Andrew Spear Photographer :: +1 440 897 6758 :: Ohio Midwest Based

The Magic City in Le Monde's M Magazine

2011-12-14T21:23:00.000-08:00

Late last month, right around Thanksgiving, a writer for French newspaper Le Monde's weekend magazine, M, reached out to me about running an edit from my project The Magic City. We had a short interview, and the following weekend they published a ten page spread of the work.

Please click here to see how it ran online.

Goodbye, Columbus for Mother Jones

2011-10-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

In early August, Mark Murrman from Mother Jones reached out to see if I was available for a 3-7 day project in the city where I live, Columbus, Ohio, at the end of August and early September. I was, so we proceeded to outline a story on Ohio's Senate Bill 5 and it's effects on the economic and political climate in Ohio, namely it's war on the middle class. It's a story I've been covering on and off for various publications since February of 2011, shortly after Republican governor John Kasich took office. There were a few key points we had to hit (portraits of those mentioned in the story as well as reportage of their family life,) but most of it was very open ended. There was a lot of room to create moody images to help drive the story forward. I ended up sending Mother Jones a lot of images from my archives, and they were able to license some of those as well. I spent a good bit of time wandering around neighborhoods I hadn't had an excuse to explore prior to this and overall feel in much better touch with the place that I live than I have previously.

It was also nice to get out on foot as a journalist. For example, I got in touch with a director at We Are Ohio, a bipartisan anti-SB5 group, to see if I could photograph their canvassing that day. I secured permission and while talking to him, was told of a fundraiser about a half hour south of here for a town called Mount Sterling who's police force disbanded due to lack of funds in the community. I was able to make it down to the small town in time for a "Dunk the Police" tank, which ended up being used in the spread. Due to the general direction of the story, and the time available, I had the opportunity to allow one thing to lead to another and unfold into a more well-rounded essay.

Here are some outtakes, both produced for the magazine and others from time spent in the area and around the state while covering this story, which can be read here.

7/15/2011 Stephen Pence

2011-08-04T14:18:00.000-07:00

I've been photographing some up and down one of the major streets in Columbus. A friend of mine happens to tend bar north of here a little bit, so I stopped in and made a portrait of him a few weeks ago.

I went to the Zoo yesterday.

2011-07-18T11:50:00.001-07:00

It's been about a year since I've been to a zoo, and probably 6 or 7 years (at least) since going to the Columbus Zoo. Lots of people seem to really like the Polar Bear exhibit, which is fair because it's really cool. The bears can swim over your head while you're standing in a giant softbox underwater.

Imprelis Herbicide for The New York Times

2011-07-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday afternoon, I got a call from The New York Times asking if I could run out and make some images of dead evergreen trees just north of Columbus. Apparently this story has been unfolding all over the country as complaints are surfacing that allege a DuPont chemical could be causing the death of many homeowner's landscaping. The homeowner in this particular story, Robert Deprato, talked to me for a little while about camera gear, and then asked if I needed to use a macro. He ended up having a 90mm macro lens, which helped to illustrate the dead pine needles a little bit better than any glass I had.

If you're interested, read the story in The NYT or the Denver Post, where it also ran.

Natalie Taylor for GRAZIA UK

2011-07-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

The day before I left for Look3, I was commissioned by British magazine Grazia UK to photograph Natalie Taylor, a young author in Detroit. Her first book was a memoir compiled from diary entries over the course of losing her husband in a car accident while five months pregnant.

My assistant, Josh Landis, and I spent a little over 2 hours with Natalie and her son. We had a lot of fun on the shoot- I'm excited to see her continue to grow as an author.

High Street/My neighborhood

2011-07-12T18:16:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be working on some new stuff soon...stay tuned.

Dayton Dragons for The New York Times

2011-07-05T13:18:00.000-07:00

Last Monday I had an opportunity to work with George Vecsey, a New York Times writer, on a story about the Single A baseball club, the Dayton Dragons, who are quickly approaching the record of consecutive sold out games- 815 -since opening twelve years ago. I met George, who had been at the park for a few hours already, shortly after getting there. We had briefly discussed photo ideas via e-mail, and everything sounded pretty open ended. Right off the bat, George said, "I've worked with a lot of photographers over the years. I trust your eye." It was a great way to start a shoot, especially because I don't have a chance to work with writers very often. I haven't been to a baseball game in going on four years now, so it was a really nice change of scenery. I was excited to pick up The Sunday Times and see 6 images on the front page of the sports section, and another two inside. Take a look at the slideshow here.

Memorial Day was fun.

2011-06-03T14:46:00.000-07:00

The neighbors got a kiddie pool and a new BBQ.

3/1/2011 Oberlin, Ohio

2011-05-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

Here's an outtake from a shoot for AARP back in early March.

John Hyduk for Esquire Magazine

2011-04-26T11:12:00.000-07:00

Towards the end of March I received a call from a very supportive editor named Whitney Tressel at Esquire Magazine, asking if I was available for a portrait shoot in Cleveland. Although I'd never met her in person, we quickly connected on the same creative wavelength. We discussed the story and various ideas, and shortly after she forwarded me images that fit the mood we wanted to drive the images forward on, mostly pulling images out of my personal essays (The Kittie Luau , There is a Place.)

The story was about (and written by) a man named John Hyduk who lives alone in Fairview Park, Ohio, just west of Cleveland. I was very familiar with the area, as I once dated a girl who lived off the same road John does- funny coincidence. Anyways, John is in his late 50s and has been a writer and poet for most of his life, but he's never been above working whatever jobs he could find in order to support himself. He's currently a night shift dock worker at a bottling plant in the area.

I was fortunate enough to be able to bring my good friend James Roh along as an assistant. James, who just took a job at the Provo Daily Herald in Provo, Utah, only had two weeks before he moved across the country, and it was really awesome to be able to kick it with him for a full day (and he was a huge, huge help with the lights.)

We started out at John's home while it was still light out, and eventually made our way to a shipping yard in Brookpark, Ohio, right near the airport in Cleveland.

Thanks so much to Whitney, John, and James for helping bring this all together! I'm really glad at how it all turned out.

2/03/2011: Maddie; Athens, Ohio

2011-04-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

3/9/2011: Holiday Inn; Panama City Beach, Florida

2011-04-18T21:59:00.000-07:00

"So I'm guessin' there's questions that need addressin', huh?
Like how we fresh in our adolescence and wreckin' 'em."

2011-03-09T08:54:00.000-08:00

West Point, Kentucky; October 2007

2011-02-28T21:22:00.000-08:00

Coney Island, NYC; August 2009

2011-02-28T21:17:00.000-08:00

NYTimes Tearsheet

2011-02-17T13:00:00.001-08:00

Dangerous Prescription Drugs for Men's Health

2011-02-14T14:19:00.000-08:00

Early November, I was running around New York after a busy day of meetings. I got off the train at Grand Central, and had just come above ground. I was on my way to meet my Uncle Chuck at his ad agency so we could grab some dinner and drinks. My phone rang, a 212 number, so I figured it was somebody I had set a meeting up with that week.

"Hi! This is Jeanne with Men's Health!"
(I hadn't set up a meeting with them, and it had been probably a year since I initially e-mailed them.)

We talked for a moment about my availability, and I told her that I happened to be in New York for the AP26 party at the Annenberg Space for Photography. As it turns out, she was going to be at the party as well, so it was really great to have a chance to meet her. Happy coincidence, no doubt.

The story ended up being one I was very interested in- prescription painkiller abuse in Southern Ohio. The two victims the story focused on were males around my age who had passed away as a result of drug use and the circumstances surrounding it. I spent three days working with two families and photographing prescription pain clinics in Portsmouth, Ohio. Pain clinics pass themselves off as "doctor's offices," but with the sole purpose of providing prescriptions and painkillers to nearly anyone who has pain. Many of the local pharmacies won't fill scrips from these places, so some of them have in house pharmacies. It's a problem that took root in Florida, and has slowly worked it's way up to Ohio. Jeanne was excited to have me onboard due to my work in Glouster, Ohio, and I was very happy to shed light on the issues I've pursued over the years.

15 minutes away from the first clinic, I got a call from my editor that the one we were en route to had been raided by the DEA the day before. The problem lies in that they're not federally legal, but the states don't have the laws in place to prevent doctors from selling prescription drugs in-house.

I really couldn't have done it without my two assistants, friend and housemate Stephen Pence and the talented Maddie McGarvey. In some instances, they acted as get away drivers while photographing in less-than-ideal circumstances. Namely, while waiting for patients to come in out and out of the clinics and the ensuing situations resulting from employees coming outside to yell at me for photographing their establishments. The first day on the shoot, Stephen and I noticed that some of the clinics kept lookouts- a man casually sitting in a car in the parking lot taking notes and watching us, etc. It was important, too, that we photographed symbols of the medical presence in town. Not in a negative manner, but just to show the balance of real medicine vs. pain clincs.

Here are some images from the story that can be read here.

Thanks so much to Jo Anna Krohn of Portsmouth and Rick Dickerson of Bellville. I am truly sorry for their losses, and do hope this article sheds light on the issues at hand. With more press of this nature, I do hope that the state laws that allow these establishments change.

Worthington, Ohio for The New York Times

2011-02-14T12:23:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I got a call from editor Dave Scull at The New York Times asking if I would work on a story about education and the economy as job losses continue to hit across the board. Even Worthington, Ohio, widely regarded as an upper-middle class Columbus suburb has felt the effects. I was more than happy to take the story, and spent a day at Wilson Hill Elementary School where I primarily focused on Grace Koo's children. Afterwards, I accompanied the family to swimming lessons and then home while they ate dinner.

The Times ended up running the lede image 6 columns on the front of the National section, with two supporting images and a preview image on A1.

Elementary school was interesting- I don't think I've been in one since my younger sister "graduated" from 5th grade...11 years ago I guess? It kind of threw me for a loop when I walked in- it looked like how I remember it, right down to the warm, inviting teachers, but I seemed to have forgotten how small everything is. It was also fun for me to deal with kids cheesing at the camera and trying to get my attention, reminding me of being 8 or 9 and having somebody come into the classroom, watching fellow classmates pester the visitor. I wasn't one of those kids, but it was interesting to see the dichotomy from this angle. Reversing the roles, I suppose.

I had a really great time on this shoot. Grace and her family made the day really fun, and were very welcoming to me. It's always really great to leave an assignment with a big smile, knowing you've done the story and those affected by it the justice they deserve.

If you'd like to read the story, please do so here. I was also pleased to see that the Columbus Dispatch syndicated the story from the Times, knowing that it reached a hyper-local audience as well as the rest of the nation.

August

2011-02-07T16:49:00.000-08:00

I made these three images this summer that I've never bothered to pay much attention to. The memories of them come back to me at odd times. I'm not really sure what to make of it, but it's often my driftless mind leads from one thing to another, often times unassociated, and I end up somewhere close to here.

The Magic City | A Steady Drip

2010-12-13T09:44:00.000-08:00

A while back, Andrew Kornylak contacted me to see if I'd like to contribute a piece to his independent publishing platform, A Steady Drip.

I decided to pull together some images from my work in Glouster, Ohio, that was recently recognized by the CPOY contest with an Award of Excellence in Documentary.

A little overview on the project: Once known as The Magic City, Glouster was a hub for extractive industries in Southeastern Ohio. A region once known for its large coal deposits, the economy was also rooted in clay, timber and potash extraction as well as brick and shale production.
After nearly 150 years of massive success, these industries trickled out through the 1950's and 1960's after stripping the region of its resources. 50 years later, the town of Glouster, Ohio is a shadow of its former self. With little opportunity for local employment, many have to commute to neighboring cities for work.
What's left behind is a strong sense of pride in the face of a struggling Appalachian community. Many don't want to leave, and those that do often find their way back home.

On the road (Pt. 4)

2010-12-08T12:10:00.000-08:00

There are from my previous homes, both Chardon and Athens.

Alex Eiler, Drakes, Ohio

Lookin' Fly, Athens, Ohio

My sister, Stellie, on Thanksgiving, Chardon, Ohio

While you were away, Athens, Ohio

Wedding, Athens, Ohio

Geauga County Fair, Burton, Ohio

Geauga County Fair, Burton, Ohio

I used to be really involved in the 4-H program at our county fair while I was growing up. There are a lot of close friends and family in the image above, including my Grandma in the pink. And yes, according to Noah, those are some big trucks.

Geauga County Fair, Burton, Ohio

On the road (Pt. 3)

2010-12-08T12:06:00.000-08:00

I haven't spent enough time exploring my new neighborhood, but here are a few from around the block.

On the road (Pt. 2)

2010-12-08T11:54:00.000-08:00

Here's a bunch of political work for The New York Times.

Bob Armstrong, Mayor of Defiance, Ohio

Laborer's Union, Canton, Ohio

Ted Strickland Rally, Akron, Ohio

Election Day Volunteers, Canton, Ohio

Election Day, Canton, Ohio

Awaiting Results at the Ted Strickland/Democratic Party, Columbus, Ohio

So I've been on the road a lot lately. (pt 1)

2010-12-08T11:26:00.000-08:00

I realize it's been awhile since I've updated...so I'm going to update with a lot of stuff. Work has been really busy and I've managed to make it all over the Midwest, Chicago, New York and Atlanta in the last month. Big thanks to Noah Devereuax for letting me live in his basement in Brooklyn, and Simon Brubaker for lending me his floor in Chicago. Along the way, I also received an Award of Excellence in CPOY Portrait, Documentary, and Portfolio. Congratulations to Rachel Mummey and Tyler Cacek for College Photographer of the Year and Runner-Up, respectively. This past weekend I was also awarded the In Focus Photography Award and a $1,000 grant that came along with it. It was really great to apply for this grant, as it was money to pick three images and discuss in a written essay why you chose them and why they work for you. Thanks to Uma Sangvhi for writing my letter of recommendation.

So I guess I'll start with some New York City street work.

Manhattan, NYC

Hoboken, NJ (disposable camera)

Greenpoint, NYC

Midtown, NYC

Christina Aguleria, Subway, NYC

The Tea Party for The Washington Post Magazine

2010-10-25T12:38:00.000-07:00

Chuck Henthorn :: Dayton, Ohio

John Holdren :: Dayton, Ohio

A few weeks ago I was all over southwestern Ohio working on a spread for The Washington Post Magazine. I haven't seen a hard copy yet, but I was told it was a split 6 page spread with a photographer who photographed the same subjects at Glenn Beck's rally in DC. Above are some outtakes. The article is very interesting and can be seen here, and if you'd like to see the photos that ran, please click here.

Huge website update

2010-09-24T12:23:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
I updated all of the galleries on my website with new work. There's new singles, new portraits, new Glouster edit by Mike Davis, new work on Off the Grid, and a new gallery of School bus Racing work. Take a look, feedback would be much appreciated.

All the best
Andy

http://www.andyspear.com

Athens County tornados

2010-09-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

I got a call from Dustin Franz Thursday evening, telling me I needed to get down to Athens as soon as possible. (For those of you who don't know, I recently relocated to Columbus after graduating.) Having planned to go to Norfolk, VA the following day, I figured I might as well knock a little time off the trip and come down Thursday night to see the extent of the damage, and plan to wake up early on Friday to work before I continued on to Norfolk.

I made it into Nelsonville at right about midnight, on the dot, and pulled over to talk to a really helpful AEP employee in the Kroger parking lot. She was buying snacks for the crews, and apparently Kroger was the only food store in town that had electricity. She directed me towards an area outside of Nelsonville that had been hit pretty hard, so I headed in that direction. The officers on-site were extremely helpful and allowed me further down the road while it was being cleared.

Afterwards, I went back and edited with friends, then got to bed as early as possible, so I could get up and head back out to the families I had met the previous night.

All things considered, everybody I met was in a good mood. I think the understanding that things can be replaced and people can't struck a chord with those affected by the disaster.

Fishing

2010-09-15T07:22:00.000-07:00

Blast off

2010-08-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

Chili Pepper Festival; Glouster

2010-08-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

Swimming near Shawnee

2010-08-06T13:26:00.000-07:00

Recent

2010-08-06T13:17:00.000-07:00

Another from Brew Week

2010-07-24T12:44:00.000-07:00

Recent Glouster

2010-07-24T12:36:00.000-07:00

7/22/2010 Glouster

2010-07-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

Help a fellow photographer

2010-07-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,
My friend from Chicago, Daniel Shea, crashed on the futon this weekend while working on his project titled Plume. Prior to this, Daniel spent some time in the area working on a project called Removing Mountains.

To all the Ohio kids- make sure to check this work out. It's about our area, but very different from the work we're used to seeing. Lastly, he currently has a print sale going on, so check that out, too. The money is being used to further the project, and there's some really great work for very reasonable prices.

And here's two of mine from the weekend.

Recent Outtakes

2010-07-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

I only posted the two portraits from my recent political assignment, so here's a few more.

Recent Glouster

2010-07-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

Cincinnati Politics for The New York Times

2010-07-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to follow around Congressman Steve Driehaus and opponent Steve Chabot last weekend. You can read the story and see what ranhere.

These are a few outtakes from the weekend.

Kitty Atkins-Bullock; Long time Chabot supporter

Pat Wheeler; Tea Party Protestor

07/01/10 Glouster

2010-07-02T11:02:00.000-07:00

Featured on Verve Photo

2010-06-28T08:55:00.000-07:00

A little over a month ago I got an e-mail from Geoffrey Hiller, the editor at Verve Photo, asking if I would like to have an image featured. We agreed on one, whipped up a bio and some info on the photo, and it's featured today. Thanks, Geoffrey.

She Bears hit the road.

2010-06-26T22:34:00.000-07:00

Headed up to Columbus last night with She Bears to see them off on tour. You ought to check them out, they're probably going to be playing somewhere near you in the next few months. I saw all of my friends climb into a minivan and drive away, so I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to do in Athens now.

Regardless, here's a picture of Maddie, who was also able to make it out.

Jordan Crossing Mall; Cincinnati, Ohio

2010-06-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

This place was quite bizarre. Read about it here.

Family Reunion

2010-06-22T16:25:00.000-07:00

I just finally got internet at my new house, so here's an update. LOOK was incredible, one of the best weekends I've had for awhile. I got to see a lot of people I haven't seen in years, met people I've only talked to online, and saw some really beautiful work.

It was probably the best graduation day/party that I could have ever imagined.

Bob Hawksley for Builder Magazine

2010-06-04T17:11:00.000-07:00

I photographed Bob Hawksley from Crestview Hills, KY a few months ago. I've been really excited for this to run.

Recent work

2010-06-04T07:39:00.000-07:00

This is it #2

2010-06-01T16:38:00.000-07:00

Mentor Headlands beach and I guess Lake Erie is one of my favorite places to go while I'm home. It started when I was a junior in high school with my friend Josh taking me there after we got breakfast one day. Any time I'm home, there's a pretty good chance that a friend and I will go grab coffee somewhere and then walk out on the breakwall in the evening. It's a combination of how relaxing the atmosphere is a half mile offshore at night and how nice the light tends to get.

Moriah Bruening, December 2007

Andrew Pitrone, June 2008

Fox, August 2008

Fireworks, June 2007

Josh Bruening, July 2008

As the sun sets, June 2007

This is it #1

2010-05-31T23:02:00.001-07:00

Hi.

I'm graduating college next week. I'm going to spend the next week and a half blogging images from the archives. When I leave for LOOKBetween next week, I'm planning on not using this blog any longer and launching a new one fully integrated into my website. College is over. It's time for change.

2/24/08: I will walk calmly into the night.

She was out of town for the weekend, back home for her grandmother's funeral. A cold, cold February night, Andrew invited me to a party on Smith St. I didn't go out much that year, so some change was nice. The next morning, he and I went for a drive through the lesser known suburbs above Athens off of Richland Ave., and back down the hill, across town and up Rt. 13 towards Chauncey. We hung out a lot that spring, washing down Avalanche pizza with High Life and watching movies in his closet of a dorm on South Green.

I don't have photographs of that. I didn't quite grasp the importance of how imagery is directly correlated to our memories, sustaining things that might be forgotten. However, this image will suffice because to me emotionally, it represents something far greater than a couple holding hands on their walk home.

Palmerfest

2010-05-29T08:26:00.000-07:00

Recent portraits

2010-05-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

I ended up turning these images of my friend Abby for my representational portrait assignment due in class last week. I'm not quite sure they fit the bill, but I liked the images well enough, and I wanted to turn in something very unique and really try to push myself with the assignment.

Wanderings

2010-05-08T12:08:00.001-07:00

Recent: Off the Grid

2010-05-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Ross and Sasha on Mirna, their new baby girl.

Stay tuned for launch of Soul of Athens where my freshly produced multimedia piece will take their story more indepth.

Recent: Glouster

2010-05-08T11:59:00.000-07:00

Meredith Rutledge for The New York Times

2010-05-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

I photographed Meredith Rutledge, the assistant curator at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, for The New York times last week. It was one of the most fun assignments I've had in awhile- I like music a lot and so does she (obviously) so once we got talking, she invited me into the vault. The vault is the place where they keep all of the stuff that's not on display/too valuable to display, such as the OG copies of Jon Lennon's lyrics and stuff. It was a really great rewarding assignment.

You can read the article here, about how business travel is starting to rebound.

Trimble Prom

2010-04-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

Fashion shoot

2010-04-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine was working on a fashion shoot for a startup online student fashion magazine called Thread. I stopped by to see how the shoot was going.

More NY street

2010-04-20T15:31:00.000-07:00

Cooper Union

Williamsburg

Spring

2010-04-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

I'm glad it's starting to warm up. This is from my Blackberry.

West Virginia Mining Disaster for the NYT

2010-04-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

Last Monday evening I got a call from The New York Times asking me to go cover the mining disaster in Montcoal, West Virginia. Deadline was 11:30 and I found out I couldn't remote transmit the images from Montcoal due to lack of wireless access and no cell phone signal. I got into Montcoal around 9:30 and had about 45 minutes to work before driving back out to Charleston in a torrential downpour so I could edit in 15 minutes and have the images to them by deadline. They didn't end up having anything in print- I think I was too close to deadline that they had already laid out the pages.

I ended up going back the next day for Time, but by that point it was overrun with media and unique images were difficult to come by.

I can't imagine a town that small losing so many people. Montcoal reminded me very much of the communities surrounding Athens. It was difficult to read that the four remaining miners passed away.

Thanks to Robert Caplin for sending me these screen grabs.

for the AARP Bulletin Ohio State page

2010-04-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

I photographed Nancy Ciramella, of Springboro, Ohio for the AARP Bulletin two weeks ago. The shoot didn't go quite as planned as my 16 gig card went down right at the end, but I was lucky enough to have a little longer with her.

Manhattan

2010-04-14T19:38:00.001-07:00

Ignored; NYC

2010-04-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

Astor Place

NYC Subway

2010-03-31T13:09:00.000-07:00

featured on The Photo Brigade

2010-03-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

My Sexuality project was featured on The Photo Brigade yesterday. Click the image to see the post.

Selected for American Photo 26

2010-03-24T10:13:00.001-07:00

I just received a ( very surprising) e-mail congratulating me on having 2 images selected for this year's American Photography 26 book. Congratulations to everyone else who entered this year's contest.

5th Ave. Apple Store

2010-03-22T23:22:00.000-07:00

Apparently this is the highest grossing store on 5th Ave., which is the biggest/priciest shopping area in the USA. I hope I got a little different take on this as Noah Devereaux told me it's all been done before.

Bike ride

2010-03-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

Somewhere in The Plains, Ohio.

The Plains, OH: America

2010-03-18T16:40:00.000-07:00

From a bike ride yesterday.

College Sexuality

2010-03-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

In the fall of this year I spent a few weeks working on a project regarding sexuality in college. It was in the middle of my capstone class, so I just got a start on it before having to turn it in. I've been making contacts lately so I can continue the body of work.

I think this will be a really interesting project to work on. It's something that hasn't largely been directly addressed, yet is something people associate with college. It's a time when people discover themselves and their sexual identities. Some will experiment in an effort to understand their sexual orientation, some will be liberal with their promiscuity and some will choose to wait for the right person. I think, in our age group, the hook-up culture is becoming the norm in many university towns. Students are too busy with work and school to have a commitment and some just don't want a commitment. I think times are very different from when our parents were young and there's a generational gap that's increasingly apparent. I remember my Mom asking me once what "hooking up" meant, (I think I began dodging the questions when they got more specific) and if people really do that now.

More than just a project on sex, however, I want to photograph the insecurities in both women and men. This is a time when people are very insecure and full of self-doubt. Body image in both men and women is exaggerated by mainstream media leading to comparisons between ourselves and the pictures on magazine covers, comparisons between ourselves and others within the dating pool. Many guys and girls I have talked to work out not for the health aspect, but so that they look good. I hope to further capture the insecurities and the feelings produced by this culture.

Here are some images from the project. I would really appreciate feedback from anybody on this. There are a lot of directions I feel I can take this, so I'm very open to anybody's ideas.

To see more images from this, please visit the gallery.

Tim Oldani for The New York Times

2010-03-16T07:45:00.000-07:00

I photographed Tim Oldani of Scott Depot, WVa. last month for The New York Times. He's an ex-marine who suffers from PTSD and was convicted of stealing night vision goggles to sell them on eBay. Normally, a crime such as this should carry a five year sentence, but due to his service in Iraq, Oldani was given five months followed by three years of supervision.

Click here to read the story

Ode to Winter

2010-03-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

I cashed in a pile of film that was building up on my desk earlier today and got to scanning at the library this evening. I've got a lot more to get through, but here's one for now.

Visual Mumbling

2010-03-09T10:56:00.000-08:00

My good friend Noah Devereaux recently built a new website for personal and editorial work, branching it out from his Brooklyn-based wedding business.

Click the image to view the new site at http://www.visualmumbling.com

New Website with updated projects

2010-03-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

Hey all,
I just designed and built a new website. You can reach it at either http://www.andrewspearphoto.com or http://www.andyspear.com

I've changed around my singles, my portraits, my Glouster edit and uploaded an edit of my College Sexuality project. I would love any feedback on where to go with the Sexuality stuff, as it's largely in progress.

Click the image below to go to my new site.

Best,
Andrew

Plenty of Spilled Milk for The Wall Street Journal

2010-02-16T06:13:00.000-08:00

I had an assignment a few weeks ago for Matthew Craig at The Wall Street Journal on Vreba-Hoff Dairy Development out of Toledo, Ohio. Vreba-Hoff is a Dutch company whose main focus is to help Dutch dairy farmers immigrate to the United States in pursuit of the American dream. However, many of the farmers have run into setbacks and financial issues and some have had to go back Europe. This is also the first time I've worked with a writer on assignment and Lauren Etter was really great to work with.

The story ran on A1 today with an 11 image slideshow on the web. You can read it here.

She Bears at the Treehouse Tavern

2010-02-13T15:06:00.000-08:00

I went up to Columbus for the night with friends She Bears and Manor Animals for a show at the Treehouse Tavern. Really strange place, but I had a blast and ended up crashing at my friend Corey's house from Columbus band Monolithic Cloud Parade.

Dr. Michelle Bisutti for The Wall Street Journal

2010-02-13T12:48:00.000-08:00

I photographed Dr. Michelle Bisutti in Columbus, Ohio a few weeks ago for a story called The $555,000 Student-Loan Burden.

This is the image that ran cropped in today's edition, and two outtakes.

West Side Elementary wrestling for The Athens News

2010-01-31T09:28:00.000-08:00

Chris Riley of Athens, Ohio

I do weddings, too.

2010-01-22T16:20:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to throw this out there, I put up a blog for wedding work. If you know anyone getting married in the area, send them my way.

Best,
Andy

Click the banner to view.

Abdi Ali for Denison Magazine

2010-01-09T13:37:00.000-08:00

I've been pretty excited for this to run. A few days before Atlanta, I shot a story on Abdi Ali, a student at Denison University who was born in Somalia, grew up in Ethiopia and moved to Boston as a teenager. He was a really, really nice kid and I'm thankful he let me follow him around on the brink of finals week. I posted the tear sheets below, but you can read the story here.

Back to School

2010-01-08T13:37:00.000-08:00

It's good to be back for one more time around.

Winter

2010-01-08T09:31:00.000-08:00

It's been pretty snowy here the last few days. Almost, almost reminds me of home.

Website update

2010-01-05T19:01:00.000-08:00

Hey all,
I updated my personal work gallery. I also changed the name to There is a Place, as I felt it more fitting for the body of work. My plan with this is to continually change and update the folio of work, as my life is ever-changing. It doesn't seem to me as something that should be stagnant for too long.

Best
Andy

Click here to view

Some places

2009-12-28T20:01:00.000-08:00

It's been snowing a lot here. This was after work today. I got in a pretty bad accident last night with my friends Jeff and Mike due to this same snow storm. We slid off the highway, down a big bank and hit two trees right near the Ohio border on our way home from skiing in New York. Luckily we're alright-- I have a seat belt bruise across my side and onto my back and Jeff's head is pretty sore from bouncing it off the side window. Hopefully they can fix his car.

and here's one from Christmas Eve.

Off the Grid web edit

2009-12-23T22:19:00.000-08:00

I just put a web edit of my Off the Grid work online. It's still largely in progress, but I wanted to get some of the images online. Click the image to view my website.

Thanks,
Andy

7/08/2008: North Berwick

2009-12-23T21:26:00.001-08:00

One from Meigs

2009-12-08T23:33:00.000-08:00

I ran out to Meigs today to see if anything was going on. Ludwig was out there with a friend from Buffalo, who's dog Iris was with him.

12/6/09: North Carolina

2009-12-07T09:17:00.000-08:00

Another trip down memory lane

2009-11-28T21:56:00.000-08:00

Edinburgh via Archer's Seat

Disabled Workers for The Wall Street Journal

2009-11-27T22:08:00.000-08:00

I shot a story in Toledo a few months ago for The Wall Street Journal. It was my first assignment that I actually got a hotel and stayed overnight. It was a really fun shoot, everybody was really excited to have me there.

There's a plant, called Lott Industries, that employs disabled workers. They are being hit by the recession and have found new outlets for the workers to continue. Much of what they did previously was related to the automotive industry in Detroit.

You can read the story here.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T22:51:00.000-08:00

Met the family at the New Albany Country Club today.

Black Friday Mentor, Ohio

2009-11-26T22:34:00.000-08:00

Dustin and I went out to shoot for a little bit around midnight.

Best Buy

Circuit City

Living off the Grid multimedia

2009-11-21T10:16:00.000-08:00

This is the beginning of another project I'm starting, I just had to turn this much in for class so I figured I'd put it online too.

St. Mark's Place

2009-11-20T01:44:00.000-08:00

College Sexuality Multimedia piece

2009-11-19T23:53:00.000-08:00

I haven't bothered to post this, but this is something I did earlier in the quarter. It's a start on a body of work I plan on pursuing over the course of the next year or so.

Thanks, Ryan and Lindsey, for letting me in.

Portraits from today

2009-11-14T15:18:00.000-08:00

Autumn

2009-11-13T09:16:00.000-08:00

Luceo Images launches new site

2009-11-11T08:25:00.000-08:00

Luceo Images, a collective made up of David Walter Banks, Kendrick Brinson, Matt Eich, Kevin German, Tim Lytvinenko and Matt Slaby, launched a new website today. It features an integrated blog, individual photographer blogs, downloadable portfolio print cards and is html-based, among other features.

Take a look when you have a moment.

Recent

2009-11-09T21:33:00.001-08:00

I haven't updated for a bit, so here's some recent stuff from a project I've been working on.

for the Wall Street Journal

2009-11-03T19:57:00.000-08:00

I photographed the Serra family in Lewis Center, Ohio on Sunday for a Wall Street Journal article about children models.

It looks like Bryan Derballa worked on this story on the New York end, too. If you don't know Bryan's work, you ought to take a look at his blog, LoveBryan.