Location: United States
Some of Nathan’s earliest memories revolve around photography. As a young child Nathan found a camera in the crawl space under his home and worked in the neighborhood to earn money to purchase film and processing. The delight of the week was when the pictures were picked up at the corner drugstore.
Nathan received a bachelor’s degree in 1971 from Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma. After that he worked with inner city children in Pasadena, California. However, a pre-occupation with art nearly demanded that he enter it full time. With every intention of becoming a graphic designer he enrolled at Eastern New Mexico University in 1974 in the art program.
“As a part of my degree plan it was required that I take a class in photography. The moment I saw the first photograph develop I was hooked. No longer was my plan to become a board illustrator (bored illustrator); I would create photographs! Drawn as inexorably to photography as a bird to the sky; I pursued the dream. Perhaps it shouldn’t have been all that startling; I later found out that my mother had been a darkroom worker while she was carrying me. I think she got Dektol (black and white paper developer) in my blood.” Initially fascinated with the work of Ernst Haas and Dr. Eliot Porter Nathan was later influenced by the work of Ansel Adams and Morley Baer as well as several contemporary photographers. They have been very influential in his decision to pursue fine art photography as a career direction
Recent awards include Artist in Residence for the Lake Powell Artist’s Association. Nathan also served as Artist in Residence for the National Park Service at Rocky Mountain National Park, Acadia National Park and Buffalo National River. Nathan’s work has been featured in “View Camera Magazine”, “The Professional Photographer” and “B&W Magazine”, a publication which features the fine art photography of various photographers around the world. His work has also been featured in other regional and local publications such as “New Mexico Magazine” and “Texas Highways”.
He resides in Clovis, New Mexico with his wife of 45 years Virginia, and two canine daughters, EmmaJune a border collie and Calypso a golden retriever.
I am a fine art photographer living in New Mexico. All of the photographs in this portfolio have been produced using large format cameras and printed in a traditional wet darkroom using classic techniques. No digital means have been used in the production of these photographs. All are hand printed using the finest silver gelatin printing papers available.
Bisti badlands in Northern New Mexico is one of my favorite places in the state to work. Unlimited material.
A beautiful waterfall in a very beautiful corner of the mountain west.
“Ferns and Cedars, Ross Creek Cedars”
I decided to take a detour to this area in Montana after teaching for a week at a workshop there. These are the largest trees in North America outside of the West Coast.
A thing about living on the plains in New Mexico. These storms can blow up very quickly, especially in hot weather. The are magnificent to watch, but you need to get out of the way.
Georgia O'Keefe called this place the "Black Place". The texture of the mud hills reminded me of an elephants skin.
“Mountain Tarn, Snowy Mountains, Wyoming”
The film for this photograph was exposed just before a huge lightning and rain storm made it necessary for me to beat feet down the mountain to a safer location. This was done a few minutes after sunrise and I was delighted to be able to get the pattern of light that a break in the clouds to the east provided for me.
“Rapids, Glacier National Park, Montana”
Of the locations I have been blessed to work in Glacier is one of my favorites. This river flows down a very steep hillside into one of the many lakes in the area.
“Sandstone Fin, Moonrise, Plaza Blanca, New Mexico”
Georgia O'Keefe used to live, literally, up the hill from this location. She painted many of her most well known works in this area. She called it "Plaza Blanca", or the White Place.
“Sunrise Fin, Ghost Ranch, New Mexico”
Ghost Ranch is a very beautiful place north of Santa Fe and Espanola, New Mexico. Very beautiful and classic western red rock country.
“Sunlit Castle, Capitol Reef National Park”
I was driving through Capitol Reef one day in June. It was stinking nasty hot with billions of little bitey bugs. I was at this place just a few minutes before sunset.
“Sunrise Fins, Plaza Blanca, New Mexico”
This is an amazing area, almost supernatural in its beauty. Every time I am working out in nature my jaw drops at the beauty and power of the places I have been blessed to visit and to portray in my photographs.
“Yucca on a Yardang, White Sands”
One of New Mexico's most well known locations. These Yucca Trees sent out their roots into the gypsum sand and retained enough moisture to cause the sand to stick together. As the almost constant wind erodes the sand away it leaves these structures that are odd shaped. Extremely interesting place.
“Yucca Trees and Dunes, White Sands”
Classic White Sands, New Mexico. Yuccas are amazing plants. Even in this blistering hot cauldron, with very little atmospheric moisture they grow, and even thrive.
“Bisti Pinnacle”
“Chasm Falls on Fall River”
“High Plains Drencher”
“Like an Elephants Back”
