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Nathan Haugaard is a Los Angeles based cinematographer specializing in narrative features. His credits include Avatar: The Way of Water, the Slamdance-winning Good Bad Things, and the award-winning April X.

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

Ford Lightning
05
commercial — ford

Ford Lightning

Dir. Nicholas Maggio

Fragile - Huddy
06
music video — huddy

Fragile

Dir. & DP Nathan Haugaard

ADHD - M83 & CLI
07
music video — m83 & cli

ADHD

Dir. Chris Scott

Cap - KSI ft. Offset
08
music video — ksi ft. offset

Cap

Dir. Taj Stansberry

Helmet
09
narrative

Helmet

Dir. Sean Crampton

Dead in the Water
10
narrative

Dead in the Water

Dir. Nanea Miyata

Ooh Girl - Stil
11
music video — stil

Ooh Girl

Dir. & DP Nathan Haugaard

The Street Cowboy
12
documentary

The Street Cowboy

Dir. Sean Crampton

Say Less
13
music video — swizz beatz ft. lil durk & a boogie

Say Less

Dir. Taj Stansberry

Rosewood Residences
14
commercial

Rosewood Residences

Dir. & DP Nathan Haugaard

Vendetta - Huddy
15
music video — huddy

Vendetta

Dir. & DP Nathan Haugaard

Fool4Love - ericdoa
16
music video — ericdoa

Fool4Love

Dir. ayodeji

Lionne Blanche
17
commercial

Lionne Blanche

Dir. Ashley Avis

Day of Joy
18
narrative

Day of Joy

Dir. Rob Bralver

Like a Motherless Child - Moby
19
music video — moby

Like a Motherless Child

Dir. Rob Bralver

The Fastest Woman on Earth
20
documentary — hbo max

The Fastest Woman on Earth

Dir. Chris Otwell & Graham Suorsa — Additional Cinematographer

Moby Doc
21
documentary

Moby Doc

Dir. Rob Bralver

100 Degrees
22
music video

100 Degrees

Dir. & DP Nathan Haugaard

journal
about
Nathan Haugaard behind the camera on set

I photograph narrative features. The audience should feel the image before they think about it — and a great cinematographer makes every frame serve the story. I operate my own camera. I light with intention. I make films that win.

My work on James Cameron's Avatar sequels taught me what it means to operate at the highest level. The Slamdance-winning feature Good Bad Things (now streaming on Hulu) proved I could bring that same discipline to a micro-budget set where I was the entire camera department. The award-winning sci-fi feature April X — 31 international festival wins — showed what happens when ambition meets precision on location in Bucharest.

I've also photographed the Elton John documentary Touched by Gold, a national Ford commercial, music videos for KSI and Swizz Beatz, and branded content for Rosewood Hotels. I bring everything I've learned on those sets to every project I touch.

Booking narrative features, limited series, and select commercial work 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
contact

Let's make something together.

union affiliation

IATSE Local 600

Let's make something together.