Today we’d like to introduce you to Andreas Endregaard.
Andreas, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Interestingly enough, I never imagined I would be a photographer; I stumbled upon this path by accident. I was working my first job out of college which provided me with stability and good income, but left me lacking in the purpose department.
I’ve always wanted to do something creatively and that I could call my own, which first came about due to my passion for sneakers and fashion. For the longest time I wanted to come out with my own clothing line, which propelled me to learn how to sketch pieces and get samples made locally in Chicago. Not having any proper experience in garment construction/pattern making etc, along with trying to balance a career, made this a costly trial and error process.
I ended up putting this project on the back-burner due to work/life but I was still hungry to create something of my own. In 2015, one of my good friends Marcus Hart introduced me to two of his coworkers, Justice Moore and Alex Thurman. Justice and Alex were in the same boat as me: we loved fashion and hated Corporate America. One eventful day Alex, Justice and myself brainstormed ideas on what we could create together, for a bigger purpose. Our original ideas were centered around clothing however we felt it would be easier to host events since we had some connections that could make this a reality.
We ended up creating “Project Liaison,” which is a collective that hosts art events in Chicago, based around networking. We felt creatives need to network more than anybody and also wanted to give our friends a different experience. Thanks to our good friend and amazing DJ, Will Galvan, we were able to host a couple events at Virgin Hotel that brought us moderate success.
During this time, some of our friends became inspired to find their own creative paths based off the success and sense of joy we were achieving. My roommate at the time, Brock Stenberg, purchased a camera to pass time outside of work. He somehow convinced me to purchase one as well, which ended up being one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
I’ve tried and failed at multiple creative endeavors from garment making to DJing, but photography came surprisingly easy to me. I started going out to shoot with friends who happened to be photographers and I got addicted rather quickly. The more I shot and saw my images improve, the more I wanted to improve. It was during this time that I really started to feel at peace when I was creating; I was fully in control of what I was doing and I was showing the world (Chicago haha), through my eyes.
I’m never one to talk myself up, however I started to see my work improve drastically. I was feeling finally feeling a sense of purpose, creating what I wanted, while having fun. I then decided that I was going to start generating revenue from my photography passion. I’m a firm believer that if you bring quality to the table, someone will pay for it. My focus changed from shooting to pass time, to becoming the best photographer I could be, artistically and conceptually. I adopted a “growth mindset” where my only focus was to be better than I was yesterday. I believe that we must never stop learning and trying to improve ourselves because life is not static, so we shouldn’t be either. Once you remove ceilings from things, the possibilities for growth are endless and you’re always improving, not working towards a finite end.
Has it been a smooth road?
Not in the slightest! That’s life though; if your path is smooth you’re probably not stepping out of your comfort zone and doing the things that will make you grow. I had to let go of someone I truly cared for, lost friends, was laid off a job and spend a good deal of my time in solitude, learning/working. The best part of all the struggles I’ve faced is that I wouldn’t have it any other way because it made me who I am now.
I needed everything to happen the way that it did for me to realize my potential and the value I bring as an individual. I’m genuinely thankful for everything that has happened in my life, no matter positive or negative, as there is always a lesson to be learned. I willingly threw myself into the fire to prove to myself that I could come out a stronger, better person. I believe life is about balance; the good cannot exist without the bad.
I welcome struggle/challenges because it’s in those times where you really learn a lot about yourself. Adversity is something we can never escape but always have a choice in how we respond. No matter how many times you get knocked down, the only thing to do is get back up and charge forward.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
In a broad sense, I’m an artist. In a specialized sense, I’m a photographer, who is expanding to other creative mediums as well. I run Andreas Endregaard Photography, which I have spent the last two years building.
I try to be well-versed in as many aspects of photography as possible; from lighting to the direction to editing, I want to be great at all of it. As I mentioned before, I spend a lot of my time learning and sharpening my skills as knowledge combined with application is how progress is made. I don’t want to be a photographer who merely takes photos, edits them in Lightroom and just throws them on Instagram for likes. I study the mundane, technical aspects of photography just as much as I do learning how to edit artistically so I can be sound in all aspects of it.
What I’m honestly most proud of is the fact that I built something from the ground up, that I can call my own. I still don’t really consider myself a photographer but more-so a dude with a camera haha. Going from being a self-taught photographer to getting paid for my skills has been one of greatest journies in my life thus far. Most people only see the end goal; they don’t see the time/effort spent behind the scenes that help you get there. I still have a very long way to go but the journey is truly the best part.
In terms of setting myself apart from others, I think my willingness to learn/fail/improve makes me unique in a sense. Majority of people don’t look at life from that perspective but I literally eat, sleep and breathe it. I set the bar very high for myself and the process of learning/failing/improving is the only way to get there.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I do think Chicago is a great place to be a photographer. There is so much to capture in this city, along with great opportunities to network.
Chicago is one of the largest cities in America, which can only mean there’s a lot of opportunities here as well. It’s definitely a great place for a beginner however you have to be willing to put in the work. You can’t be deterred when things aren’t going your way; you just have to keep believing in yourself and charging forward.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.AndreasEndregaard.com
- Email: inquiries@andreasendregaard.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreasendregaard/
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