000

HAUGAARD

▶ play reel

cinematographer — los angeles

selected work
April X
01
award winning feature film

April X

Dir. K-Michel Parandi — Starring Connor Storrie

Good Bad Things
02
narrative feature — on hulu

Good Bad Things

Dir. Shane Stanger — Slamdance Grand Jury + Audience

Instakill
03
short film

Instakill

Dir. Garrett Warren

Elton John: Touched by Gold
04
documentary

Elton, Touched by Gold

Dir. Toby Trackman

Fragile - Huddy
05
music video — huddy

Fragile

Dir. & DP Nathan Haugaard

ADHD - M83 & CLI
06
music video — m83 & cli

ADHD

Dir. Chris Scott

Cap - KSI ft. Offset
07
music video — ksi ft. offset

Cap

Dir. Taj Stansberry

Helmet
08
narrative

Helmet

Dir. Sean Crampton

Dead in the Water
09
narrative

Dead in the Water

Dir. Nanea Miyata

Ooh Girl - Stil
10
music video — stil

Ooh Girl

Dir. & DP Nathan Haugaard

The Street Cowboy
11
documentary

The Street Cowboy

Dir. Sean Crampton

Say Less
12
music video

Say Less

Dir. Taj Stansberry

Rosewood Residences
13
commercial

Rosewood Residences

Dir. & DP Nathan Haugaard

Vendetta - Huddy
14
music video — huddy

Vendetta

Dir. & DP Nathan Haugaard

Fool4Love - ericdoa
15
music video — ericdoa

Fool4Love

Dir. ayodeji

Lionne Blanche
16
commercial

Lionne Blanche

Dir. Ashley Avis

Day of Joy
17
narrative

Day of Joy

Dir. Rob Bralver

Like a Motherless Child - Moby
18
music video — moby

Like a Motherless Child

Dir. Rob Bralver

The Fastest Woman on Earth
19
documentary — hbo max

The Fastest Woman on Earth

Dir. Chris Otwell & Graham Suorsa — Additional Cinematographer

100 Degrees
20
music video

100 Degrees

Dir. & DP Nathan Haugaard

about
Nathan Haugaard behind the camera on set

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.

My credits include the Elton John documentary Touched by Gold, additional photography on James Cameron's Avatar sequels, the Slamdance-winning feature Good Bad Things (streaming on Hulu), the award-winning sci-fi feature April X shot on location in Bucharest, the action short Instakill with Garrett Warren, and commercial campaigns for Rosewood Hotels, Ford, Toyota, and Verizon.

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

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."
— Shane Stanger, director of Good Bad Things
"From the first conversation about the look, Nathan understood the soul of the film. He didn't just light scenes — he built worlds."
— K-Michel Parandi, director of April X
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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