NATE MATHAI

[a storyteller]

photographer . husband . introvert . analyst . illini . athlete . performer . jr high chess champion . father . coder . entreprenuer . not a runner . 2x fantasy football champ . artist . math major . baller .

about me | top

Hi. I'm Nate.

In 2nd grade, I had lucked into a large collection of Donruss '90 baseball cards, way more than I could ever have a need for. So I split them up in groups of 10, wrapped it in construction paper, and sold it to classmates for 25 cents a pop out of my backpack. Unfortunately, my teacher wasn't too happy with the commotion it caused, and she shut down that operation pretty quickly. But this sparked my interest with creating, designing, and using what I got to provide something of value for others.

As I grew up, I carried a similar drive with any sort of hobby or interest that crossed my path - I loved learning processes and breaking things down to understand how they worked, and then figuring out how I can maximize the output or increase my efficiency in it. Since most of my interests were outside of the budget (or general knowledge and understanding) of my immigrant parents, it did require me to take matters into my own hands - so I taught myself batch coding, photography, web design, how to bowl, stage performance, the art of falling without getting hurt - if I could find value in it for my life, I was researching it like crazy.

All these years later, the core is still the same - get excited about providing value for others, then do whatever I can to figure out the best ways to get that accomplished. And I'm extremely thankful for an amazing wife and three wonderful kids who encourage me to pursue these passions and interests and always give me a reason to keep learning and growing.

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Project15

One of the driving forces in both my personal and professional life is to be able to take whatever I have (time, talent, resources) and use it to help support those in need. My family has chosen to focus on supporting organizations that are dedicated to reaching the marginalized and uplifting the underprivileged, both locally and around the world, and I have done the same with Nate Mathai Photography through what I have dubbed "Project15".

Since 2015, 15% of all income received through photography sessions gets donated to help those in need through a few select organizations. It is an honor to be able to support these organizations that are fighting against injustice and poverty in Chicago, across the nation and worldwide. I encourage you to check out these orgs to see how you might be able to get involved as well.

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Keep In Touch

The best way to stay in touch with me on a regular basis is by connecting through the various social platforms. You can also use the form below to connect with me regarding any photography requests you might have.

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fine print | top