Life & Work with Curt Nordling

Today we’d like to introduce you to Curt Nordling.

Hi Curt, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I am a Los Angeles-based photographer who grew up in the Denver metro area. I have loved photography since early childhood when I started with box cameras and Kodak Instamatics.

I graduated High School from Smoky Hill HS and went to college at the University of Arizona. I studied and graduated in Aerospace Engineering in 1984. Since then, I have had a career in the Aerospace industry working for Rockwell International, Boeing, and 2 consulting firms in Los Angeles.

Throughout my primary work in Aerospace, I have always had a camera in my hands, loving work with people in my imagery. For the last 15 years, I’ve formally opened my photo business and continued to grow in my love of the artistry that is photography.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
This is such a great question. Like most artistic pursuits, photography is a constant process of planning, execution, review, questioning, learning (hopefully!)… repeat! There are so many factors in making a good photo — and I do mean “making”. You must understand so much before you even touch the camera. Subject, purpose, location, lighting, emotion, posing, and post-processing — all require considerable thought before deciding on how to approach the shoot.

In their way, each one of these elements has been a struggle to “master,” or at least understand well enough, before moving forward. Perhaps the biggest struggle has been finding people to work with — models, make-up artists, and stylists. Yes, there are plenty of these experts/artists in Los Angeles, but very few are willing to do it on a ‘trade-for’ basis. So, to develop my art as a photographer, it’s taken many years to build a portfolio that attracts artists who are equally serious about their work as models, MUAs, and stylists.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
In my photography, I almost always want a person in the frame. I love working with people and running teams. I’ve spent most of my Aerospace career running teams, so I’m pretty good at it. I like taking my experiences in Aerospace to my guiding teams in my photo shoots. I’m probably most proud of my volunteer work at the Children’s Hospital in Long Beach.

For many years, I have been taking family photos in the NICU during holidays like Mother’s Day, Halloween, and Christmas. The images are usually of premature babies who will not be home in time for the holiday. Other volunteers make little outfits for the babies and we capture meaningful images with parents and sometimes Santa.

I’ve also volunteered for Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS). NILMDTS is a service that offers professional portraits to families who have lost a baby, with the help of volunteer photographers. Hopefully, what sets me apart from others is my approach to my work. I want to capture imagery with meaning, emotion, and purpose.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
It may sound odd, but I like to specialize in NOT specializing. I enjoy all sorts of capturing images with people. I photograph families, maternity, engagements, model portfolios, lingerie, and branding projects for companies.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.curtnordlingphoto.com/ commercial work and
  https://www.curtnordlingimage.com/ for family work
• Instagram: @cjn_imagery