Nathan Lindstrom is one of Houston's top photographers with a list of credits that is a mile long. His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Fortune, Marie Claire, Forbes and more. He shoots everything from corporate photos to rural landscapes to boxing. His fluency in Spanish netted him the post of Spanish Publications Photo Editor at the Houston Chronicle and he is currently the president of the American Society of Media Photographers, Houston Chapter.
Lindstrom was inspired to begin photography at a young age by his father, a serious amateur photographer. When he was a high school senior in Iowa he met the documentary photographer Danny Wilcox Frazier, who encouraged Lindstrom to pursue his hobby professionally. During college he began freelancing at the Chronicle and his work there landed him his first post-college job.
It was while he was at the Chronicle that he got to photograph then-world boxing champion Juan Diaz. Diaz's quiet and kind demeanor outside the ring contrasted sharply with his power and ferocity inside the ring leading to a lifelong fascination with boxing for Lindstrom.
What he does: Everything. Literally everything that can be done with a camera you can bet Lindstrom has tried and excelled at. His work spans people and places of all shapes and sizes. He proudly sold his first fine art selection to a serious collection earlier this year, having met the buyer at the annual Silver Street Studios holiday party.
Why he likes it: "My favorite aspect of photography is the opportunity it provides for me to see other people's lives. It doesn't matter if I am working on a documentary project or a commercial job, photography provides this amazing avenue for me to walk into complete stranger's lives for a time and see how they work, how they live. In some ways it is presumptuous of me to think that I understand someone's life just because I've spent a day or so with them but I have an infinitely better understanding of that person, their hardships and joys, than if I'd never witnessed their life at all."
What inspires him: Curiosity, a desire to create and his faith are the three things Lindstrom credits the most for his inspiration. Robert Searle has been his mentor and the biggest influence in his photographic life. He's also been pleased to work with a personal hero, Art Streiber, who taught him tons about his craft and the photography business.
If not this, then what: "I've really gotten into woodworking lately. My grandfather and uncles on both sides of the family were avid woodworkers. There is something very therapeutic for me being in the shop, smelling the fresh cut wood, being able to immediately see what I've accomplished. I've also found it creatively challenging to think and work in 3D when I'm usually so immersed in the 2D world of a computer screen.
If not here, then where: Lindstrom loves Houston and is continually impressed by how much its art scene grows. He has no intention of leaving, but recent business trips to New York and Atlanta did captivate him enough to name them second and third choices for places he would love to shoot.
What's next: "Since working out of Silver Street I've had the privilege of seeing great art and artists on a daily basis. FotoFest's headquarters are also at Silver Street and they hang shows in our hallways every couple of months. It has been a big inspiration for me to start pushing into the fine art world of photography; if for nothing else, than to expand my creative vision, which I can use to enhance my commercial work."
More Creatives for 2015 (In order of most recently published; click here for the full page).
Vanessa Sosa, artist Alecia Lawyer, founder/artistic director of River Oaks Chamber Orchestra Eric Kinkead, video game maker
