MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee man's photography is becoming more and more popular every day. He has thousands of followers and has been given more than $10,000 for his keen eye and skill.
You may have seen Nate Vomhof's work, but you probably don't know what he looks like. That's because he likes to let his camera do the talking.
“Sometimes it’s the lakefront. Sometimes it’s the Riverfront. I prefer to key in on architecture and things that are changing, so the skies always changing, but I try to avoid people typically," Vomhof said.
He makes videos and takes photos of Milwaukee's rapidly changing skyline. He is documenting the development of the Cream City as it grows.
“I’m always trying to think of my next shot or what I should try to capture.”
Vomhof is a pharmacist by day, and a photographer at night or whenever he has free time. He doesn’t consider himself an influencer, but he does have influence.
“I’ve had people message me and be like hey your photos, you know, encouraged me to look at Milwaukee as a place to live. I know a couple from Georgia," he said.
Vomhof has nearly 20,000 followers across social media, but his photos don’t just get likes. They bring in paychecks.
“I’ve made definitely more than $10,000 with certain clients," he said.
The recognition of his work is good for business, but he’s a guy more comfortable living behind the lens and not in front of a TV camera doing an interview.
“It’s still a little odd for me. I’m a pretty quiet person, so, you know, putting my face out there, I’ve always let my photos do the talking, but now my face is on the other side of it, so it’s interesting.”
He does get noticed a little more now. Sometimes when he tells the baristas at a coffee shop his name, they seem to recognize him or ask him if he is 'that photo guy.' However, the 32-year-old pharmacist isn’t leaving his day job anytime soon.
“Right now, no. Student loans got me pinned down pretty good.”
It's a creative outlet he loves. He's capturing the changing landscape of the city and keeping a visual record of it.
"The city’s always changing. So. you’ll see cranes go up, cranes come down, you’ll see new buildings rise, so for me, it’s kind of the long-term game. The city's not going to change, you know, every single day but it's going to grow over time, so being able to capture the before and after is kind of cool."
You can follow him on his Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or order prints on his website.
