Biography
| Andrew Laenen works as a motorsport, portrait and press photographer. He has a solid background in photo-journalism and a keen eye for capturing the exact moment that matters. Laenen grew up in a small village in the Berkshire countryside where he gained an appreciation for the natural beauty that surrounded him. As a young boy, he set about capturing this beauty on film and from there developed a passion for being behind the lens. He went to King James College in Henley to develop professional skills in photography. During the course, Laenen accepted a position with a local photographer as his assistant and gained valuable on the job training. Laenen then went to Berkshire College of Art and Design for further study of photography techniques. While attending college, he secured an entry position at Rex Features in London allowing Laenen to pursue his dream of becoming a press photographer. At Rex Features, Laenen quickly established himself as a quick study and keen young photographer. Within seven months of joining the agency, his enthusiasm was rewarded with a permanent staff photographer position. Working in a small team gave Laenen extensive experience and ample opportunities to take unique and relevant photographs. At the time, Andrew Laenen was the youngest staff photographer working on Fleet Street at only 18 years old. Laenen covered important historical events include the Poll Tax riots and the birth of Princess Beatrice along with numerous film premieres and celebrity events. He photographed several members of the Royal Family including some poignant family portraits of Diana Princess of Wales with Princes William and Harry. Looking for a new and different challenge, Laenen progressed into the film business in the UK working with ARRI Lighting. He worked in various roles on many television programmes such as Silent Witness and Jonathan Creek, commercials and several Hollywood Blockbusters like King Arthur, High Heels and Low Lifes and Greenfingers. Laenen then left the film business to pursue another passion – motorsport. He secured a position at Carlin Motorport as a Data Engineer on the Formula BMW and F3 teams – winning the British F3 championship in 2005. Laenen then progressed to Formula 1 where he worked for Midland, Spyker and Force India F1 teams in their control and data engineering departments. Since 2005, Laenen has been progressively turning back to his true passion of photography. He began slowly, photographing motorsport evens on his free weekends through which he build an extensive portfolio of trackside, portraits and reportage work from events across the globe. Laenen has photographed F3, DTM, WTCC, World Series by Renault, Indy Lights and IndyCar. He has earned commissions including projects from Vodafone McLaren Mercedes sponsor Hilton Hotels and Sutton Motorsport Images. In late 2009, Laenen returned to photography full time and focuses on corporate commissions, event photography and freelance motorsport projects. He is available for editorial, documentaries, events and portraits. For more information on availability and rates, please contact andy@laenenphotography.com. |
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