Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Andrew Bernstein. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Andrew, thanks for joining us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

I fell in love with the creative process of photography while in high school in Brooklyn, NY. I was fascinated with every aspect: Learning the technical details of how the camera worked, lighting, composition and darkroom techniques. I was able to nurture my love for photography by doing assignments of all kinds in high school and when I moved on to the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. UMass had a very prestigious daily newspaper which I gravitated to early in my Freshman year. Suddenly I was not only shooting assignments but was promoted to assistant photo editor and was giving out assignments to others. The turning point for me came during the summer between my Sophomore and Junior years when I attended a photography night class at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. That really opened my eyes that I could pursue a career as a professional photographer. I took a leap of faith and applied to Art Center, was accepted and moved west. I’ve never looked back…I found my niche as a sports photographer by marrying my passion for photography with my passion for sports. I was fortunate to assist for some of the top photographers from Sports Illustrated and had two teachers at Art Center that encouraged my passion, even though photojournalism was not high on Art Center’s career path. I also learned a lot about running a business by working in one of my teacher’s studio and from a terrific business teacher at school. I hung out my shingle in 1981 and have built a very successful and stable photography business that I am very proud of.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am the longest tenured senior photographer for the NBA, now starting my 43rd season. I was awarded the 2018 Curt Gowdy Award by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Game which is highest honor given to a media member by the Hall. I am only the second photographer to receive that award. My company, Andrew D. Bernstein Associates Photography, Inc. has been the official photography company of many teams and venues in the Los Angeles area, including the Dodgers, Kings, Lakers, Clippers and Sparks. I have been the Director of Photography for AEG since 1999. My company is responsible for covering all events at Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center), Peacock Theater and LA Live.

In 2018 I collaborated and co-authored the book “The Mamba Mentality: How I Play” with the late, great Kobe Bryant. I was fortunate to document all of Kobe’s 20 year Hall of Fame career as a Laker.

I pride myself with continuing to provide the highest level of photography for our clients with the utmost integrity.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I have had to pivot many times in my business and personal life over my 40+ year career. Most notably about eight years ago I partnered with some longtime business friends to found Legends Of Sport. It is a new platform that celebrates and documents legendary athletes, teams, moments, venues and personalities in sports. We launched the platform with a podcast which I host and just completed our sixth season with 200 total episodes. It was a major pivot for me while still keeping my photography career and business operating at the highest level. I plan to devote the rest of my creative and business life building Legends Of Sport because I truly believe in our mission and the niche we fill in a very competitive sports content landscape.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

The key to building and maintaining my reputation is very simple: Consistency, dependability, integrity, trust and never making it about ME. It’s always about the client or subject in front of my camera. I learned very early how to be a “fly on the wall” in some of the most intimate locker room and behind-the-scenes scenarios. My mantra is: “You never get another chance to make a first impression”. I try to instill that into everyone who works for me as well as students I teach and young photographers I mentor.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.adbapi.com, ww.legendsofsport.net
• Instagram: @adbphotoinc, @legendsofsport
• Linkedin: Andrew D. Bernstein
• Twitter: @ADBPhotoInc, @legends_ofsport
• Youtube: Legends Of Sport
• Other: Podcast (on all platforms): Legends Of Sport

Image Credits
Courtesy Andrew D. Bernstein