Vanessa Andrieux interview
HUCK talks to the Annecy-based snow photographer about her love for the mountains and making it in such a competitive industry.
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HUCK: How did you get into snowboarding photography?
Vanessa Andrieux: Oh, it was a long time ago! I’ve been doing it for 10 years now. I wanted to do something to do with snowboarding because I like riding and being in the mountains. I just decided to start shooting and see what happened. I never thought about, you know, being a rider, or something like that. I wanted to have a real job but something where I could ride every day and be in the mountains and be outside.
Is it as amazing a job as everybody thinks?
Oh yeah, it’s such a good job. I am travelling all the time and I love being in the snow. It’s not easy but it’s a really good job for me, I really like it.
What’s difficult about it?
I always have to carry a big backpack and sometimes you’re not really enjoying the ride because you have to stop in the middle of the powder and shoot when all you want to do is ride. Sometimes it’s really cold, there are bad conditions and you just don’t wanna go but it’s a job, so you have to. Everyday is different and some days you’re not feeling very good, and you feel tired, but that’s like anything.
What advice would you give for people who want to get into snowboarding photography?
Um, never give up and, I don’t know, just go and shoot! You really need to be passionate and it's something really, really great to do. It takes a long time and it helps if you already know people in the industry. There are a lot of photographers but the industry is really small.
How do you distinguish yourself from the competition?
I don’t know. I just go and shoot and if my shots are better then I get it, you know. But it’s not like a competition. You do your things on your own and they either like it or not. I’m not really into competition with the other photographers. Most of the time they are my friends. Maybe there are some photographers who don’t like each other but for me, I always like everyone. I try to be friends with everyone.
Was there one magazine in particular that gave you a break?
My first cover was Snow Surf in France and I was really stoked about that. I didn’t know I had the cover so I only saw it when I went to the shop to buy the magazine. I was so pleased.
Have you noticed an increase in the amount of snowboard photographers?
Oh yeah, I think so. I think a lot changed with digital. It’s actually more work with digital because of all the stuff on the computer but I think it’s easier to get the shot maybe because you can see the picture straight away. If you miss something, you can do it again.
What goes in to getting that perfect shot?
It depends on the situation. For me, the perfect shot is not a shot with a big flash or something like that it’s a nice powder turn with good snow and good light. In my country you have to wait for the good weather. You have to go to the location, find a good spot, hike there, build a kicker. After, get a good rider who can hit it. And then you get a good shot. It’s a lot of work.
Do you get to ride a lot?
For me, not that much. Maybe three days a year. I’m riding every day but with my backpack and it’s really different. I really don’t have time to ride a lot. If I have time, it’s not good conditions. It doesn’t make me want to go out when it’s not good conditions. The travelling is what I like most about the job; I only spend maybe one month at home, if I put everything together. Sometimes it’s three weeks, sometimes just a couple of days.
Check out more of Vanessa'a work on her website.
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Vanessa Andrieux interview (text) by Shelley Lee Jones is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.Comments (2)
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Thanks for sharing. :-) xx
i like the shoots!!!! you know it!