Kent Andreasen is a Cape Town born photographer, whom I got to know whilst at Sleek. He’s often on the go, doing commissions and projects where ever they take him. So you can imagine how thrilled I was to get him featured on here. I’ve always respected Kent for the integrity in his work. His images all have something pure, powerful, no-bullshit and beautiful about them, it is obvious his continuous dedication to honest artistic expression pays off. Very honoured to share a bit of his amazing work with you.
Kent, long time no see, what’s popping? With you I always have to ask where are you currently and where will you be travelling to next?
Well, just keeping on, you know? Trying to stay busy and making images. That’s about it. I’m back home in Cape Town, South Africa for now. I’m keeping busy with some local travel for commissions here. I’m hoping some overseas travel awaits me in the near future, but hard for me to say where..
© Kent Andreasen.
What routines do you do to prepare for your day of shooting, especially if it’s an international commission?
I think my preparation is nothing out of the ordinary. The important thing for me is to make sure I have more than enough film. I use a standard checklist going through what I must have on the shoot and what lensing I’m going to use as lenses tend to get heavy to lug around.
Another thing is suitable clothing – seems like a small detail but being too hot or cold is the worst on a shoot. You want to be able to completely focus on making images, not worrying about your fingers falling off from wind chill.
© Kent Andreasen.
How do you assess if your work is a “success”? What do you look for in a photograph to make it satisfying for you?
I’ve been asked this question in various forms lately and I try and answer it the same way each time. As long as my work is honest and feels like it was created by me, the rest doesn’t matter.
If I look at the images and they resonate with me and it so happens other people like it too, that’s really great. For me success means being able to continue to work as a photographer. I really love it, so for me that’s all I need. I’m convinced that if I keep at it long enough I’ll reach a level where I’ll be able to just shoot what I like for a living. Even if it only happens when I’m 70, I’ll be happy (P.S I hope it happens sooner though, haha).
© Kent Andreasen.
As a well-travelled photographer, you must have some crazy interesting projects behind you…?
I’m lucky to have had many great commissions, they are all vastly different and challenging in their own way. For example, recently in Madagascar I got to dive reefs hardly seen by humans from the surface let alone from underwater. I also got to fly around in a helicopter to observe the various forest ecosystems that host lemurs and the reef systems that are visited by giant Manta Rays. It was absolute madness!
© Kent Andreasen.
If you got to go back and photograph one moment in history, where and when would this be?
Ha! Well, I’d probably go back, way back. Something like photograph the extinction of the dinosaurs as the asteroid hit, presuming that’s how it happened. I would have to adopt the techniques of George Yoshitake who filmed the Atomic Tests in the 50s, that would be a pretty neat experience.
Photographing the first account of humans harnessing fire would be pretty damn interesting. Or following the great migrations that must have happened in Africa before humans decided to mess with the whole balance.
© Kent Andreasen.
You’ve spent some time in Berlin – what do you think of the city’s artistic scene?
I have indeed spent time in Berlin. I’ve always had such a good time there and admittedly sometimes almost too good. From my experience it’s a real incubation chamber for art, contributed to the affordable cost of living and the kind of people, both locals or foreigners. As an example, I have a good buddy Alice Phoebe Lou who went out there to further her music. In the end it’s really paid off for her, as she is now killing it on an international level. If you the right type of person I think it really puts you in a space that can make things happen for you, no doubt.
And in Cape Town, what do you think about the creative scene at home?
It’s all kind of complicated. I find trying to navigate through our creative scene a bit challenging to the point where I’ve sidelined myself from it in many ways. I’m just keeping my head down and doing my own work for now. I am lucky enough to photograph a lot of the artists who are deeply involved in the scene here so I tune in sometimes, and they seem excited for whats to come.
© Kent Andreasen.
On your website you have this chronological numbering and particular curation of your photos, what’s that about?
I think the audience visiting is intelligent with a knack for photography and aesthetics. When people visit my website I want them to immerse themselves in the work for what it is. For me the concept of categories puts a framework around the works and sets them up for a particular expectation in the viewer.
That’s why with the layout I’ve chosen I feel it is easier for someone looking for inspiration or commissioning my work to digest and apply my work to whatever it is they want me to work on. It’s a free interpretation without having me force feed categories down they throats. But whether this works or not us yet to be seen for sure, but yeah, it seems to work for now. Hopefully it stands out and my work gets remembered.
© Kent Andreasen.
Last but not least, where can we best follow your work?
With my updated website there’s plenty of new content too, as well as layout. Go to kentandreasen.com and hopefully you will have some fun! I also have a blog linked to that site where you can see a broader selection of my work. And of course my Instagram is always active, I’m under @kentandreasen.
Thank you Kent!
You can also read up on Kent’s work on Ignant, Vogue, Wild-minded, It’s Nice That, Creative Boom, This is Paper, Booooooom and Coeval.