Photo by Carrie Schreck
“What a night!” is how photographer Nate Gowdy summed up the euphoric experience of documenting the 2024 the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last August.
Nate Gowdy is a photographer whose work explores the intersection of social movements, cultural identity, and political spectacle. For the past 15 years, he has called Seattle home, earning recognition for his compelling visual storytelling rooted in these themes. While his career took off in the Pacific Northwest, he has recently gained international acclaim for his documentary fine art photography examining American politics. His latest exhibition at Spectrum Fine Art in Madrona, however, narrows its focus to a single pivotal day: January 6, 2021.
Gowdy grew up in Elkhart, Indiana, and earned a journalism degree from Indiana University. He began his career as a copy editor at a small-town newspaper but soon found himself seeking a new, more exciting adventure. When his childhood best friend invited him to move to Seattle in 2009 to be his roommate on Capitol Hill, Gowdy jumped at the chance. Though he had never visited the city, he was already familiar with The Stranger and KEXP, which convinced him that Seattle must be "the hub of cool.”
Gowdy’s path into photography began after a brief stint as a preschool caregiver, when his parents gave him his first DSLR for Christmas 2010. A month later, George Bakan, publisher of Seattle Gay News, hired him as the staff photographer, where an editor gave him advice that shaped his career: “Don’t be a fly on the wall — immerse yourself and engage people.” From then on, Gowdy’s life was drag shows, nightlife, and as Seattle Pride’s official photographer, too, a parade of Pride personalities eager to step in front of his lens.
In his first year, he photographed over 200 events, mastering his craft on the fly and developing a bold, intimate, celebratory style — just as the marriage equality fight in Washington state reached its peak. By 2012, his schedule ramped up to 360 events, capturing a community rallying for change. “The end of 2012 and all of 2013 saw me photographing friends realizing their dreams of equality — so many weddings!” he says.
Throughout his career, Gowdy has prioritized mentoring new and emerging photographers, particularly students, BIPOC artists, and those aspiring to build careers in the field. He has guided interns, taught homeschooled youth, and regularly guest lectures at universities. “I enjoy mentoring and paying it forward. I’ll always make time for a coffee to talk shop,” he says.
Gowdy’s skill behind the lens and knack for connection led to opportunities in Seattle working alongside President Obama and Vice President Biden during their visits. In the summer of 2015, he was drawn to the spectacle of the 2016 presidential campaign, following Hillary, Bernie, and Trump, and culminating in TIME magazine’s cover featuring his iconic shot of Bernie Sanders.
“I thought the story I was capturing would end with the swearing-in of America’s first female President.” With a front-row seat to the biggest story in the world, he had not yet imagined being hassled by the Right, the Left, and the police — or that photojournalism would one day feel safer without credentials.
Photo by Nate Gowdy
This iconic image from January 6th captures “the fault line where democracy meets fascism,” Gowdy said. Having spent the day on the ground with protesters and agitators, and even being sprayed with tear gas, Gowdy uses his signature black and white style to intensify the drama of these moments. This image appears in his book INSURRECTION available at www.nategowdy.com and Elliott Bay Book Company.
Over the past eight years, he’s photographed more than 50 official Trump events and another 30 pro-Trump demonstrations across 27 states. Denied press credentials since the start of Trump’s re-election campaign in March 2023, he's adapted by wearing what he calls “MAGA camo”—patriotic red, white, and blue attire. “Hey, it’s my flag, too!” he says. He describes waiting in line to see Trump as “punishing,” enduring hours without access to food, water, or facilities. That persistence ultimately led him to Washington, D.C., for the infamous events of January 6, 2021.
“At first, I was trying to help bridge the gap between Democrats and Republicans,” Gowdy says, “by humanizing everyday Americans participating in the democratic process.” However, he found that, regardless of his intentions, people viewed his work through their own lens. His photographs of January 6th capture the day with startling intimacy, as he was embedded within the mob during their attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Gowdy’s latest exhibit, WITNESS: Nate Gowdy’s Lens on January 6th, 2021, at Spectrum Fine Art in Madrona, opens January 9, 2025, and runs through February 15. The show includes 21 documentary fine art prints from his award-winning photojournalism book, INSURRECTION. An artist reception will be held on Thursday, Jan. 16, from 6 to 9 p.m. More information at www.spectrumfineart.com