Meet Nathan Mitchell | Wedding, Event, and Portrait Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nathan Mitchell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nathan, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
For me, work-life balance is always a struggle. Being a working freelance and wedding photographer has its perks, such as not needing to worry about someone else telling me what to do all the time, but when it comes to life, it’s tough to juggle. I have a 3-year old now and that makes things extra difficult. Right now what I’m trying is a hyper-scheduled work week. My wife and I rigorously plan out every hour of every day before the week starts. It doesn’t mean we have to 100% keep it, but it helps us to maintain our sanity when both of us work for ourselves. But having an incredibly structured work week means that I can plan out exactly what I need to get done and when, and stick to that as closely as I can. Doing this also helps us structure in time for each other, and time for ourselves individually. So the key to a good work-life balance, especially when working for yourself, is to try to plan out as much as possible, that way it’s more likely you’ll actually get things done.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
To set yourself apart from others, you really need to look inward and try to develop a sense of self. What makes you happy? What brings you joy? What about life is inspiring or makes you lean forward and pay attention? For me, it’s people. I love being around people, getting to know new people, gathering glimpses of their lives through photographs and telling their stories. I found early on and continue to find even today that I really want to tell a lot of information in singular photographs. I want each image I make to have context and good framing and help to shed light on whatever it is. So if I’m photographing a couple in love I really want that expression to come through. If I’m photographing a meeting between business partners or business event I want the photos to exude the emotion in the room, whatever it is. If I’m photographing a concert or a protest I want the experience of the subjects in them to come through the images–every image. Showing your best work is 100% the priority, and for me it’s important to not deliver something sub-par to the client. I want every one of my images to tell a story. Sometimes the story is short and sweet, and sometimes the story is big and powerful. But for me, above all, every image should be a story about people and that story should be as rich as possible.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Baltimore has so many great spots! We’d definitely need to start at Ekiben, my favorite food spot in town. Perfect asian fusion buns. chef’s kiss*. Other food spots, probably Paulie Gee’s for pizza, and Golden West for vegan food if we were feeling like it. I’d want us to stop by Normals Books, Atomic Books, and Celebrated Summer records. For beer it’s Nepenthe for the beer and the vibe, or Union Craft Brewing for the best beer in town. We’d see whatever revival movies that are happening at Senator Theater or Charles Theatre, and we’d go to shows at The Ottobar, legitimately one of the best local venues in the nation. An Inner Harbor and a Federal Hill visit would probably be in the cards too just to get that all out of the way. Great views of the city from Fed Hill. Other than that we’d be grilling out or making pizzas in my backyard and playing music in my basement studio.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to my wife, who is constantly pushing me to be the best version of myself while also doing her own thing and demonstrating how easy it is to do things I think are impossible (or would just never get around to).

Website: www.nathanmitchellphotography.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanmitchellphotography/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanmitchellphotography

Image Credits
Nathan Mitchell Photography