This time, Newey shared a bit about his background and what initially inspired him to pursue photography. “My journey into photography began 23 years ago when my girlfriend at the time decided to sign us both up for a short photography course, one evening a week. After a couple of weeks she got bored with it, whereas I got totally addicted right from the start. After a couple of years, the relationship came to an end, so I decided to put all the theory work into practice by hitting the road for a year-long trip around the world to kickstart my portfolio. Fortunately, I was able to sell enough photos from that trip to fund the next one. And so it continued.”
Andrew continued, explaining that his initial inspiration to pursue this art form came from a desire to create something on his own. He elaborated: “A few years earlier, I was playing drums in a band, but the creativity was always shared between the other band members, which often led to disagreements. I figured that with photography there would be none of that—I would be in total control of every aspect of the process.”
We were curious about how Andrew chooses locations for his shoots. He shared that this is one of the most challenging aspects of his work and explained further: “Obviously, if it is a commission, then I don't have a choice. It seems that there are very few places left in the world that have not been discovered and documented extensively already. I mostly try to travel to more remote locations because the stories tend to be more interesting and there is a better chance that the photos will be somewhat more unique. I would still venture off the beaten track without a camera because slow travel in a remote location is a far more enriching experience; living, eating, doing the daily chores with the local people is such a rewarding experience, which also results in better photos.”
Finally, he added: “Intuition definitely plays a part but also plenty of research too because it is so much harder to get a photo story published if it has already been covered numerous times in the (recent) past.”
When asked about the most meaningful photograph he has taken so far, Newey responded: “The most memorable photo I have taken, and probably ever will take, is of the honey hunters in Nepal. There is one photo from that series that has proved to be extremely popular and has been published hundreds of times, including in several National Geographic books. However, it is the time that I spent with those guys that means the most to me; I spent a week or so with them before and after the honey hunt and they were just so welcoming and generous, treating me like one of their own. It was such a beautiful experience and the photos were just the icing on the cake! At the time, I had absolutely no idea how popular they would become.”
Lastly, we wanted to learn more about Andrew’s future plans—projects or goals he’s excited to explore. Here’s what he shared with us: “As for the future of my photography, one of my goals is to explore wildlife and environmental photography. Of course, it will take a lot of research to find subjects that have been somewhat overlooked. At present, there are no specific subjects or locations in mind; however, North Asia has a special place in my heart. At present, I am kept quite busy at daddy daycare; however, as the boys get older, I am excited at the prospect of taking them with me on some trips so that they can learn firsthand about other cultures around the world.”
