MEET THE COLLECTIVE

Introducing the TEN OF CLUBS COLLECTIVE. Next to be vigorously probed for your pleasure is our chief photographer and self-confessed nature boy, Andy.

For nose picking, navel fluff, incredible landscapes and nine-inch grinders, read on!

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Not including TEN OF CLUBS, what’s been your proudest photography moment?

Hmm, there have been a few, for different reasons, but I’ll say having a double page article printed in Digital Camera Magazine. That was an awesome job. Writing it forced me to analyse how I do what I do, and to think methodically.

Taking pictures now just feels natural, it’s second nature to me, so this made me think about and learn again why I make the artistic decisions I make. That was really useful.

Not including TEN OF CLUBS, what’s been your most exciting project?

The one that excites me most, and is constantly ongoing, is photographing the landscapes I experience on my travels. I’m always trying to get that perfect image. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get it as I’m hypercritical of my work. So, it’s a forever project that, I hope, will always continue to excite me.

We'll use some of your landscape photos with this interview. Changing subject, what’s it like photographing the TOC Collective?

It’s awesome! I find portrait and fashion photography so exciting. They’re not something I’ve done a lot of in the past, so this is a challenge I willingly accept and hope to succeed at. Great communication from Skev and Matt helps a lot, with the vision they have for TEN OF CLUBS.

The hardest thing for me is taking candid shots. But I'm getting better. I haven’t learned to be invisible yet, so you guys know when the camera has you in its frame. That makes it hard to capture you being natural. Instead, you lot pose and show off.

Show off? Never! Do you have favourite photographers?

Of course! How much time have you got? The big hitters for me are Ansel Adams, Eugene Atet, and Joe Cornish.

If I had to pick just one, it would be Joe Cornish. He’s an incredible landscape photographer. Despite having an abundance of modern camera technology to make use of, he likes to use equipment from the early 1900s. It challenges him.

His camera truly does not lie. He’ll spend weeks setting up one frame, waiting for the perfect light. Probably one of the most patient photographers alive.

Aside from photography, do you like other kinds of art?

A lot of my inspiration comes from paintings. I especially like J.M.W Turner and John Constable. Photography is all about composition and lighting; how you capture that moment of exceptional light in an ever-changing environment. Those guys found their own and original way of conveying what they saw.

I’ve always been interested in art. I like order and simplicity. My brain tries to filter out the chaos that surrounds us. Photography is perfect for me; I get to peer through the viewfinder and frame what I see.

What TV shows are you into?

So many: Breaking Bad, Peaky Blinders, Stranger Things, House. I also like classic British comedies like Porridge and Open All Hours. And any documentary by David Attenborough.

Give us some of your peculiar habits.

Again, so many. Daily belly button fluff inspection. Personal moustache sniffing. And socks have to always be pulled up as high as they’ll go.

Of course. What’s your favourite drink?

Full fat Coca-Cola.

What songs have you completely memorised?

‘Song to Woody’ by Bob Dylan, ‘Wish You Were Here’ by Pink Floyd, and ‘In Da Pub’ by 50 Pence. Go on, YouTube it.

Other than TEN OF CLUBS, what would you rate 10 out of 10?

Jack White. And barbecued lamb chops.

What skill would you like to master?

At the moment, MIG and TIG welding. When I’m not doing photography, I have a job making welding robots.

I’d also like to know how to control my 4-year-old daughter.

No chance! What’s the best way to start the day?

A bowl of Crunchy Nut Cornflakes, a glass of orange juice, and a shit.

What’s your favourite movie?

A Clockwork Orange. It’s disturbing, but it has an incredible aesthetic style, and production design, and cinematography. And what a soundtrack!

What city would you most like to live in?

There's no city I would like to live in. Too many people and too manic. Put me somewhere in the Lake District, Dartmoor, the Yorkshire Dales, or the Peak District, not a city.

How do you relax after a busy day taking pictures or making robots?

Music. Cook. Beer.

What’s the best book you’ve ever read?

I don’t read. I’m dyslexic as fuck!

What’s your most annoying habit?

Picking my nose.

If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?

Listen to music.

When you can’t decide who to listen to, who are your go-to artists?

It changes a lot. At the moment it’s Idles, Lankum, Toots and the Maytals, Talking Heads, Greta Van Fleet, and Tom Waits.

What’s something you’ve been meaning to try but haven’t got round to?

Rock climbing.

What’s the dumbest thing you’ve done?

I used to work at a foundry, making fine art sculptures. I once dropped 60 kilos of molten bronze on the floor, in front of a TV film crew and the client. It was the one and only time that happened, and I chose to do it with a camera crew recording the whole thing!

What gets you riled up or is guaranteed to annoy you?

Arrogance.

That can be vouched for. Which of your scars has the best story?

I nearly sawed my left leg off with a 9-inch angle grinder. I was working on a statue of Victoria Wood, the comedienne. The blade got stuck, then flew up and cut into my thigh. Just half an inch more and it would've severed my left quad. Instead, it just left an inch-long scar.

And on that bombshell we’ll end the interrogation. Any final words?

Huge thanks to everyone who’s supported TEN OF CLUBS. Your support means we get to keep doing what we’re doing. Thank you.

July 2024

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