In our column, Guys With Cool Jobs, we profile, well, guys with cool jobs and this guy is no exception. Andrew Link is the photo editor at RIDES Magazine which means he’s in charge of any picture that appears in the magazine that features nothing but cool guys, hot chicks, and some of the dopest cars you’ve ever seen. Whether he’s hanging out with hip-hop heavyweight Rick Ross talking about his collection of luxury vehicles or checking out NBA legend Tim Duncan’s garage full of cherry cars, he’s got it made. Mens Mag Daily sat down with Andrew Link to discuss how he got into photography, some of his favorite shoots, and what type of cars he’s into.
Mens Mag Daily: Andrew, when did you first start getting into photography?
Andrew Link: I got into photography about 11 years ago. I was working at a custom car shop and just bought my first camera to take some photos of the cars we were building. I never thought it’d go anywhere.
Mens Mag Daily: Did you study photography in college or are you self-taught?
Andrew Link: I’m self-taught. I was actually in school for psychology when I started getting photography work. On the job learning and assisting for other photographers really helped me along.
Mens Mag Daily: What are some of the cameras you use?
Andrew Link: My work horses are a Canon 1DS MKIII and a Sony A7r. For bigger commercial projects I’ll rent a Phase One Digital Medium Format system.
Mens Mag Daily: I know photography is a very competitive field, was it a long struggle before you started getting paid gigs?
Andrew Link: Photography is always a struggle. Anyone that tells you it isn’t is lying. Even the guys that are doing well are always on the lookout for the next job. I got a fairly quick start thankfully, but like I said I’m always on the lookout for that next shoot.
Mens Mag Daily: What is your title at Rides Magazine and how did you get the job?
Andrew Link: I’m the Photo Director at RIDES. I’m responsible for anything that needs to be photographed for the mag whether I shoot it or assign it to someone else. I got the job pretty randomly. I was working at the shop taking photos of the cars we were building and I started to post a few of them on a car photography forum on the internet. I got a message from someone about one of my photos and he noticed I was located in NYC so he asked me to come in and assist on a few shoots. He ended up being the Photo Director at RIDES. I came in and assisted for a week or so, then was taken on as the Assistant Photo Director. Later on he left RIDES for another magazine and I’ve been the Photo Director for about 7 years now.
Mens Mag Daily: You shoot for Donk and you work at RIDES. You do photo shoots of some of the most beautiful cars on earth, women, rappers, athletes, etc. Do you officially have the best life out of any guy on the planet?
Andrew Link: I would never claim to have the best life ever; but it certainly doesn’t suck. It’s a real blessing to be able to do what you love to do and get paid for it.
Mens Mag Daily: What is a typical work day like for you?
Andrew Link: My favorite part of what I do is that nothing is typical, every day is different. A shoot day can last anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours. I’ve been known to spend 16 hours straight shooting on occasion. The days where there’s nothing to shoot I’m usually behind my desk assigning a shoot to someone, researching for my next shoot, or attached to my computer retouching a shoot. Most days I’m at the computer until 4 a.m. retouching, and I’ll crawl into bed for a quick nap and its back at it again the next day.
Mens Mag Daily: You’ve shot some unbelievable cars, do you have a favorite?
Andrew Link: I really don’t think I can pick a favorite. I love old school American cars but I also love super cars and just about everything in between.
Mens Mag Daily: Have any of the celebrities you’ve shot been especially cool people and which one of them had the best car collection?
Andrew Link: Rick Ross was pretty awesome. He was super easy to work with and had just had his car delivered to him after about a year of waiting so he was super excited to see the car and just hang out and talk about it. Slash was really cool too, he was super professional, showed up early, stayed until we had what we needed, and was just happy to sit and talk cars. Tim Duncan had one of the best collections; he had a little bit of everything, from big lifted trucks, to a GTR and an older Camaro putting down serious power.
Mens Mag Daily: If you weren’t a photographer, what would you be doing?
Andrew Link: I wish I knew. I honestly am so happy to be doing what I’m doing that I couldn’t really imagine anything else.
Mens Mag Daily: Do you have any advice for all the aspiring photographers out there?
Andrew Link: Keep shooting. The best way to get better is to just keep shooting.
Mens Mag Daily: Since you’re a professional photographer, does your girlfriend constantly make you take pictures of stuff including her and her friends? If so, how annoying is this?
Andrew Link: (Laughs) No my fiancé is actually pretty good about it. She understands that I spend most of my week with a camera in my hands and if I’m not working I probably don’t have a camera with me or probably don’t want one with me.
Mens Mag Daily: Alright Andrew, this is your chance to plug anything you want, websites, Twitter, anything you want.
Andrew Link: People can follow my work on my website which is AndrewLinkPhotography.com. My Facebook is Facebook.com/AndrewLinkPhotography and My Instagram is @AndrewLink.
Article By: Jon DaBove
