Andrew Friendly - LA Documentary Photographer

How did you get started with photography?

I first picked up a camera at the age of 12. I think I identified as an artist early on but I couldn’t draw or paint. I remember in elementary school I had a fascination with abstract art because that I could do. I loved art that you couldn’t necessarily apply meaning to. To have an emotional reaction to something that simply resembles shapes and colors feels spiritual in nature to me. All I wanted to do was create and I was very passionate about the beauty of the world around me. Finally, with a camera in hand, I was able to paint what I saw. I began as a nature photographer. The pictures were awful. But that’s how I learned. Then I discovered the digital editing process which both disgusted and overwhelmed me. I put the camera down until I was 18 when I took an analog darkroom course in college. I finally found what I was looking for.

Do you see yourself comparing yourself to other photographers?

Sometimes yes. I think it’s only human and natural as an artist. I find it hard to believe anyone that claims they don’t. It can be invigorating for me to look at others’ work and think, “God, what makes this photograph or body of work so special?” It can be so hard to answer sometimes. Then I’ll look at my work and think, “God, this sucks.” But then in other moments I truly believe in my work. I think I believe in the potential of my work more than anything else. But it takes time and I’ve only been serious about my photography for about four years. I probably get the most envious of those who have great teams to rely on (for casting, styling, hair and makeup, set design, lighting design, location scouting, etc.). Of course that’s only true for fashion photography. When it comes to documentary, it’s just you, your subject and the camera. And anyone with an eye and a story to tell can work with that. As a young photographer who’s still trying to find his way, I try to remind myself that everyone started somewhere. I read an interview with Harley Weir (one of my favorite photographers working today) where she talked about living at home until she was 27, not having enough money for the train to get to the airport. Today she’s doing such great things, shooting for so many tremendous publications and brands. I find solace in the fact that at one point she too probably didn’t know what the next right step was. But she just kept shooting. That’s inspiring.

You’ve done some darkroom prints recently, explain the process.

Nowadays I try to print all of my work in the darkroom. It’s the purest form of analog photography. The best tones and textures. Nothing compares. I’ve also fallen in love with the process. I rent a room in downtown Los Angeles at a lab called Contact. I start by doing a quick scan of my film on my flatbed at home, where I make my selects (printing has also forced me to be a lot more selective with my work). I take the negatives to Contact, where I enlarge them onto 8x10 Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper. If you don’t know about darkroom printing it can be hard to explain the technicalities and I’m definitely not experienced enough to do it justice. But you essentially expose your negative to the paper for a certain amount of time and color balance using filtration packs. The paper then goes through a processor and comes out the other end. It takes me about 30 minutes to an hour to perfect a print (sometimes longer depending on the negative). I then scan the physical print and that’s my final product.

Explain your ongoing project “DREAMER”.

DREAMER is an ongoing personal project that explores the melting pot of people that the Venice Boardwalk attracts. I’ve found a common theme amongst many subjects there - many chasing an idealized notion of Los Angeles. Moms, dads, children, people on vacation, aspiring actors, rappers, athletes - all drawn to this stretch of land near the ocean.

What mm do you use? Compare the different mm and how they make you feel.

I shoot on everything from 35mm film to 120 (6x7 and 6x4.5). My choice does not depend on how they make me feel but rather what the right tool for what I’m shooting is. I can shoot on a 35mm camera much quicker than I can when using medium format film which usually requires autofocus and manual winding.

Do you see yourself putting parts of yourself into your work?

Always. “Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter.” - Oscar Wilde.

When you shoot for an agency, how much freedom do they allow?

Some offer mood boards while others ask me to just do my thing. I view model testing as a way for me to experiment with a particular idea of my own.

What do digital and film mean to you?

I prefer the look of film more than digital, as well as the way it informs my process, but one is no better than the other. Just tools to make pictures. There are many great photographers only shooting digital today.

Which is more important, what you shoot or how you shoot?

Both are important. I don’t think one is more important than the other. Choosing your subject or environment and then how you’ll paint them go hand in hand.

How was your work during the height of quarantine?

I worked on a small project, as I think many photographers did, recording the pandemic. I didn’t end up liking many of the pictures so I’ve tucked them away. I also found myself going back to the basics. I’d go on these small walks and take pictures of flowers or the sunset. Both obvious subjects that “never bore me through their repetitive beauty.” - Magnum Photos