When I was a kid, I wanted to be a puppeteer, a magician and a cartoonist. I feel like as a photographer I get to be all of those things at once.
When partners come to Cohere with a new project, they’re seeking the best avenues to share something they’re excited about with the world. That passion and drive deserves to be surrounded by the best creatives to capture that emotion all in one shot or clip. It’s rare to find someone who can create a whole package where each piece of the end product elicits so much emotion.
That’s when Andre Rucker stepped in to partner with Cohere on projects for Hip City Veg and Starr Restaurants. Over the past 3+ years, he has crafted an animation and content style that’s all his own to help build a creative arsenal of work that represents the Cohere family of brands on a national scale.
Andre’s signature style of stop-motion animation, rendering, and photography has been recognized by One Eyeland, Production Paradise, Intl Photography and more. Andre shot for Philadelphia Magazine, Boyd’s, Hamilton Jewelers, Burlington Coat Factory, 5Below and others before landing a full-time photographer position at Anthropologie, and is now tackling many creative projects on his own or in collaboration with teams like Cohere.
We sat down with Andre to discuss his creative process, feeling empowered to keep creating, a glimpse of his childhood, and the most important lessons he’s learned. He had a few things to say - keeping it short and sweet.
Lesson 1:
Good work doesn’t always come from the longest timeline or the most difficult set to produce. Sometimes simplifying the approach and concept can lead to a clearer visual message.
Lesson 2:
Create work you want to see in the world. Don’t wait for the brief or perfect client to create a piece of work. Take on your own personal projects to try out new styles, ideas, and techniques. This can ultimately aid in clients finding you, rather than you finding clients.
The Philadelphia-based photographer focuses on finding new ways to look at everyday objects. Andre takes his visions to the next level by incorporating animation, 3D printing and CGI, along with traditional photography, to give a new perspective to ordinary things, like HipCityVeg’s golden chick’n nugget and the ingredients that fill the Simply Good Jars. It’s easy to see why if Andre produces it, it’s bound to feel fresh, new, and visually captivating.
Andre also produces incredible personal projects like the Black Lives Matter series seen as a timely message for summer 2020, and he’s always exploring new ways to creatively implement these powerful and personal messages which have lead to even more professional opportunities in Philadelphia, New York City and Baltimore. He’s demonstrated that mixing passion with creativity is an undeniable recipe for success.
We always enjoy getting a peak into Andre’s mind and talking about how he is using his talents and platform to advocate for change, his success with his past work, and how his past has shaped what he produces today.
Stay tuned for more creative collaborations, and if you aren't already follow Andre on social. You deserve to be as inspired as we always are.