Student Union - Andrew Jacobson

Jay McCabe, October, 2000

Photo © Stan Jacobson, 2000 Andrew Jacobson Art Institure Of Seattle Seattle, Washington Currently Andrew is in the second year of the Art Institute's two-year program. He's majoring in commercial photography. Previously "I graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in history. I enjoyed history classes, but I realized when I got out that I didn't want to be a teacher. So I looked at some of my other interests and things I might be good at. I checked out the Art Institute--and within a week I'd started classes."

Photo © Andrew Jacobson, 2000 Goal "Commercial photography will, I think, help me get my foot in the door--and it will definitely help me pay off some of my student loans!--but eventually I want to do nature, outdoor or travel photography." The School "Although it's called the Art Institute, the school is geared mostly toward the commercial side. Most of the teachers are commercially based, and a lot of them are working commercial photographers or editorial photographers who teach. We have a few who are fine art photographers, and one of them received a Guggenheim Grant."

Photo © Andrew Jacobson, 2000 Part-Time "Right now I'm working in the lab of a photo retail store." Digital's Influence "We don't do any color printing at the Institute--with Photoshop it's kind of a waste of time. We do a lot of black and white, though. I have a class where we work with digital cameras, and I've already taken three or four Photoshop classes. It's so easy with the digital camera when you can take the pictures and see the results right away." Influences "Art Wolfe--a graduate of the Art Institute of Seattle, by the way. I've seen a lot of his work and he really knows a lot about nature, not just photography, and it shows in his work. That's where I'd love to go, but I know I've got a lot of competition out there. Also, Ansel Adams--I really like photographing landscapes. I'll be taking a Zone System class this quarter." Do you know a student whose work deserves attention? If so, contact our editorial department.