We had the good fortune of connecting with Tony Nguyen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tony, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Howdy! My name is Tony Nguyen — Vietnamese by birth, proudly raised in Texas — and I am a photographer based in Houston, Texas + surrounding areas. I am currently a junior at the University of Houston, GO COOGS!! As a child, I was always taking pictures and videos every chance I can get and was really involved in arts and crafts. My journey began during my freshman year of high school when I was introduced to the photography club, where I was able to dive into the aspects of photography and allowed me to express my creativity. After begging and persuading my parents to buy me my own camera, they gave in. I got my first DSLR camera (Canon Rebel T6) in 2018 and became obsessed with it. I started taking pictures of my friends and family, which eventually transformed into a small business I am running today, Nguyentography.

In photography, I see a purposeful and versatile vocation, yet what I love most is the opportunity to connect and help others by preserving memories through photographs. I am so grateful for the growth of my business – the opportunities I received and the people I got to know.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Something I am most proud of would be my photography website (Nguyentography.com)! After putting it off for some time, one day I just sat down, started from scratch, and could not be happier with the final product.

Of course it has not always been a smooth road and I know that everyone has different experiences. Being a self-taught photographer at a young age, I did not have the money or resources that many photographers on the internet had. I would spend countless hours researching and watching YouTube tutorials + videos about the coolest camera gears, which, unfortunately, I did not have access to. At the start of my photography business, I struggled with time-management. I was a dual-credit student at the time, taking high school and college classes at once — it was sometimes difficult to manage numerous shoots in a small time period + getting the gallery back to clients on time. I also did not drive at the time, so I had to make sure the client’s booking corresponded with the schedule of the person who was going to drive me that day. However, through the obstacles, it made the journey fun, unpredictable, and worthwhile. My business has transformed so much throughout the years and I am looking to learn more and grow each day!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Interesting question! I would, of course, start the day out with some coffee. Houston has some of the best local coffee shops and some of my favorites would be Verbena Coffee or Luce’s Coffee Roasters. An iced vanilla + brown sugar latte, half sweet with oat milk never goes wrong!

Then I would take them out for some brunch – Traveler’s Table is one of my hotspots for brunch. So many dish options here from various parts of the world! And the outside patio seating here is great and the vibes are immaculate.

After brunch, I would show them around the city! Eleanor Tinsley Park is a great location to go for a stroll, plus you get an amazing view of the Houston skyline as well. And the POST Houston is also another must-stop location. The food, the vibes, and the views are amazing!

And lastly, for dinner, I would take them to Chinatown. You simply cannot visit Houston and not go to Chinatown! Some of my favorite spots in Chinatown are Honeypig Korean BBQ, Pho Binh, Cafe 101, Lucky Palace Korean Restaurant, and Long Coffee. Chinatown is definitely a location for my food lovers – offers a wide variety from Vietnamese, Korean, Thai, Chinese and boba!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to shoutout my high school mathematics teacher, Mr. Salarda! He was the staff sponsor for my high school’s photography club and that was honestly how all of this started. He was one of the people who introduced me to photography and always encouraged me to pursue my photography business!

Website: nguyentography.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nguyentography/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tdnguyen13/

Other: Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tw.xngy/

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