Momenta welcomes this week’s guestagrammer, Andrew Renneisen!

Age: 23

Current job: Freelance Documentary Photographer

Current location: Brooklyn, N.Y.

Website: www.andrewrenneisen.com

Connection to Momenta: Project Los Angeles 2014 Alum & Alexia Foundation Student Grantee

BRONX, N.Y. – Young foot patrol officers from the 47th Precinct respond to a call in the Bronx. Officers are placed on a foot beat right out of the academy. This particular area in the Bronx saw a surge in violence in 2014, including the slaying of a teenager by a nearby playground and an execution-style murder where a 25-year-old man was shot three times in the head and once in the back. © Andrew Renneisen 

Tell us about your journey as an image-maker and how you got to where you are today.

First off, thanks so much for having me! It’s an honor to be featured on the Momenta Instagram.

My journey as an image maker started as a hobby in high school. I made pictures for the school yearbook and newspaper but never really took it that seriously. When I got to college, I finally realized that I could make a living in photography, so I switched my major and have been learning ever since.

I’ve had so much help along the way, from my family and friends, to my photo professors and mentors in the biz. I’m now living and working in Brooklyn, New York where I contribute regularly to the New York Times, and I am a member of the Emerging Talent Roster with Getty Images Reportage. I am constantly learning, and I think that’s the best part of where I currently am with my photography.

PHILADELPHIA, PA. – Khayree Reid, 27, in his home. Reid grew up in southwest Philadelphia and has been shot a total of 10 times on three separate occasions. He says he still suffers physically and emotionally from the trauma experienced from the shootings. “Yeah, I owned a gun. I got caught up with it. But it’s not the guns; it’s the people who kill people.” © Andrew Renneisen

What stories or issues are you most passionate about covering?

I’m very interested in documenting history, specifically in regards to news and social issues, both domestically and abroad. One of the larger projects I’ve worked on is about violence in urban america and how it affects families and communities. I am also currently working on a story about America and race. I also like covering every day news events.

WILMINGTON, DEL. – Family members weep as the casket of Alexander Kamara is lowered into the ground on Saturday, July 21, 2012. Kamara was a promising student and soccer player who was killed after being caught in the crossfire of a shooting that took place on a soccer field in Wilmington. © Andrew Renneisen

Where do you look for inspiration for your work: books, movies, authors, photographers, art, certain people?

I look for inspiration everywhere! I don’t even know where I’d start.

Photographer-wise, classics like Cartier-Bresson, Weegee, Robert Capa, Eddie Adams, and the FSA Photographers  to modern-day photographers like James Nachtwey, David Alan Harvey, Alex Webb, Lynsey Addario, Moises Saman, Eli Reed, Tim Hetherington, Tyler Hicks, Damon Winter, and Todd Heisler.  The list could just keep going on and on, but I have to stop or else this will be a very long blog post.

Living in New York allows me to be surrounded by art, so that keeps me inspired. I am also surrounded by an amazing group of friends whose work is outstanding—that helps too.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The funeral services for seven Orthodox Jewish siblings, aged 5 through 16, at Shomrei Hadas Chapels in Brooklyn, N.Y., on March 22, 2015. The children were killed in a fire early Sunday morning, which was the most deadly fire in New York City since 2007. © Andrew Renneisen

What social media or news feeds do you follow regularly? 

I follow a lot of feeds, but here are the big ones for me: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, TIME, Bloomberg, Getty Images Reportage, The Atlantic, NPR, Mother Jones, Buzzfeed, VICE News, Newsweek/The Daily Beast, BBC, and The Guardian.

What is one passion you have outside of photography that might come as a surprise to our readers? 

I love to surf! Although I am not very good… I think it’s just being in or around the water that makes me happy.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The funeral services for seven Orthodox Jewish siblings, aged 5 through 16, at Shomrei Hadas Chapels in Brooklyn, N.Y., on March 22, 2015. The children were killed in a fire early Sunday morning, which was the most deadly fire in New York City since 2007. © Andrew Renneisen

What can we expect to see next week from your “guestagramming” on our Momenta Instagram account?

I will be sharing some pictures from a project about race relations in the United States.

#seizethemomenta, and follow @momentaworkshops on Instagram May 10 – 16 to see Andrew’s powerful work!