I kind of break the rules sometimes,” says Elle Olivia Andersen as she passionately explains her photographic technique. Whether she’s making acquaintances out of perfect strangers or developing an in-depth cultural spectacle for her next project, Andersen pushes boundaries in order to produce a depiction of culture unobserved by the casual eye.
Andersen is a senior at USC with a substantial background in photography, but her curiosity regarding social interaction, paired with a deeply altruistic nature, led her to pursue a degree in sociology. As for her innate photographic talent, Andersen got her start in 2010 as an assistant on photo shoots. Her passion for cultural photography, however, began at a young age as she read National Geographic magazines cover to cover. “The stories that stuck out to me were the stories about people and cultures I had never heard of,”says Andersen.
At this point in her career, Andersen intertwines her love of photography with her background in human cultures. She takes vivid photographs of people in their natural environment to evoke emotion within her audience. “I like being out of my comfort zone,” Andersen says. When beginning a new project, she approaches the unknown community without a camera. She gains their trust and the beginnings of their stories, only to return with her camera after a bond is established.
Andersen has just finished a project in which she ventured to the Appalachian region of South Carolina in order to befriend a man who has built a miniature town upon his land. The microcosm includes a barbershop, saloon and sheriff’s office, among many more buildings at which the tiny townspeople gather.
She hopes an upcoming project will take her to Africa. Andersen’s main goal is to portray people of cultures outside the modern scope of the world in hopes that her audience will crave more information. She believes knowledge is beautiful and discovery is inspiring. “I do want to make great work, but I want to make work that has great impact,”
she says.
With her photography displayed in galleries around the country, Andersen has accomplished many things at such a young age. Yet, even with various claims to fame, Andersen has remained grounded and is passionate about spreading the joy that photography brings her. She works at a summer camp that partners with the Muscular Dystrophy Association in order to bring cameras to the children and introduce them to the vast world that has brought her so much exhilaration. “Kids are like sponges. They are so creative, and I want to fuel that creativity,” says Andersen.
Andersen’s ultimate aspiration is to work for a nonprofit organization, gain more experience and become an educator so she might share every ounce of wisdom with as many people as possible. You can see Andersen’s latest projects at elleolivia.com.
