Today we want you to meet Nathan Azopardi, he’s currently combining his photography skills with DOP, grade, edit and direction talents on his all new Another Creative Day website. Coming in top of the Retoucher, Colour Grader and Photographer in the Top 25 charts, we caught up with a Rotterdam-based Nathan to find out more about his unique creative talents.

You studied photography, 3D and digital design originally, how did you bring all of your skills together to launch Another Creative Day?

From a young age I was always interested in photography, in everything from the Pirelli calendar and Grace Jones/Talking Heads record covers that we had around the house, to growing up in the countryside and beginning to understand composition.

When I studied 3D I learned even more about it, I used Modo from The Foundry which is very photo-realistic based software. It really helped me understand the importance of lighting in a scene and how to be playful with the scene set-up so that you have multiple ways to get a great shot.

Another Creative Day is the result of my studies and time spent working as a runner and on 3D, grading and editing at Glassworks in Amsterdam. When I had an injury that took me out of work for a year I focused on honing my talents and studying the profession more. Then, I was at a mud endurance event and whilst all the other photographers kept their distance, I got up close and personal which created a series of really strong shots. I had at least ten that contained everything needed to fulfil a commercial brief. I realised then what my niche was and in Feb 2016 I made it my business with Another Creative Day.

What are your main foci at Another Creative Day?

Another Creative Day is a photographic agency producing everything that falls within commercial, lifestyle and portrait imagery. It encompasses all my skills in directing, DOP, grading, portraits, location shoots and editing.

Congratulations on making it as a Top 25 on Creativepool! Talk us through one of your most recent projects.

One of my most fun projects was for a new burger. I was approached by chef Diego after he’d received criticism that his burger was to big to eat with your hands. The brief was simple: show that the new burger could be eaten with your hands in an over the top way, so using three models and a restaurant that's exactly what I did.

Any brief that asks me to direct (such as this one), allows for a much stronger end shot.

What are you most proud of creatively?

Well I created a 3D-printed skull for Nike and a head on a cane for Smirnoff. I also recently retouched a new campaign for Samsung, but seeing my 3 year old son with his own camera, taking a picture of a plane as it passes his bedroom window, is just as creatively satisfying.

How do you work?

The majority of my work is location based as I try to stay as true to the briefs as possible and this very rarely requires a studio. I have an office In Rotterdam which is used as a contact point but I work mostly alone. Sometimes I might need a small team for light setup but that’s it.

Where do you go for inspiration?

I follow maybe four photographers: Joel Grimes, Erik Almas, Austin Hargrave and Miller Mobley. They work in the closest ways to my own style and create what I enjoy looking at. I also enjoy studying a mix of agencies’ work but this changes each year depending on the brands they’re working with.

I love visiting the Luerzers Archive which shows the best campaigns and from the last 30 years and Creativepool is the place I visit to see what others are creating within a wide mix of styles and products. I also visit Forbes and Fortune for updates within the corporate and tech worlds.

What new technology are you loving using?

Location lights that have the batteries within their system are making my location work much quicker and easier to setup.

Of all the things you create. What do you most enjoy and why?

Portraits are my first love and I feel that my style lends itself well to creating strong honest portraits. I love the contact created and atmosphere needed to get that special shot. One day I would love to direct a behind the scenes shoot on a big movie. That’s definitely on my bucket list.