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

Archie , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I always tell people I was born an artist. As early as I can remember I’ve always been extremely creative and naturally artistic, but having a career as a creative seemed out of reach to me growing up. I grew up in the 90’s and this was before you could share your art with millions on social media and easily market yourself. It wasn’t until my late twenties, after working different retail jobs for several years that I finally decided I had enough and I was going to pursue my passion for the arts and seek a career in the creative realm.

Archie , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Interview

I’m a proud SoCal native, I grew up in a small beach town in San Diego where my creative spirit first blossomed. Now, I’m currently based in Los Angeles where I work as a photographer and multi-hyphenate storyteller. My first introduction to photography was actually through modeling (which I still do as well from time to time). After several years of modeling professionally I realized I had my own stories to tell and creative visions I wanted to bring to life. So in 2019 I picked up a camera, taught myself about camera settings and composition, and never looked back.

I utilize a blend of digital and 35mm film mediums to shine light on unique stories and convey expressions of self-love. My visual work is deeply inspired by nature, urban landscape, exploration of humanity, and how we exist/coexist within these spaces. Even though my work is mainly portraits of other people I view all of the work I create as an extension of myself and an intimate energetic exchange with the universe.

What sets me apart from other photographers and makes me unique in the images I create is that I’m able to bring out a sort of soft/romantic feeling in my portraits, even when I photograph men. I’m also obsessed with vibrant colors in my work. To me, the color in a photo plays a large part in the story I’m telling through my images, just as much as the composition and subject.

In the fairly short amount of time in my photography career, I’m proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish so far. I’ve been a photo assistant on a few celebrity magazine cover shoots, my photo work has been exhibited by Lomography at the Penumbra Foundation in New York and published in Santulan Magazine and Byline. This is only the beginning, and I’m looking forward to being able to have more work published, being able to photograph more talented artists, and someday soon shooting my first campaigns for brands I align with. I’m really looking forward to the future of my photography career, and grateful for every opportunity that comes along the way.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

First and foremost, I think society can best support us by taking us seriously. Having a career in the creative realm is possible and is a credible career path to take. There are a ton of jobs out there that require real creative skills. Often I hear from folks who aren’t creatives themselves that art isn’t a real career or that anything involving being creative is immediately deemed a hobby, but that’s just not true. We need people to be encouraging of creatives around them. A few ways to support artists are by purchasing someone’s art if you can, offering moral support, and donating or volunteering to local arts organizations in their community. It never feels good to have your passion devalued, and there is so much value in artists and creatives being able to make work and receive support in return.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://itsarchieanderson.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archieslens
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/archie-anderson-181990203/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArchiesLens

Image Credits
All images taken by Archie Anderson.