Big picture in New York
A Uniontown native is focusing on the big picture of his life as a professional freelance photographer in the Big Apple primarily for the New York Times Magazine.
Andrew Warman, 33, attributed his success to a number of small jobs and opportunities on photo sets that opened new doors to his career.
“A big part of photography is storytelling and finding where there’s interesting stories,” said Warman.
From New York governor Andrew Cuomo to U.S. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas and singer Kid Rock, Warman has photographed a gamut of subjects.
Last month, Warman landed the magazine’s May cover after being assigned to photograph artist Stephen Doyle’s map of Europe.
“It’s almost like a paper sculpture for the map that he did, and I tried to document that,” said Warman.
A 2000 graduate of Uniontown Area High School, Warman grew up on Ben Lomond Street where he was inspired by the stories of his neighbors.
Warman said his interest in photography was triggered by a curiosity he had as sophomore with a photo taken by a friend that was on the school’s yearbook staff.
“I wanted to see what it was about,” said Warman, so he signed up for several photography classes at the high school.
It didn’t take long for Warman to realize he wanted to be a professional photographer as he found himself taking senior pictures over the next four years for Spellman Photography in Uniontown.
“I was always interested in photographing people,” said Warman. ” It documents who they are as a person at that time and also why they are this type of person and conveys that through their gestures.”
After graduating, Warman attended Penn State Fayette, the Eberly Campus for a year and took whitewater rafting photos for a studio at Ohiopyle. “That’s the best job I’ll ever have,” said Warman. “I got paid to sit next to the river and take in nature on my bike and then ride back to print the pictures.”
He also worked for an architectural photographer in Pittsburgh taking part in several photo shoots for various projects.
Warman then transferred to Rochester Institute of Technology in New York where he graduated in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in photography.
As part of a summer internship, Warman worked at the Allegheny Crime Lab, but decided to pursue other types of photography so he headed back to New York.
At the start of his career, Warman gained experience as a photo assistant taking on editorial and advertising shoots along with digital printing for an array of photographers, including the late Mary Ellen Mark, who achieved worldwide visibility through her numerous books, exhibitions and editorial magazine work.
Warman also worked for Phase One, a Denmark company specializing in high-end digital photography equipment and software.
As he continued to explore the different types of photography, Warman said he always came back to his interest in people.
This led Warman to pursue personal projects and leave Phase One in January to concentrate on freelance full time.
As part of his journey, Warman took a trip earlier this year to Sweetwater, Texas, where he covered the world’s largest rattlesnake roundup.
“For a good part of my life I’ve been prepared to work on my own photography,” said Warman.
The Texas visit earned Warman a spot in the New York Times April issue for his photo and write up.
In the near future, Warman plans to return to his roots for a project in southwestern Pennsylvania. “Energy is such a huge part of Fayette County from coal and coke and now natural gas,” he said. “Southwestern Pennsylvania has a tangible history with some of the most warm and open people.”
As Warman continues to zoom in on his passion, his advice to budding photographers is to keep walking toward their dream.
“I always found if I shared my desire to work in the photo industry that doors opened. Anytime that someone sees you have a true love and interest in something, people want to help you out because they know what it’s like to be there,” Warman said.
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