Meet Jonathan Dang | Portrait Photographer

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

Hi Jonathan, what are you inspired by?

I’m inspired by so many different things but mainly it’s through my environment and the people that I was surrounded by growing up. I’ve always loved skateboarding and the fashion that revolves around it, watching different movies and music videos, and creating connections with the people that I’ve met in life. All these things have a heavy influence on me and the way that I create and direct my photosets.

Please tell us more about your art. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally? Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way? What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

Personally when it comes to photography, I’m always excited when I’m able to bring my vision for a photoset to life and when a client feels satisfied and amazed with the final product. It’s also exciting collaborating with different models and photographers because I am able to expand my network while bringing my visions to life. Collaboration with others allows me to further my knowledge of photography, which allows me to improve my craft. It took countless hours of watching different YouTube videos and studying the work of my favorite photographers, reaching out to different people to help bring my concepts to life, and just experimenting with different film stocks/editing styles to be where I’m at today. I also had multiple opportunities to shoot at some of my favorite artists’ concerts, which gave me a taste of concert photography. Being fortunate enough to have the opportunities to take pictures at these shows made me realize that this is something that I am striving to continue doing. Honestly, this ongoing journey hasn’t been easy and there are so many challenges that I have to tackle. To get through these bouts of struggle, I always tell myself that whatever the outcome is, as long as I take the chance and do what I can, it is worth it. If anything, I take it as a learning experience and try my best to bounce back with my next project. Additionally, having confidence and erasing self doubt are two major lessons that I keep in mind when I am shooting or working alongside other photographers and clients. When I surround myself with photographers that I look up to or other artists that I aspire to be like, being open to advice and critiques plays a substantial role in my work and who I am as a photographer. Honestly, in regards to who I am and where I want to be with my photography, I want to keep releasing new photo sets, honing my craft, documenting more shows, and getting more bookings. I want to see how far I can go doing what I enjoy.

Alright, so let’s jump right in! The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there a person, group, organization, book, etc that you want to dedicate your shoutout to? Who else deserves a little credit and recognition in your story?

First off, I want to give a massive thank you to my friends and family for constantly supporting me since day one of this journey. I also want to give a massive shoutout to all the people who were open to collaborating with me and helping me bring my moodboards and visions to life. Without them I wouldn’t be where I’m at today with photography and would not have the opportunities that I’ve received so far.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc. In your view, what are some of the most fun, interesting, exciting people, places or things to check out?

I would start the day off by taking my friends to my favorite beach in Torrey Pines. Not only do I find this beach really beautiful but it also has a hiking trail that allows people to enjoy the view too. I would then take them to my favorite mexican food spot which would either be Tacos El Gordo for their adobada tacos or Vallarta express for their Surf and Turf burrito. Afterwards I would go to Linda Vista Skatepark with them and get a quick skate session in. For nostalgic purposes I would then go to Foster Freeze with them to get their Oreo Twisters and then end the night by either playing Billiards at 0-Zone cafe on Convoy or just walk around downtown SD.

Website: jonathantdang.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-dang-5710361b4/