This month we’ll be featuring a London based photographer – Andrew Harrison – who is fairly new to the game, but already has some really atmospheric cityscapes. Most of his shots are taken at night, sometimes in the bitter cold, when everyone else is relaxing in the warmth of their home. He has used a medium range digital SLR camera now for some time now but is also experimenting with a very primitive camera called a Holga, which is producing some very colourful and enchanting results. He says its “It’s a really fun, basic camera but keeps you in touch with the essence of photography.”

Andrews uses Point101 for all his canvas prints and perspex prints. I recently met him on what was another cold winters day in a local coffee shop in Hackney, London when he was able to take a few hours away from his hectic schedule and we had time to chat about his work and ambitions for the future.

1. You started taking pictures seriously in the last year or so, why did you decide to go fully into this particular art form?

Having been educated as a painter I only used a camera to assist my work whilst I was attending my MA at Wimbledon in 2003. It was here that I predominantly used it as a tool for preparatory work as well as a means of documenting my work. During the later stages of the degree I decided to expand my usage of the camera and explore the creative options available rather than using it as a tool like I mentioned earlier. I decided to experiment more with the cameras capabilities and investigate long exposure shots.

2. Your work focuses on taking shots at night, what is it about this sort of photography that you like so much?

As you’ve noticed many of my shots are taken during night time but it’s the effects produced from a night shot which I find are visually arresting. Many of my favourite shots contain either cars, trains or other vehicles in motion. The long dynamic streams of contrasting colour produced from a vehicle in motion with a dark background can produce some beautiful results.

3. What influences your thought processes and creative decisions the most?

Whenever I’m walking, cycling or getting the bus around London I’m constantly thinking of what would be a good subject to photograph and the best possible vantage point. Part of the process of my image making is getting to a new location which is difficult but could yield satisfying results. For instance some locations have required authorisation in order to take pictures, whilst other times I’ve had to rely on physical agility to access more demanding positions. There’s a certain element of risk but to me that’s part of the romance of image making. One of the key influences behind my work is my interest in architecture, perspective and linear design. This is apparent within my paintings that I produced during and after my MA and continues to be the main subject matter within my photography.

3. What is the most frustrating thing about the work you do?

During the winter time the weather plays a huge role and when it’s severely windy and rainy which seems to happen frequently in England this can make taking pictures particularly difficult.

4. Do you have any big projects planned this year?

I’ve got a huge list of locations I’d like to complete ranging from other European cities to the Aurora Borealis, but for the time being I’m going to document as much of London as possible with the intention of exhibiting my work in a gallery at some juncture.

5. Where do you see yourself in a year’s time?

Hopefully by then I would’ve gained considerably more experience and knowledge of photography, built up a considerable, diverse and extensive portfolio and possibly a number of exhibitions under my belt.

You can find out more about Andrew’s work by visiting his website:
http://www.andrewharrisonphoto.com/