split second and a 2:3 aspect ratio.

Out of the many photo shoots you have done, what was your favorite shoot and why?
It was a Quinceanera event (if you don’t know what it is, look it up!) – my very first event shooting with another brother of mine. It was fun, with a lot of things to capture in such little time. The main girl’s dress was super pretty, and everyone was just simply happy.

As of now, photography is a hobby of yours. Would you consider working as a photographer full time?
Probably not. I shoot for fun. The minute the money is involved, it takes the fun away. Sure, I don’t mind selling the pictures I’d already taken, but not when I have clients who are like “I want this taken, even though it’d look like crap!”.

As a photographer, I'm sure you've travelled to many places. What has to be your favorite place and why?
I haven’t travelled to many places, but so far San Francisco has not failed me. NYC is also a great place. Tons of photo opps!

Do you see yourself continuing photography in the years to come?
Definitely!


My Model Mayhem Page

Life In Art | Behind the Lens With Tam Nguyen

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