Behind the Lens

Don Nguyen

 Hello everyone! I'm Don Nguyen born & raised in Tucson, AZ, & Photography has changed my life. Photography for me was simply a hobby & then it became a passion in life. My first camera I ever picked up was a Kodak disposable film camera & always love photos for family moments. I personally love my Vietnamese culture & Photography has brought me back closer to the culture.

When I bought my first Canon DSLR camera early college, for me that was another game changer. I would start shooting more of our local Vietnamese Catholic Church community, Our Lady of La Vang Parish, for our mass services & major events throughout the years until today. My main goal was to preserve & archive the rich history of this Vietnamese community through the art of Photography. I am always grateful for the opportunities to help share our lovely Vietnamese culture & Catholic faith to others.

I would eventually get the opportunity to take photos for the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) at the University of Arizona for their weekly meetings & major events during my college years. All of this would give me an opportunity to meet more people & be able to network, as well embrace my Vietnamese culture more.

Both photographing for our church community & VSA would allow me to dive into a documentary photography style in my work whenever I'm taking photographs.

Throughout my Photography experiences of shooting for weddings, events, graduations, personal shoots, & also gaining knowledge of Photography through college, has opened up another visual perspective on life. As life rolls on by day by day, the art of Photography has given me the opportunity to capture those moments in life when you least expect it. The ability to capture moments in time & you simply can enjoy it with your love ones. Years from now you can look back at the memories in your life that will never fade away.

Hello! I'm Don Nguyen.

Anthony Nguyen

Hi, my name is Anthony Nguyen. I’m a Tucson native and U of A graduate with a degree in Information Science and Arts. I’ve been doing documentary photography since 2017, but my story doesn't start there.

My photography journey started long before I ever bought a camera. Growing up, my family and extended family had one communal Nikon film camera. It got used at every major milestone, no matter how big or small. Whether that was my mom's first steps in America inside the Tucson Airport, or just a small family gathering, that camera came out.

During those years, I never really understood why events were being photographed especially when my parents would regularly sit down with me to flip through those old 90s albums. It wasn't until 2018, when I almost lost my dad to a stroke, that I finally understood why my parents sat down all those nights and looked at old albums.

Photos are an heirloom. They last long after we are gone, and if preserved correctly, they evoke old emotions with many story's to tell. It was then that I truly understood the power of a photo.

With some guidance and encouragement from close friends who saw my passion and creativity before I did, I took the leap and bought a camera. Since then, I’ve dedicated myself to taking photos and videos of my own family's legacy as often as possible, and I want to share that with you. I want you to be able to enjoy these photos and videos 20 or 30 years from now, to have those same emotions evoked and memories flooding in, so you feel excited to share your story with generations to come.