Photo by Jason Andrew
By Shea Parton & Luke Warner
Recently our close friend Scott Soens introduced us to long time photographer friend and California native, Jason Andrew. Scott shared a little bit about Andrew's commitment to documenting global conflict issues and when we saw his work we knew that we had found a kindred spirit who shares our goal of creating a marketplace where commerce and compassion can work hand in hand.
Andrew was born in our neck of the woods, up in Alameda, California in 1976. He was raised in the small town with his two brothers and extended relatives, all of whom are still close as the family grows. He studied History and Latin American Studies at San Diego State and began shooting photos for the surf industry. Although he's been a surfer since his teens, the draw of big trips to Hawaii was soon eclipsed by his growing interest in understanding larger issues. In the fall of 2006, he moved to Brooklyn and began an intensive one-year documentary program at the International Center of Photography. He interned for the award-winning photojournalist James Nachtwey who helped shape who he is as a photographer and a journalist.
For the last five years he has been on the roster of Reportage by Getty Images, one of the most reputable agencies for international photojournalists and has been recently focusing on stories of immigration and environmental racism, in the US and abroad. By the end of this year, he hopes to document the lives of the Libyans who have decided to stay in their homeland and how they are living in the now devastated landscape. Andrews desire to document Libya is line with his broader goal of impacting policy and to ensure that no one will have to tell these stories again.
It has been refreshing to learn how Andrew approaches photojournalism - with total respect and without any preconceived ideas, especially about the people who open their homes to a complete stranger such as himself. He strives, as we do, to be a participant rather than a spectator when he travels and to eat and live with local people, experiencing what they experience on a daily basis in order to honestly capture their stories. It is these similarities that draw us to Andrew and his work as well as our shared desire to tell stories in hopes of making change. We are honored to share is stunning images below.
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