Five Questions: Meet Angela Pham, Chronicler Of Dreams

Photography by Angela Pham

Angela Pham lives in a magical world. As a photographer and content creator, we see her floating across fields in diaphanous vintage dresses, renovating her Victorian home in Rhinebeck and drawing a coterie of interesting creative types into her orbit. In addition to her personal Instagram, however, she’s also the co-founder of creative agency Deitch + Pham, where she helps shape the way we see certain global brands including Burberry, Alice + Olivia and Dom Pérignon. 

And when she isn’t busy capturing the Hudson Valley’s natural beauty with her camera, she also happens to be one of the region’s most dedicated pickleball players. We pinned down the creative to learn more about her love for this region and where she finds her inspiration. 

When did you first start spending time in Rhinebeck?

Ever since I moved to New York City as an 18-year-old, I started to seek nature and escape, so I fell in love with day trips to the Catskills. I’d rent a car and just drive aimlessly around with the windows down until I felt rejuvenated from the air, and then head back to Williamsburg (Brooklyn). Throughout my 20s, I explored many towns in the Hudson Valley and Catskills regions. In 2017, at 28, after having a good understanding of the geography, I pulled the trigger and bought my first lake cottage in Rhinebeck.

Tell me about your creative agency Deitch + Pham.

My business partner Sam Deitch and I founded Deitch + Pham in 2017. At the time, with the ubiquity of social media, we recognized a real need for brands to work with trustworthy creatives who could deliver high-quality product quickly and reliably. Beyond photography, we also offer other creative services such as video, production and styling. We’re really generalists in the commercial realm and we shoot everything: hotel interiors, food and cocktails, celebrity portraits, fashion editorials. Today our clients range from Prada to Shake Shack to The Ritz-Carlton. 

Aside from taking pictures for work, do you ever take time just to be creative for yourself?

The last few years, I’ve been enjoying making social media video content for brands as a content creator, rather than as a professional photographer. While it’s still a commercial endeavor, it feels like a really fun hobby. I think having this other side hustle as content creator has allowed me to flex other creative muscles. I’ve become more interested in storytelling and have become a more adept video and audio editor. I also love creating content just for myself. I have a strong interest in fashion, so I enjoy shooting myself in clothes that really speak to me. 

What about this region do you find creatively stimulating?

Despite my extroverted facade and career choice, I really enjoy solitude and quiet, so the beauty and expansiveness of the Hudson Valley has always appealed to me. I find the landscapes of the Hudson Valley to be so jaw-droppingly beautiful, and they’re the perfect inspiration for many of my shoots. Having spent my childhood in arid Southern California, this sort of verdant landscape feels like a sanctuary and respite.

We live in an area known to be a great source for vintage. Do you have any favorite things you look for?

I like to take risks with my outfits, and I do collect a lot of impractical dresses from all over the world. And Hoffman’s Barn in Red Hook definitely has the best antique home finds.