Fine art photographer and Shippensburg University alumnus Andrew Hoff gave a lecture on March 4 detailing his unique approach and personal growth as a photographer over the past 10 years.
The lecture had two time slots: one at 9:20 a.m. and the other at 10 a.m. Both took place in Huber Art Center.
Hoff began taking photos in college, but his interest in the artistic medium was truly ignited in 1986, when one of his close friends opened a photography studio.
For 30 years of his career, Hoff primarily photographed landscapes.
“It gets boring after a while because nothing changes,” Hoff said. “Landscapes only change with light.”
Now, Hoff has shifted his focus to an entirely new subject — people.
“I ended up photographing people by accident,” Hoff said while showing off some of his early street photography portraits that led him to discover his love for human expression.
Currently, Hoff is working on a project that centers on photographing people who work at regional carnivals and fairs. The four-year project has taken Hoff all the way from Maine to Texas, but he is mostly concentrated on the mid-Atlantic region.
“I never know what I am going to get,” Hoff said as he shared his passion for the project.
Unlike stagnant landscapes, human expression is ever-changing, which keeps things exciting for Hoff.
When Hoff composes his photographs, he concentrates on the shapes in the image, rather than on the subjects themselves.
“I’m very deliberate,” Hoff said as he shared a photo from his carnival project that he composed in just three shots.
Hoff also shared that he enjoys receiving and giving feedback to other photographers because “it's important to give a strong emphasis on doing this right.”
To conclude his presentation, Hoff emphasized the importance of authenticity and advised students to “put yourself in your work.”
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