#SFGuide Featured Photographer: Nick Hogan
Each week we select and profile a photographer from our #SFGuide community on Instagram. We believe these photographers capture the everlasting beauty of San Francisco and the Bay Area. For a chance to be featured on our Instagram feed, or here, on 49Miles.com, tag your photos with #SFGuide.
This week’s featured #SFGuide photographer is Nick Hogan (@nahogan), a native of Baltimore, Maryland. Scroll down to view Nick’s breathtaking photos, and learn more about what inspires him as a creative in the Bay Area.
#SFGuide Photographer Profile
Name: Nick Hogan
Age: 23
Profession: Financial Services
Place of Birth: Baltimore, MD
Where do you currently reside: San Francisco
Something you’d like viewers to know about you: I can speak, read and write Mandarin Chinese
What is your favorite spot to shoot in San Francisco, and why?
My favorite spot to shoot is Land’s End in the Outer Richmond. It’s view of the ocean, as well as its steep cliffs and trees, are pretty much perfect and gorgeous at sunset. No matter how many times I explore there it never gets old.
How did you take up photography?
I started taking up photography when I was studying abroad in China. I was traveling to the Great Wall, Buddhist temples and amazing cities and wanted to remember all of it as any tourist does. Over the course of capturing the many places I went and people I met on my little Nikon Coolpix, I discovered that I loved it. So, I decided to keep on being a tourist when I came back to SF and upgrade to a DSLR.
What do you love about photography?
The act of creating, in a way that allows me to share how I see the world.
How do you decide what to shoot?
This depends on a few things- if I’m shooting for a client, I work with them to figure out what type of shot they want, their desired location and the context they’ll be using the images for. Personally, I really like Grandview Park in the Sunset or Lookout Point for its amazing views of the Marin Headlands and Mount Tam.
What’s your favorite part about going out to shoot?
The best part of heading out on a shoot is having an excuse to go on an adventure.
Which location did you have the most difficulty getting to, and how did you do it?
My most difficult place was the Point Reyes Lighthouse. Getting down to the lighthouse wasn’t the problem- getting back was. The equivalent of walking forty flights of stairs is waiting for you on your trip back up. On your way down it’s a breeze, and you can look out at things along the way, it’s great. The way back just lets you know how out of shape you are.
What is your dream shot? (Where, what time of day, what’s in it / the subject?)
My dream shot is in Yosemite during sunset in summer on Glacier Point Road. I would ideally have a Westfalia van in the background- just go full hippie.
What is your favorite app to use for photo editing on the go, and what are your top 3 favorite filters?
VSCO is my favorite for editing on the go, and my favorite filters are New Modern, Clean, and the Krochet Kids Intl. pack (they’re an awesome non-profit).
How does Instagram and the #SFGuide community inspire you?
Instagram and the #SFGuide community inspires me to always be curious. It’s always a great place to start when I’m searching for new places to photograph, looking for new places to eat and thinking of different ways of shooting. It provides me with a community of people who are all trying to do the same thing- take and share pictures of what they love.
What are your favorite San Francisco-based Instagram accounts to follow?
@49milessf, @nowrongwaysf, @thesamgraves, @sf_insta, @onlyinsf, and @sanfrancisco.
What type of camera do you use? And what is your dream camera?
I currently use a Canon 60D and my dream camera would be the Canon 5D Mark III.
What are your favorite settings in your idea shot?
For Portraits:
Aperture: 1.8
Shutter Speed: 1/250
ISO: 100
White Balance: AWB
Focus (Manual / Auto): Auto
Image Format (RAW / JPEG): RAW
For Landscape:
Aperture: 16
Shutter Speed: 1/100
ISO: 100
White Balance: AWB
Focus (Manual / Auto): Auto
Image Format (RAW / JPEG): RAW
What advice would you give to new or rising photographers that you wish you had received when you first started?
1. I’m honestly still trying to figure that out myself, but first, just get out there. Try to shoot as much as you can and just have fun. That’s what it’s all about for me. Go out for the adventure, explore and see what you can create. It doesn’t have to be perfect on your first try, and if you constantly tinker with the settings, time of day and where you shoot you’ll improve much more quickly. You’ll find both what you like to shoot and what you’re good at shooting.
2. Another piece of advice I wish I would have had when I first started is to look at successful photographers and find out how they got to where they are now. Whether it’s a great hobbyist or a professional photographer, just break down them down and try to learn as much as you can about them You’ll start to see patterns, like how to build a body of work, how to work on building a personal brand, the value of an internship, buying certain types of gear and maybe doing do an apprenticeship or a workshop. Try to be a sponge, learn as much as you can and then you’ll have a road map of what you want to do with photography and a rough idea of how to get to where you want to go.
What do you love about living in the San Francisco Bay Area?
I love how I can never be bored in the Bay. Whether it be going to a concert in Oakland, surfing Pacifica’s beaches, hiking in the forests and mountains of Marin, or going to all of the vibrant restaurants and bars in San Francisco, there is always something to do.
