Original Vision: Developing a Photographer’s Eye

Artist Biography

Andrew French's work is inspired by the signature look of his daylight studio in Union Square. He shoots editorial and commercial work for clients including Food & Wine, Esquire, TIME, Town & Country, House & Garden and O, The Oprah Magazine, among numerous others.

Before he began his career as a photographer, Andrew worked as an assistant to over 70 photographers for nine years. He traveled the world learning from some of the masters of photography including Mary Ellen Mark, Annie Leibovitz, John Dominis, Art Kane and Ruth Orkin, among others. He helped these legendary photographers create their images from building sets to designing light on location and in studios, and along the way he soaked up their approaches to making pictures. Learning from the masters shaped Andrew’s approach to his own photography and is the basis of the knowledge he shares with his students.

Andrew’s workshops are focused on guiding his students, both emerging and professional photographers, to find new ways of seeing that are uniquely their own. He helps his students develop confidence in finding their frames, as well as learn technical skills and lighting techniques in hands-on demos. He encourages his students to be comfortable in chaos, discover moments in the unknown and be open to making mistakes, which often leads to the most compelling photographs. Photographers will come away from his workshops with new ideas, approaches and practices, and beautiful imagery to build a portfolio or new body of work.