We recently connected with Andy Weber and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Andy, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
This is tough because I’m still learning. I think the biggest thing that I have learned is that this passion of photography and creating things is real for me and means a lot. I learn something new every time I’m out shooting and it makes it exciting for me. I’m never going to be as good but I’m happy with the pace that I am going about. That’s important – it’s easier said than done but having that mindset of being happy with your work is all that matters.
I take this when I’m even on paid projects. I love connecting with new people and helping them create the story they are trying to tell through photography. I still to this day reach out to folks offering free work because it gets me outside of my element to learn more than I know and is just another reason to have content to study from.
The obstacle that stands in my way still to this day is imposture syndrome. It sucks. Everyone deals with it. Its just the life we live with having all of the social outlets to share work. Its incredible on one side because it elevates you and your mind to think of new ways to create but on the other side of it, you doubt yourself and think you can never compare to someone else. It hits in waves so taking a step back and a deep breath helps.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I love this, thank you for the opportunity to share. I haven’t really taken a step back to reflect on the journey to where I am now so this is cool! I grew up on Long Island and was surrounded by creative people my whole life I feel. A good friend of mine was in the film industry and had a camera that he would take everywhere to make these small videos and that was the moment where I was hooked. I saved up to buy my first camera and did everything I could to create and learn.
I moved to Charlotte 5 years ago and everything changed. Photography really took off for me and I finally understood what the passion was. I lived on Long Island my whole life, never went away to school so I was in need of a change. It was weighing on me in a lot of ways. Once I moved it was like a breath of fresh air and a complete mental reset. Something you never knew you needed.
Charlotte is a fun city. There are incredible people that live here. Many are from other places but folks you meet who are from this city really share the background you need to know about Charlotte and the struggles/wins it has seen over the years. It’s important for me to always learn about the community and understand what matters. That’s one of the things that means a lot to me, I was able to meet so many great individuals and am still doing so.
Photography is my passion and dream to do full time someday. I am continuing to connect with new people, build the trust and excitement for creating the stories they need to share.
I have been fortunate enough to be in situations where Im learning new things to photograph. Sporting events, galas, brewery events, street fairs, you name it. I never will take this for granted and will continue to embrace every second of these opportunities and make the people I work for proud of the photos I deliver.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
Might not be along the lines part but I LOVE a good photobook. I’m also a drummer so music plays a big importance in my life. The Fray was my all time favorite band. I was cleaning out my closet years ago and came across a book they put out that was photos documenting their tour and studio time after their second self-titled album. I almost started to tear up because it’s the perfect documentation of the band and their experience and emotions during those years.
I am a big believer in supporting other artists and buying a book you can hold in your hand and look at photos that way. You lose sight of how impactful work like that is when you’re scrolling through your phone.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I want to create and inspire. That’s really all I care about. I want to deliver excellence in my photography to clients, family, myself and even the people who are kind enough to follow my work on social media.
We all make mistakes, we all learn and move on to be a better person for yourself and others. It’s what we all need here.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.andyjweber.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andyjweber/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-weber-44b2904a/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjweber
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@andysdrum21
- Other: Youtube is for drum covers I used to film!
Image Credits
I own and have taken all of these images.