01907 Fall 2020 V3

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Fontes-Fried, who studied at the
New England School of Photography,
worked as a freelance photojournalist for
newspapers and magazines in Boston,
such as Boston Magazine.
He has also become known for his
nature photography. With trail cameras set
up throughout town, he often photographs
wildlife while he is out walking with his
dog, Calvin, an Australian Cattle and
Labrador mix.
His studio is located in front of the
Stanley Elementary School on Orchard
Street. An avid fisherman, a big part of his
business includes building wooden fishing
lures, which he sells to local fishermen.
Establishing strong ties in the community
has been intentional, says Fontes-Fried, who
aims to keep his "name in people's mouths."
It's all about building awareness, which
will allow him to get his photography and
woodwork out more in the community.
Today, people will walk to the edge of
the street and look into his studio, but he
wants them to feel comfortable walking
into the shop. Part of the strategy includes
building upon his website for his company,
Nate Photography, which he started about a
decade ago.
"I'm trying to keep it fresh because
everything has sort of screeched to a halt
with this COVID," said Fontes-Fried. "It's
been totally crazy. (Work has) slowed down
quite a bit and it got very much different.
I do weddings, I do families, but I also do
a lot of corporate events. Basically, that's
For examples of his work, visit
Fontes-Fried's website at
natephotography.com.
”
A Great White Shark wood quilt hangs
on the wall of Nate Fontes-Fried's
Swampscott studio. The white of the
shark is reclaimed wood from the Fish
House in Swampscott.
I feel like if I can
make a living
doing what I love,
even if it is sort of cobbling
a lot of things together,
(it's) better than living
someone else's dream.
— NATE FONTES-FRIED
how I make my living. I make my living
when people gather basically and that's not
happening."
When weddings and events have not
been canceled, they have been much smaller
and more intimate, says Fontes-Fried, which
has made for a much different summer.
"A lot less work is coming," he says,
explaining that summers would usually be
filled with big weddings and corporate events
every weekend. Now those weddings have
transitioned from being held at yacht clubs
and other large venues to people's backyards.
"(We're) trying to make do with what we
have and keep everybody happy," he says.
It took some time before Fontes-Fried
was able to feel like his photography was
being appreciated. He remembers the
excitement of chasing news and chronicling
history during his five years in journalism,
but often found himself feeling unfulfilled