000

HAUGAARD

▶ play reel

cinematographer — los angeles

selected work
April X - Sci-Fi Feature
01
narrative feature

April X

Dir. K-Michel Parandi — Starring Connor Storrie & Lilly Krug

Good Bad Things
02
narrative feature — on hulu

Good Bad Things

Dir. Shane Stanger — Slamdance Grand Jury + Audience Award

Rosewood Residences
03
commercial

Rosewood Residences

Dir. & DP Nathan Haugaard

The Fastest Woman On Earth
04
documentary — hbo max

The Fastest Woman on Earth

Dir. Chris Otwell & Graham Suorsa — Additional Cinematographer

Dead in the Water
05
narrative

Dead in the Water

Dir. Nanea Miyata

Cap - KSI ft Offset
06
music video

Cap — KSI ft. Offset

Dir. Taj Stansberry

Helmet
07
narrative

Helmet

Dir. Sean Crampton

Like a Motherless Child - Moby
08
music video

Like a Motherless Child

Dir. Rob Gordon Bralver — Moby

Lionne Blanche
09
commercial

Lionne Blanche

Dir. Ashley Avis

Day of Joy
10
narrative

Day of Joy

Dir. Rob Gordon Bralver

100 Degrees
11
music video

100 Degrees

Dir. & DP Nathan Haugaard

Say Less
12
music video

Say Less

Music Video

The Street Cowboy
13
documentary

The Street Cowboy

Documentary Short

about
Nathan Haugaard on the set of April X

I've been making images since I was ten. What started with obsessive curiosity about light became a career across features, commercials, and award-winning independent cinema.

My credits include additional photography on James Cameron's Avatar sequels, the Slamdance-winning feature Good Bad Things (streaming on Hulu), the sci-fi feature April X shot on location in Bucharest, and commercial campaigns for Rosewood Hotels, Ford, Toyota, and Verizon.

I believe cinematography should be invisible when it's working — the audience should feel the image before they think about it. Every project starts with the story's emotional core. I operate my own camera. I light with intention.

Currently in pre-production on my directorial feature debut, The Immigrant — a contemporary western set in Arizona. Actively booking cinematography for 2026.

union
IATSE Local 600
recognition
ASC Vision Mentee
based
Los Angeles, CA
camera dept.
Avatar: The Way of Water, Alita: Battle Angel
awards & nominations
★ winner
Best Cinematography
Truly Independent Award — April X
★ winner
Best Cinematography
HIFF Award — April X
★ winner
Grand Jury Prize + Audience Choice
Slamdance — Good Bad Things
nominee
Best Narrative Feature
Festival Prize — April X
nominee
Best Feature Film
Feature Film Award — April X
nominee
Best International Narrative Feature
Sacramento IFF — April X
april x — 31 wins & 13 nominations across international festivals
"Nathan has an extraordinary eye and an even better instinct for when to push the image and when to let the story breathe."
— Placeholder: request quote from Shane Stanger, Rob Gordon Bralver, or Ashley Avis
"From the first conversation about the look, Nathan understood the soul of the film. He didn't just light scenes — he built worlds."
— Placeholder: director testimonial
journal
01
march 2026

How We Shot Good Bad Things on a Micro Budget

Lighting and camera decisions behind the Slamdance-winning feature.
02
coming soon

Lessons from the Avatar Set

Precision, patience, and the pursuit of the image at Cameron scale.
03
coming soon

Scouting the Elgin Valley

How the Arizona landscape became a character in The Immigrant.
contact

Let's make something together.

email
n.haugaard@gmail.com
representation

IATSE Local 600

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