Today we’d like to introduce you to Nik Pennington.
Nik, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I was born, both my parents worked at American Airlines. I was fortunate to travel extensively and appreciate natural beauty and see amazing cities at a young age. I have those memories stored away and I try to capture that feeling in my prints. The first time I was introduced to photography was sophomore year of high school in journalism class, and I figured if I could take my own photos to go along with my articles, there would be a better chance I got published. It quickly arose that I was the worst photographer in the room. Luckily, I had teachers that taught me from the ground up and made sure I harnessed the basics then let me go at it on my own.
I was primarily a sports photographer, and it was a comfortable and controlled environment to learn the basics in, and just a year later I landed my first-ever magazine cover. Inside Ahwatukee Magazine ran my story about my high school football team winning the state championship, and used one of my photos on the cover, and after that, I was hooked. I dove into making money with the camera a few years after that in college, when I started shooting side gigs for other photographers, and eventually gathered up the confidence to startup nikpictures.com.
Has it been a smooth road?
I’m not sure there are smooth roads. Planning and preparing in both life and art can ease some of the bumps along the way, but it is never smooth. In the beginning, everything about making money from my art or shooting was vague and seemed obscure, plus I was 19 and in college with a part-time job. Landing clients that would continue to work with me, and finding the money to take on bigger jobs were very difficult at the start. Even now, starting this new chapter in San Diego reminds me of those first months of the business and the nerves and excitement that come with it.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
Nik Pennington Photography is a photo and video company that sells photo and video services along with prints, books, and calendars. Everything from travel photography to weddings to sports and YouTube can exist on nikpictures.com. Lately, the business has been working with other businesses who maybe have social media, but don’t know how to create visual media that unites their brand across all their platforms. I am most proud of the prints on my client’s walls, the idea that I created something and had a perspective that someone would want to live with and share with those who come into their home or office is extremely flattering. What sets me apart from others, for now, is that I am still very young, but this will be my 8th year shooting and my technical skills have lined up with enough experience to create really special things.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
The best thing about San Diego is the access to so many different landscapes, textures, and backdrops. There is a little bit of everything and a single shoot with a client across a few locations can look drastically different and really go a long way. The thing I like least about the city has to be the traffic and parking situations, coming from Phoenix I was spoiled on wide flat roads and easy parking virtually everywhere, but there is far less “parkable” land here so I guess I will get used to it.
Contact Info:
- Website: nikpictures.com
- Phone: 609-474-6456
- Email: nik@nikpictures.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photosnik/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NikPhotog/
Suggest a story: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
