Today we’d like to introduce you to Nate Dodge.
Hi Nate, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was always an outdoor kid growing up. Somewhere in my teens I picked up a camera and never put it down. I was interested in capturing landscapes, wildlife, sunsets, really anything in the natural world that caught my eye.
In college I was pursuing a career in computer engineering but while my peers were spending their free time writing code, I found myself down at the river behind campus shooting photos or fly fishing. I had the opportunity to spend a semester in New Zealand and I figured if I was going to one of the prettiest countries in the world, it was probably time for a real camera. I invested in a Sony A7II and a cheap 24-70mm lens and spent 6 months backpacking around the north and south islands photographing everything.
When I returned to campus for my senior year, that body of work had gained me some traction and I started getting hired to shoot a variety of commercial and documentary projects. That really opened my eyes to this being a potential career path that I didn’t previously know existed. I re-invested all the money I made into gear, picking up a couple new lenses and a drone. This was still at a time where drone photography and video was a tiny market and drew a lot of attention.
After graduation, I figured if there was ever a time to chase my dreams, it was now. Worst case I could fall back on a job in the tech world, but that was all the motivation I needed to make this work. So I packed up a U-Haul and moved to Colorado and hit the ground running. From there I’ve spent the past 8 years building a business shooting commercial and documentary work for some of the outdoor industry’s leading brands.
Today, we find ourselves rappelling into glaciers, bushwhacking through the jungle, sailing near the North Pole, and chasing pro athletes around the world all in pursuit of stories that demand to be told.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Honestly the road has been smoother than expected. I think that’s because I knew from the beginning that this would be 10x the amount of work of a typical 9-5. I knew I’d be working long nights, in difficult conditions, barely scraping by at times, but that eventually the ball would start to pick up speed and if I could get good enough at what I do, the rest would fall into place naturally. It is a grind and always will be, but that’s what keeps me energized about this work.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am the owner and director at Nate Dodge Studio, a creative agency specializing in commercial and documentary photo and video work for some of the leading brands in the outdoor industry. We don’t do studio shoots. We capture organic and authentic stories of real people on real adventures in the wild from the depths of the jungle to the tops of the highest peaks to the coldest reaches of the arctic.
The work that I am most proud of is an ice climbing documentary called Ephemeral which I worked on as a cinematographer with my friend Josiah Jones from Outland Film who directed and edited the piece. The film went to many outdoor adventure film festivals and was a part of the Banff world tour.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
For me success is all about lifestyle. If I can be doing fulfilling work that I enjoy shooting, while maintaining enough time in my schedule to pursue my other hobbies and time with friends and family, then I’ve made it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.natedodgestudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nate_dodge/
