RIGHT: 2007 | PORTRAITS FOR FINE ART PRINTS, POSTERS AND TRADING CARDS CLIENT: MARCH FOURTH MARCHING BAND

Portland-based print and multimedia photographer Andy Batt shoots for regional, national and international clients, both in stu­dio and on location. Whether he’s photographing athletes and dancers on assignment or stills from his own imaginary movies, the narratives Batt creates are sustained. “I’m passionate about storytelling with my images,” he says. “I want my work to … go beyond just an interesting visual. I want the people in the shots to have a reason to be there, for the lighting to have a reason to be the way it is, even the framing and composition to contribute to the story. I apply this philosophy to my commercial work and to my personal work as well. The subject matter changes, but they really aren’t that different—light, form, emotion and a decisive moment. I strive for that in all of my work.”

Batt describes his process as going in with a strong idea of what might occur in post-production or in combination with the photo shoot. “The camera work always informs the post work,” he explains. “I really try to avoid creating ‘frankenphotos,’ so I make every effort … to do as much as possible in front of the camera.”

Three things are certain: Batt’s images are informed by the latest in camera technology, have an intense quality and are often full of people in motion. “Andy is a true modern photographer,” says Andrew Keller, executive creative director at advertising agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky. “His work emanates naturally from the digital world. And his take on motion always seems to come with a side of distinct wit or a unique perspective.”

Originally from New Jersey, Batt received his BFA in photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Since start­ing andyBATTstudio with his wife/producer Therese Gietler, he has worked for such clients as the NBA, Virgin, Best Buy, Oregon Ballet Theatre and adidas. The husband-and-wife duo have the advantage of a near-telepathic connection. “I know what he wants on the job almost before he does,” says Therese. “We work in sync so that production aspects are all buttoned up before the job hap­pens, so Andy can be devoting 100 percent to the photography.”

Lisa Button of Button Represents, who recently signed Batt, says, “There’s a design sense in Andy’s work. Years of experience come into play with careful considerations of weight, balance and composition.” Others are catching on to Batt’s work, and he has been accepted into the At Edge sourcebook. Through it all, Batt maintains an admirable humility and pragmatism about his work. “I photograph because I can’t draw,” he admits, citing a favorite quote from artist Chuck Close: “Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just get up and go to work.”

www.andybatt.com