Andrew Link Photography

How to shoot your hero

2011-12-21T13:26:00.000-05:00

No this isn't about food photography.

We all grew up idolizing someone, somebody that was just bigger than life to us, but what happens when you're put in the same room with that person?

Growing up playing guitar, Slash was a hero of mine. The low-slung Les Paul and a top hat only he can pull off is an iconic image in rock history and an image that spoke to many young guitar players that came after him.

Early in October, we got the call at the RIDES office that Slash and his Aston Martin V12 Vantage would be available to be photographed later in the month. This was a dream come true for myself and RIDES Editor-in-Chief Michael Crenshaw, who is also a huge fan of Slash. With the excitement of a couple of kids, we hopped a plane to LA to meet the man himself.

We trekked our Profoto gear into the location at Galpin Aston Martin and started our setup while we waited for Slash's arrival. In as long as I've been working as a photographer I've NEVER had a celeb show up on time. Slash breezed in 20 minutes early and caught us off guard, still toying with the lighting for his jet black Aston Martin. I spent a few more minutes tweaking the lights while he made the rounds shaking hands with everyone at the location. When there was nobody left to say hello to, I was out of time and we jumped right into the shoot.

Our first shot was of Slash with the car, shot on the revolving stage in the Aston Martin vault. We had a stash of 8 heads on stands with different modifiers from bare bulb to a big 7ft octabox against the wall. I purposely brought extra gear and every different modifier because we hadn't seen the location and needed to be prepared for just abput anything. Lighting for the first shot was 3 Profoto 7a heads for the car and another 7a head with a silver beauty dish for Slash.

Our next shot was Slash in the red leather lined entrance behind the vault. These turned out some of my favorite shots from the set. Lighting in this tight spot was simple, a Profoto 7a head with a silver beauty dish and a grid up high camera right with the silver metal floor providing some bounce light back up into the shadows.

Then we moved on to the vault door. Lighting again was simple just the 7a head with a silver beauty dish above and camera left.

We were prepared for the worst with all our gear, but found the simpler setups allowed us to be quick on our feet and get the most out of the location.

I'm very happy with the results of this shoot. It was a dream come true to shoot it and I'm glad the pressure I put on myself for it is now passed and I can sit back and enjoy the images.

NYC Earthquake 2011 MIXTAPE

2011-08-23T15:33:00.000-04:00

2011 NYC Earthquake Mixtape compiled by: Andrew Link, Matt Tuccillo, Eric Eng, David Zamdmer, Willie G. and Ivylise Simones

1.) Whole lotta shakin goin on

2.) Shake rattle and roll

3.)Rock your body

4.) Booty Drop

5.) Ruff Ryders Anthem (stop drop)

6.) Shook ones Pt. 2

7.) falling away from me

8.) block rockin beats

9.) the twist

10.) twist and shout

11.) Bump n grind

12.) earthquake weather

13.) boom boom boom

14.) shook me all night long

15.) ya'll ready for this

16.) we will rock you

17.) boom shake the room

18.) all shook up

19.)all falls down

20.) milkshake

21.) good vibrations

22.) jump around

23.) wobble wobble

24.) laffy taffy

25.) lean with it rock with it

26.) hey ya

27.) drop the world

28.) can i get a

29.) hippy hippy shake

30.) shake that ass

31.) shake shake shake senora

2011 NYC Earthquake mega mix enjoy and pass it on!

Another new RIDES cover

2010-06-29T13:05:00.003-04:00

Shot another RIDES cover. This time we've done split covers. Mine will be on the east coast and Scott Dukes' will be on the west coast.

Time for an update

2010-04-29T12:19:00.002-04:00

I've been so busy lately I haven't been able to share any of what's been going on lately. Since my last post I've shot two new RIDES Magazine covers and also shot actor Tracy Morgan for our latest issue. Here are the covers, the Tracy Morgan shots will come after the new issue hits newsstands!

Our latest issue with the Tracy Morgan shoot.

New Pics and a new COVER!!

2010-02-01T14:31:00.005-05:00

Adding some new pics to the blog:

First this shot of RIDES Magazine founder Datwon Thomas:

Nelly and Funkmaster Flex:

Another image I found from my shoot for the Mobile Addictions Calendar: And lastly my new cover for RIDES Magazine. Pretty stoked on this issue, got the cover and a TON of pages on the inside. Check it out when it hits newsstands!

Lazy Bum

2009-10-26T17:30:00.004-04:00

So I'm a self admitted lazy bum. It's no secret. I've got a ton of stuff to add to this blog but I usually don't get around to it because of my laziness or because of the wild schedule at 0-60 and RIDES Magazines. Anyway, I shot these over the weekend real quick for a friend of mine who's trying to sell the car. Hope everyone likes them. I'll try to be better at posting once I get home from the SEMA show in Las Vegas!

Orlando, FL

2009-08-28T23:25:00.006-04:00

Heres a quick shot from last weeks trip to Florida for my RIDES cover shoot. Look for the new issue in a few short weeks!! :)

Also adding a shot of my newest addition to my guitar collection.

Last quick photo:
I stopped by a Barnes & Noble and saw my last RIDES cover.....had to do some shameless self-promotion. Also added a copy of 0-60 (which I also work for) in the mix :)

ON THE ROAD AGAIN...

2009-08-16T05:20:00.003-04:00

Back out on the road to shoot another cover for RIDES Magazine! This time we're headed to Orlando, Florida. Pics to come!

New RIDES cover!

2009-07-24T16:49:00.008-04:00

Just shot the latest cover for RIDES Magazine. Super proud of this one.... make sure you pick it up when it hits newsst

and

s in two weeks!

The shoot started great, the flight down was pleasant, the rental car was AWESOME (2010 Chevy Camaro), I met up with my assistant for the trip, David Yates, and we checked out a few locations before settling on a gorgeous rooftop. The next day was anything but great.....

The weather called for clouds so we got an early start and went to set up on the roof. By the time the car arrived it was POURING rain. We wasted half of our day waiting for the rain to stop. When it finally did, the security guard came and kicked us off the roof.

Without a location we started frantically searching the city (it was still raining over half the city) for another location. We found a big empty lot and started again....we got a few shots off, one of them being the one that would eventually make the cover, before it started pouring again. We retreated to a bridge underneath the Georgia Dome to get our feature shots and the details before I headed off to the airport to go home.

All in all it was a great trip. Thanks to David Yates for being Johnny on the Spot for me for the day and to Morel Studio Support for being a great help with our rental equipment. Heres some behind the scenes stuff from the trip. Enjoy and GO BUY THE MAGAZINE!

Homeboy Sandman

2009-07-15T21:22:00.005-04:00

Homeboy Sandman is a local rapper in Brooklyn. I got sent out by RIDES to shoot him while we taught him how to drive a stick shift after we all fell in love with his video for his song "Lightning Bolt, Lighning Rod" I suggest you watch it, you'll love it as much as I do! Check out the story on him in the latest RIDES too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKXw1JEyaKM

Stem NYC Promo Photos

2009-06-18T14:26:00.004-04:00

Shot these for the owner of Stem NYC, a new wedding and event floral center in NYC. Make sure to visit them at STEMNYC.com! Also don't forget to watch the Guys Choice Awards Sunday night (June 21) at 9PM on SPIKE TV to see what I shot for them!

Something new

2009-06-10T01:23:00.002-04:00

just some shots of the Jaguar XKR I'm going to put up some shots from the 0-60 Audi R8 trip tomorrow...

Where I've Been.....

2009-06-01T17:24:00.002-04:00

So I just posted about the Mobile - Addictions Calendar.....but there's some other exciting stuff that's been going on lately as well. I'll just list some of the news that I'd like to share:

1.) Mobile-Addictions Calendar

2.) I shot for SPIKE TV! Be sure to watch "Guys Choice" on June 21st to see it!

3.) some promo images for STEM NYC, a growing wedding and event flower studio

4.) up and coming singer Gia Bella

5.) underground rapper Homeboy Sandman, check it out in the next issue of RIDES

That's about it for now! pics to come soon!

Mobile Addictions brings you a year's worth of babes!

2009-06-01T16:34:00.014-04:00

I've been friends with the crew at Mobile Addictions even before the shop was a thought. We go back to the days when our car mods were done in the driveway or on the sidewalk. Now we're older and some of us have had to give up and get boring jobs to pay the bills. However, Jiggs' drive to succeed and his love of cars kept him going in the custom car business. His team at Mobile Addictions is truly dominating the car game now and it's well deserved. Their work is top notch, winning them awards at every car show they attend.

Ok enough with the history lesson, let's get to why I'm really writing. Jiggs called me up late one night with the idea of doing a calendar that would track this year's car show schedule. I thought it was a great idea and as always immediately offered my services behind the camera. Johnny Marc of Upper Level Entertainment rounded up the models, Jiggs provided the space and the cars and it was game on. We shot 750 frames over two straight days to put this together. I'm going to post some of the photos that DIDN'T make the calendar....if you want to see the rest contact Mobile-Addictions.com and show some support by buying a copy!

Special thanks to Mobile-Addictions and of course Jiggs, Johnny Marc of Upper Level Entertainment, and the girls: Vanessa, Stacie, Nicole, Meghan, Tiffany and Kristina.

Live updates from the front lines!

2009-05-05T18:45:00.000-04:00

The 0-60 Magazine fleet has left Manhattan, entered route 80 and is on the way to Beaver Run Motorsports Park for the week to run these cars ragged!!! Check back for updates....

DRAGGING......

2009-04-28T21:52:00.001-04:00

It's 9:51 PM.....we just ordered dinner.....looks like we're in for the long haul to make sure 0-60 Magazine get's out to our readers on time.....We've been here since 10AM.....we likely won't leave until 11PM....and yes, we'll be back at 10AM....

Nothing's Ever Easy

2009-04-27T14:11:00.001-04:00

Today's first assignment? Pull the racing seat out of the arcade / driving simulator we built for 0-60 Magazine last year and shoot a few photos of it. Simple right?........ Absolutely not. The arcade seems to have been built by an army of school children. Screws are over-tightened and stripped making them impossible to remove. Trying to get them to turn caused a gash on my knuckles. I was reduced to caveman tactics and ended up just yanking on the seat until it finally broke free from the floor. This also cost me a really nice T-shirt since the AC isn't on in our warehouse and I feel like this little morning adventure took place in a sauna.

To sum it up:

Trying to free the seat like a gentleman: busted knuckles

Having to rip it out of the wood floor: several splinters

NO A/C therefore sweating like a farm animal: 1 Nice T-shirt

Knowing that it was only noon and I still have to shoot it: Priceless

(also priceless is the fact that we didn't have a t-shirt that would fit me lying around in the office. I have to spend the rest of the day in a shirt thats too small for me. I look like Britney Spears after a BBQ Binge)

More Pics!!!!

2009-04-01T04:00:00.000-04:00

sharing more pics some are new some are old but i finally stopped being lazy and decided to post them.

A quick peek....

2009-03-27T13:12:00.001-04:00

Heres a quick peek behind the scenes in the studio....

how I roll

2008-12-15T02:44:00.000-05:00

how I roll....

I've been in a massive slump lately. Nothing I've shot in the past 5 or 6 months has done anything for me.....or anyone else for that matter. However, as I'm sitting here in my hotel going over the 1000+ frames I shot this weekend for the How We Roll section in RIDES, I can't help but be pleased. For the first time in a long time, I'm extremely proud of the amount of quality images I've produced from a shoot. I don't know what triggered it, but I'm hoping it happens much more often!

How We Roll was a great success this weekend. We were able to meet a bunch of great guys and see and shoot some really gorgeous cars.
^ I'm in love with the Dodge Challenger....

Well, I'm off to catch a quick nap before my flight back home. Hope you enjoyed this quick peek at the trip!

We're at it AGAIN!

2008-12-13T20:59:00.000-05:00

So here we are AGAIN! Another How We Roll story for RIDES Magazine. This time we're in Valdosta, Georgia. Jeez, I spend more time shooting in Georgia than most of the residents! lol

Our first stop was Berger's Car Audio. Where again I ended up lying down on the job.....and yes those rocks were incredibly painful!

These wheels get bigger and bigger every trip!

Tried something very new to me on this trip...shooting out the open bed of a moving pick up truck lol Heres a quick video of it thanks to Evan "EVO" Yates!

Thats me in the bed of the pickup shooting a lifted cutlass on 30" wheels

So far its been fun, we've met some fun people and made some really great images. More tomorrow!

New Portfolio Images

2008-11-08T03:57:00.000-05:00

Been sitting on these for a little while, just got around to retouching them. Hope they're enjoyed.

A. L.

BACK UP YOUR WORK!!!!!!!!!!

2008-10-31T03:02:00.000-04:00

Today has taught me a very important lesson....ALWAYS back up your work! A folder that contained all my favorite photos from the past year was accidentally deleted from the server at work. I hadn't made a copy of the folder like I should have and was devastated at the thought of losing all that work! Thankfully, our computer guy was able to recover the file and I quickly made about 4 copies in different locations! This would have been the second time I had lost work due to not backing it up. So its time to stop being lazy! BACK UP EVERYTHING!!!!

HOW WE ROLL!

2008-09-19T01:51:00.002-04:00

Here it is, my first post from Indianapolis AKA "Naptown"! It's only the first day but it's already been pretty productive. These RIDES trips are always fun, we've got a great crew, we all get along great, and we all enjoy what we do.

This weekend I'm out here in "Naptown" with Evan "EVO" Yates, our Southern Editor, shooting content for our new section, "How we Roll", which will give readers a feel for the car scene in a given city. How We Roll has quickly become the quote of the day for myself and EVO. We've said it to just about everyone we've encountered whether they were part of the story or not. From Evo telling our waitress at Applebees' that thats how he rolls when he ordered what may qualify as the frutiest dessert to ever be consumed by a grown man, to me telling a random guy in a parking lot that thats how we roll when he warned us that we had accidentally left the headlights of our rental car on, all of "Naptown" certainly knows that this is how WE roll!
Shooting at our first stop today was extremely complicated due to the fact that there was barely a sidewalk outside the shop. We had to keep waiting for red lights and running into the street with a step ladder to get our shot!

Of course I wanted the low angle too....I don't recommend laying in the street! Especially since a little old lady rolled up to EVO to ask if I had fallen or been hit by a car....I guess in her old age she hadn't noticed the lights everywhere and the tremendous camera in my hands....

Our second location was underneath a bridge to shoot our first feature car. I thought it'd be a great idea to climb into the bridge supports to try to get a higher angle. It's true what they say, it's easier to get up than it is to get down. Took a little while for me to realize the only way back down was to just jump. Trust me when you weigh over 250 lbs....you come down HARD!

Somehow I always end up on the ground when I'm shooting a car....and I thought photography was supposed to be a clean job!

I haven't seen much of Indianapolis, but what I have seen has been almost depressing. There seems to be so many "forgotten" neighborhoods. Boarded up homes, deserted businesses, even whole towns that look straight out of the 50's.
Travelling always has a way of making you miss home. I love getting away and seeing what's out there and I love that my job provides a way for me to do that, but the best part of any trip is going home...More tomorrow!

By the way, we found a few issues of the last issue of RIDES on a magazine rack in a store we ended up in. We made sure to spread them out over the whole rack so that "Naptown" knows that THIS is how WE ROLL!

A. L.

Just Sharing Photos

2008-09-19T01:51:00.001-04:00

Using this blog for its purpose, sharing photos! Shot these on September 11th 2008

A. L.

The Beginning

2008-09-19T01:51:00.000-04:00

I've finally decided to stop being so damn lazy and start the blog I've been thinking about starting for months now. Okay, okay, maybe I'm only starting it because I'm stuck in a hotel room in Indianapolis at 2am with nothing else to do....but either way I'm starting it.

I guess an introduction is in order. If you haven't figured it out from the address of this blog, my name is Andrew Link and I'm the Assistant Photo Director of 0-60 and RIDES magazines. I've decided to start this blog to share what goes down behind the scenes of our photo shoots and the crazy things that go on on our trips. Also, it will serve as a place to share some of the work I do outside of the magazines. For example this set of images:

These were shot for a few friends of mine who attended Swizz Beatz' birthday party. They showed up in a parade of exotic cars as a surprise to Swizzy and I photographed the whole event for them. Pretty enjoyable for a Tuesday night....

Thats it for now I guess, we're in Indianapolis right now and I have to be up at 9am to go start shooting some cars....There will be plenty to share tomorrow night after we experience a day in INDY!

A.L.