Andy Anderson Parlays His Talents Into Fashion Photography

To be able to evolve and shape shift is a necessary quality for our artists. Sticking to one thing your entire year can put you in a box and take you out of the running for certain jobs. Andy Anderson is an artist who is in tune with current trends and works to parlay his skills into new work and stunning imagery. Throughout his career, he has applied his ability to capture the intimate parts of vast landscapes and unveil life's spontaneous and serendipitous moments to new approaches.

Having traveled around the world on editorial and commercial shoots over his illustrious career, a style of photography has recently inspired Andy - fashion. As a person with an unyielding curiosity, Andy acted on this inspiration and piggybacked a personal project to create a fashion test shoot. Galvanized by the aesthetic of the moment, Andy took out his camera and started doing what he does best. Read on to hear more about Andy’s interest in fashion photography.

What inspired you to evolve your work into the fashion space?

I’ve been doing photography for many years and have had amazing opportunities from my time as Staff Photographer at Men’s Journal and from my personal and advertising projects. I have yet to tap into fashion and am always eager to do more, and I felt like I had the space and time to take what I know about photography and try something new.

What is a style of fashion photography you are particularly interested in?

A lot of my personal work is inspired by Americana. I’ve lived in rural places for a long time and I find inspiration in the honesty of the land and the people. I feel that it’s my responsibility as a photographer to capture and document the passing of time. I watch documentaries all the time and oftentimes view my personal work in the same vein, so I’m always working to communicate the reality I see in front of me. So when I developed this idea for a fashion test shoot, I looked at fashion brands, designers and magazines and noticed an Americana-esque look to them and I want to pursue that further.

What trends do you notice in contemporary fashion photography? 

I look at designers like Ralph Lauren and brands like Abercrombie & Fitch and see integrity and honesty in the visual look of their campaigns. Like everything, fashion and fashion advertising is changing and consumers want to see themselves in campaigns and clothing that represent them more authentically. It’s an exciting time and opens opportunities for creative exploration.

Can you give us more details about this particular shoot?

I was in Nevada shooting the Buckaroos down there and met this woman, who was the sister of one of the Buckaroos. She’s not a model, but definitely fits the bill and I thought the landscape, horses, and clothing would come together to create a high-fashion look. I shot only with available light and luckily everyone was comfortable around the horses so incorporating them into the shoot was not a problem. It really was just the three of us and my camera and I’m so proud of the imagery.

Where do you see this going in the future?

I want to shoot as much fashion work as I can. Actually, a former creative from Ralph Lauren started their own fashion company, Ryan Originals, and reached out after seeing my work on Instagram. There wasn’t a budget but it was another great chance to work on my style for fashion photography. I’m hoping for more of that in the future-working with creative people who want to make beautiful imagery.