While many photographers chose to focus on only one type of photography, Andrew Bird defines himself as both a landscape and a portrait photographer. I find this quite interesting, and I wanted to learn more about Andrew and his work so I invited him for a quick interview.

I hope you enjoy reading this interview as much as I enjoyed connecting with Andrew!

First and foremost, thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Could you tell our readers a bit more about yourself, the type of work you do, and where we can find you online?

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to articulate my passions as an artist. I am the talent and founder of Andrew Bird Photography and I currently reside in Pocono Pines, Pennsylvania. My love for photography totally consumes the way in which I view my surroundings, and I love being outdoors, whether it be hiking or being by the lake. I would like to dedicate my time to portraits and fashion/editorial photography but have not currently found a steady client base in my area, which I hope to do so in the near future. After picking up a camera last year, I finally realized what I was meant to do for the rest of my life.

You can find me on my website, as well as on Facebook.

According to your portfolio you are both a landscape and a portrait photographer. Most photographers I meet focus on one style of photography. Some have a thing for wildlife, others prefer to shoot weddings, landscapes, street, or focus on commercial work. Could you describe your path to becoming a photographer?

After purchasing the bare basics, all I could do was shoot landscapes. I did not have people to photograph and did not know where to start looking or who to ask. Since, I love hiking it was a good mix and I was able to strictly concentrate on learning my camera.

Next, was a the task of learning composition and natural lighting. Questions like; what makes good lighting, and what is the best time of day to shoot were then plaguing my brain. I wanted to do things one step at a time, so a few months later I wanted to try shooting people. I was introduced to a model who was also starting out and designed her own outfits. We got together and started planning the session, looked for locations, discussed make-up, hair and assistants. At that time I only had my kit lens and borrowed a 300mm lens from a colleague of mine, but thats when I realized I wanted to photograph people.

I love the connection I make with my subjects and to be a part of creating something from nothing. I am hands on with all the challenges that come and I want to be a part of everything, including the outfit, make-up, hair-styles and anything else in the production. I believe this will make me different from everyone else in my area and will help me understand the whole process from beginning to end.

At this point I started researching what I wanted to do as a photographer and what I had to do as a photographer. I split these up because I believe every person who discovers photography and realizes that this is what they are meant to do has to direct their own visions and this goes for any artist.

Unfortunately, it comes down to paying bills, supporting my family and whatever I need to succeed instead of satisfying my creative yearns. I have listened to newborn, family portrait and wedding photographers, and they say this is where the money is and that there is no money in fashion/editorial. They tell me that I am taking the slower route, but I do not care. Do not get me wrong; yes it can be consistent work, but my area is flooded with part time photographers who do the same genre, so in reality it will be the same either way if I have to get a client base and everyone is bargain shopping instead of looking for quality and consistency in a photographer’s work. I want to do commercial fashion/editorials and weddings, I truly love these these genres. At this time, I have to do family, senior or children photography to provide for the shoots I do want to produce. I am happy with this as long as I keep my eye on the goal.

Do you enjoy other types of photography? And if so, which ones and why?

I love all types of photography. Personally, I would love to try as much as I can at least once with the appropriate equipment.

My top picks right now are sport and travel photography. Sports photography allows me to capture so much that the normal eye can’t see. Many forms and type of emotions of people who are normal human beings but portrayed as heros or idols. Travel photography, I think is probably one of the most exciting genres out there. It combines landscape, city scape, portraiture, and street photography all in one. I noticed quickly in that this field you never stop learning, failing and achieving at things and you never have full control – especially with airports.

You have some amazing photographs in your online portfolio – striking landscapes and gorgeous portraits. I also noticed some unusual photos. What is the story behind those?

The inspiration I had for these images came from Benjamin Von Wong and Brook Shaden.

Their images I could look at for hours. It’s so unique how they merge reality and fantasy together seamlessly. It’s like being a kid dreaming but since you’re an adult you can make that dream come true. These artist sparked my interest in conceptual photography. I wanted to try to create something of that nature. The reason for the first image is I wanted to show how my back felt. I have a bad back and when it rains I get a lot of pressure and stiffness. That day I wanted to test out some layer masking exercises in Photoshop. I shot 5 separate images and merge them together with the vision of showing how my back felt that day.

The second image was purely for fun and it was after I watched a few of Von Wong videos, reading a article on long exposure. I went and got some steel wool from Lowes, used my dog’s leash and started experimenting with long exposure and using different apertures, ISO, and shutter speeds. This was more about having a fun time and learning as well.

Who would you say influenced your work early on in your career? Any contemporary photographer you look up to or admire?

When I decided what I wanted to focus on Lara Jade was a huge influence, and she still is. Her work is clean, modern, and how she works with her models to get the image she needs is amazing. A lot of it is because she has a wonderful team to work with.

The one photographer I truly admire is Amanda Diaz. Her work infuses fantasy, reality and fashion. She manages to produce such beautiful work with what she has and at a fraction of the cost of her competition who would try to achieve the same look. I can also relate to her story. Working a full-time position to support my family and my full-time passion of photography. I am constantly working hard to find the best affordable solutions to create with, and be able to make the transition to what I love and be able to support my family at the same time.

What satisfies your creativity as a photographer? Is there anything about the work you do that you find particularly satisfying or rewarding?

I love photographing people. Not too long ago, I went to New York for a day with my girlfriend and that is what I did the whole trip. I  photographed people in their natural form. Brandon Stanton has one of the best jobs in the world. That is what he does everyday.

The most satisfying part of being a photographer is working with people who have the same drive and passion to create something we can be proud of. It could be a simple headshot, choosing a dress together that makes the client feel amazing which the end result is a better expression for the images or having a team of people to create something that is not for sale. It is simply just about the joy of creating.

Let’s talk about gear for a minute (we all love gear talk, right?) The gear you bring surely varies depending on whether you’re doing a portrait shoot or going to photograph landscapes – what does your usual kit look like? Any piece of gear you absolutely could not live without?

To be honest, I use pretty much the same gear for both landscapes and portraits – minus lighting gear. Mainly because I am limited with the amount of gear I have. I can give you a list of all I have; I do use my 24-105 about 85% of the time for both landscape and portraits, and use the fifty when just shooting 1/2 body or head shots or I want that lovely whimsical bokeh.

• Canon T4I
• 26in Wescott Octabox
• 190prob Manfrotto tripod
• 42in 5-in-1 reflector
• 24-105mm F/4 IS USM lens
• Hoya 3 stop & 6 stop ND filters
• 50mm 1.8 lens
• 2 Pocket Wizards
• 430exII flash
• Tiffen CPL filter

Is there anything gear-related – a trend, a piece of gear, some recent innovation, or a company – that gets you excited about the future of photography?

There are a few things that come to mind; the first is Camranger. I have heard great things about this device and the wireless tethering capabilities. I do not chimp much but when I do I hate looking at the small screen. Having the capabilitiy to have it on my iPad or laptop without wireless is great.

The other is a company call SLRLounge.com They are a fun, energetic and educational magazine company located in Los Angeles, California. When I first started and needed quality information and inspirational articles, I always went there. They have wonderful workshop products at amazing prices and also have a presets and workflow system for Adobe Lightroom.

Most of my post-work would not be the way it is without this system. Their affordable workshops and preset system, I think make it easier and so much more affordable for dedicated and passionate beginner photographers to grow and achieve their looks.

Do you have any personal photography projects you are working on or that you would like to work on in the future?

Right now, I have two personal projects I am planning and I just recently finished an editorial. The other one is is a Pin-up with a 1931 Ford coupe Hot rod. The client rebuilt it from the ground up and it took him years to finish this beautiful car. I am really looking forward to this and I really hope sometime this summer I can collaborate with dancers or a dancer who is disciplined in ballet or contemporary dance. Dancers are amazing with their bodies and know how to portray many different types of emotions and make such beautiful movements. It would be very exciting to capture this.

If you could give one piece of advice to photographers just starting out and trying to find their voice or market themselves, what would it be?

If you are just starting out, take your time. Learn to understand light. Love light and learn your gear. Your camera is just a tool. It is truly the mind, vision and passion of the artist behind the camera that makes a great photograph.

If you are trying to find your voice; stick to what you want to do and what best describes who you are as an artist and as a person. Do not be jealous or envious of other’s work, for the more you do the less your voice is heard. Work on the artist you are and what you want to accomplish. One of the best ways to market yourself when starting out – at least it worked for me – is how I work with my clients. I collaborate with creative artists and care about what they look like and how they feel when I work with them.

Thanks to Andrew for taking the time out of his schedule to do this interview – I hope you enjoyed it!