The first time I was virtually introduced to Nick Onken, was through an expat friend I met while living in Paris.
I had heard that a photographer was visiting Taiwan to shoot, which to me, always triggers curiosity. I come from such a small yet financially charged island, for some reason, I’ve grown discretely grateful to anyone who visits my homeland outside of business or trading purposes.
Years later, when I started Jetset Times, I chased down Nick for an interview. Literally chasing him down, with persistent emails and reminders. Although I was traveling from San Francisco, Paris, Barcelona to Boston at the time, I knew intuitively that I was booking someone who possibly traveled more than I do. Unfortunately, hours before my interview with Nick, I was at Le Cirque, interviewing Marco Maccioni and enjoying an extra elongated luncheon. It lasted for 5 hours! Although satiably satisfied, I was embarrassed to have arrived late to Nick’s interview (with a leftover from Le Cirque in hand.) Classy, I know. Nick was generous and gracious enough to share his time, diving into his philosophy behind the lens and answering questions from: defining beauty to the magic that allows all of his photos seem so, incredibly alive.
In my published article, I listed a group of worldwide brands that Nick has worked with. What I didn’t include was a personal observation on how entrepreneurial he is, in comparison to a number of photographers I’ve encountered throughout my entire career. Passion is key in sustaining happiness within our daily jobs, but the quest to keep growing and expanding in areas that have yet to be conquered calls for inspiration. Over the course of his career, Nick has been to some pretty amazing places, met some of the most beautiful people and has created vivid images from around the world. Yet, he still yearns to stretch, continuing to refine a craft that he dedicates with wholehearted passion. I firmly believe that if we can all find the same drive in what we do, then don’t ever let it go. After all, isn’t that why we continue to travel, discover, take risks and venture in new grounds.
Read more of my interview with Nick
Check out Nick’s website or follow him on Twitter
Safe travels,
