Feature Friday: Andrew F Photography

Andrew F, Shadows, 2011

Andrew F. is an American fine art and erotic nude photographer. He draws inspiration from real life, focusing on lines, shadows, shapes, and subtle eroticism.

Balancing a corporate job and his love for photography, he spends much of his free time pursuing his passion, but he is not an artist who is just waiting to be freed from the confines of work. In fact, he actually likes his day job.

Asked if he would consider doing photography full time, Andrew said, "If I could make enough money to live on it, but I do enjoy my other job immensely. It's a different set of challenges, different skills used and I prefer to balance the two. It makes my life seem that much busier and richer."

Work
This is Andrew's second year of erotic art explorations. His personality and work style seem to suit his choice of work and play and that strikes an interesting balance. "I'm the kind of person who gets bored too easily.
If I get bored, then I get depressed, so I can't let that happen!" This is one of the banes of all creatives' lives. For some it's boredom and for others like me it's not creating that creates depression.

I was curious to find out how Andrew's work-life balance plays out and the time spent on work and art.

AF: I work 40-50 hours a week for my primary job and the remainder is spent on photography: nights and weekends. Usually when I come home for work I'll spend about 3 hours scouring the web for interesting photographs and new photographers. I do shooting on weeknights and weekends. Sometimes I'll take a day off work if I want to shoot with a model I really like, who can't be available at any other time.

Andrew F, Of Breasts, 2011

TC: Do you ever feel burnt out creatively?

AF: Often. That's why I look at new work by other photographers. I usually won't rip off an idea from them, but rather use an idea they use and mix it with my own creativity to create a whole new idea. I often solicit ideas from models; sometimes they contribute, sometimes they don't. Usually I create my better photos with models who, I have to say, I find sexually attractive.  It creates a very interesting tension and stirs up a lot of emotions inside of me. I can approach shooting them from a more confident and interested standpoint.

TC: Aha! So how do you keep it professional?

AF: That's one area where my other job helps me deal with it. I talk to models about other photographers they work with and I find out that a few of them can be very unprofessional and kind of scummy. Some have said that most of the photographers they work with are 40 or 50-something year old men who use the photos as their personal spank banks. I am not like that at all. I am only 27, I do this for art, and I have a job that keeps me in a professional mindset always. 

My (day) job has everyone take sexual harassment training, and in the United States over the last 50 years or so, with the women's liberation movement, many men are afraid to "come on" to women lest they face consequences, so sexual harassment in the workplace is now more rare. 

A lot of it has to do with the strong female influences in my early life from my mother and grandmother. I consider them to both be quasi-feminists. They taught me from early on to be immensely respectful towards all people, especially women. I try very hard to achieve this, and I hope it comes out in my art.

Andrew F, Shock and Awe, 2011

Inspiration
Like many artists, Andrew's inspiration is derived from daily as well as extracurricular activities. "I go hiking and see a vista and think, "wow, I'd like to take some shots with a model here" or I see an advertisement and say, "I'd like to incorporate some of this idea into my work". When I'm at work I'm also thinking about an idea I want to realize in my photography."

TC: Who are you inspired by?

AF: When I started, I was really into the work of Ralf Mohr and Thomas Karsten, and their work was primarily just nudes. Then I discovered the work of other artists like Laurent Benaim, Tony Ward, or Aeric Meredith-Goujon and saw that their work was a lot more erotic, and it's like they opened up so much more of my brain to the creative process. Four American photographers I really like at the moment are K Leo, Scott Nichol, David Hilton, and Gary Breckheimer.

TC: What is it about creating a photo that excites you?
AF: It's the emotion that is conveyed by the model. Are they sad, happy, angry and why? Why would a model be happy if she were naked? Emotion is really important. I hate when I see a nude photograph and the model has a wooden, lifeless expression. I find humanity to be quite amazing, it's so incredibly beautiful. Granted, I would not want to photograph someone like a co-worker or family member!

Andrew F, The Space In Between, 2011

Taboo
Living a bit of a secret life, Andrew is still doubtful about the reactions his family and friends would have about his work. Erotic art is still taboo, even in semi (pseudo) liberated societies.

TC: It's easier to work with strangers then?

AF: Absolutely. People say it's easier to open up to a stranger than to a close friend. Maybe it's because we're worried about being judged by those whose opinions we care about.


TC: I think I am closer to many online friends than offline.
AF: I agree. My "real-life" friends would never understand this. If they found out, they would either say it was awful to do this or would get all testosterone-y as guys get when they find out about naked girls. 

TC: So who knows about your work?

AF: No friends, no family, no co-workers. The models, other artists, and the people who've seen my work online, they all know.

TC: You may also be surprised by who accepts it.

AF: That's true, but I might be afraid to find out. I find that some of the models do this on the down-low as well.


TC: Do you think you'll eventually "come out" publicly?
AF: Oh, maybe but I'm sure I'll be outed first, and that will be one bad, crazy day.

You can see Andrew's work on Flickr and Tumblr. I'm starting on a collaborative series with him so look out for that at some point.