Andy Keilen
Andy Keilen is a 2003 graduate of St. Johns High School and a freelance photographer currently based in Los Angeles, California. From St. Johns he went on to study photography at Lansing Community College, and later he was a member of the Michigan State University Spartan Marching Band.
In 2006 Andy along with other members of the band Olivevine Zach Webb, Matthew Dedyne and Mitch Pero coordinated a benefit concert for Matt Hutton who was battling Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
After attending LCC, Andy interned at Rolling Stone Magazine’s photo department in New York City. Andy also worked for Fodera Bass Guitars in Brooklyn, New York and has done frequent photography work with organizations such as The Bowery Presents, a concert promoter New York, Michigan State University Athletics, the American Cancer Society, and many others.
A love of music led Andy to begin his career in photography by shooting concerts in Detroit, Chicago and Boston. As his portfolio grew, so did his appetite for new projects. He began shooting weddings and events, while continuing to put his raw, graphic style into every frame that he shot.
Sports
Andy has shot for NYC’s Bowery Presents, the American Cancer Society, the Michigan Brewers Guild and the Michigan Osteopathic Foundation. Andy’s sports portfolio includes work for the Michigan State University Athletics Department, Indiana University’s tennis team, Valparaiso’s basketball team and the MSU Spartan Marching Band. His work for the MSU basketball team was featured on the front of the CBS 2009 Final Four DVD.
After a photography internship at Rolling Stone magazine, Andy photographed bands such as Deadmau5, Al Green, John Legend and the Roots and numerous others. A few days ago Andy posted his Rolling Stone photo of Ice Cube saying in part:
Even though I’ve been a concert photographer for about eight years now, I had yet to shoot a true hip-hop show. The moment Ice Cube walked out and threw the West Side sign, it brought me back to growing up in the middle-of-nowhere Michigan, listening to N.W.A. and learning to find my own voice. It was rappers like Ice Cube that showed me that speaking your mind and not caring about who it might offend was an outlet to find out who you really are.
Today Andy is an Executive Assistant and Office Manager at Point Foundation. In his free time Andy continues to do freelance photography and play music.