About
My name is Nick Talan (he/him). I am a 26-year-old freelance photographer and videographer based in Champaign, Illinois. In 2018, I graduated from Rock Valley College (RVC) with an Associate of Arts degree and a media specialist certificate.
Through my work, I will capture your unique narrative. In the creative process, I want you to feel safe and comfortable. I love collaborating with others, and I will always prioritize your perspective and direction.
Off duty, I enjoy watching Chicago sports, playing records, and discussing movies with my friends. I also love cooking YouTube videos, Settlers of Catan, and fantasy sports.
I look forward to our conversation on how we can bring your vision to life!
Photo Credit: Top Left: Emily Guske | Top Right: Carson Menke | Bottom Left: James Hogan | Bottom Right: James Hogan
Selected Clients
Rock Valley College | Evolve Dance Studio | Mosaic World Film Festival | BullShooter / Arachnid 360 | Community Foundation of Northern Illinois | Harlem Consolidated School District #122 | Berkshire Hathaway Crosby Starck Home Services | BraveHearts Therapeutic Riding | Alborn | Habitat for Humanity | City First Church | River Bluff Retirement Home | Rockford Fire Department | Region 1 Planning Council | VFW Post #9759 | Starlight Theater
Featured Projects
SF6
In the summer of 2021, I visited San Francisco for the first time. While there, I took these photos on a single roll of Kodak Ektar 100 film over 2 days of walking the northwestern coast of the city. The 1.7-mile walk across the bridge was an amazing experience, and I am proud of the shots I took of one of the most photographed structures in the world. These photos are available now as 10x8, 14x11, and 20x16 prints.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Laurent House Collection:
Before moving to Champaign, I lived down the street from the Laurent House, a Rockford home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the mid-twentieth century. The Laurent House is the only building that Wright specifically designed for a client with a physical disability, and its accessibility design elements predated the American Disabilities Act by decades. In November 2021, I toured the Laurent House and took photos of its interior and exterior. Taking photos of the Laurent House was a great experience because I love the building’s accessible mid-century design, Wright’s use of color and form, and the fact that I was a walk away from the iconic structure.
Minding the Gap at Mosaic World Film Festival
In 2018, I had the opportunity to take photos for the Mosaic World Film Festival. That year, the spotlight award-winning film was Minding the Gap, a documentary directed by Rockford-native Bing Liu. The documentary follows Liu and his friends as they come of age in Rockford and features an essential narrative that intersects skateboarding, race, gender, friendship, and family. A critically acclaimed film, Minding the Gap was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 91st Academy Awards and is now part of the Criterion Collection. Capturing the documentary’s homecoming and spending the weekend with Bing Liu, Kartemquin Films, and Jerry LaBuy was an incredible experience.
