Andrea Matthies

Artist Bio

Andrea Matthies is a photographer based in Valley Center, California, working in film photography and alternative photographic processes. Her practice includes film photography, pinhole photography, alternative processes, with a special interest in botanical toning using native plants motivated by her training as an herbalist. She is also a professional portrait photographer and founder of Unscripted Photos.

Artist Statement

I am fascinated by the many ways a photograph can be made. From medium format film and pinhole photography to cyanotypes and botanical toning, I am continually exploring processes that combine creativity, craftsmanship, and discovery. My training as an herbalist naturally found its way into my photographic work, leading me to experiment with native and cultivated plants to tone and transform cyanotype prints.

My appreciation for traditional craft such as working with cyanotypes and botanically toning them was heavily influenced in part by my Dutch-Indonesian heritage and its colorful culture and herbal traditions. The preceding generations in my family were also heavily involved in darkroom photography, an interest which I absorbed through their influence. Alongside my creative practice, I work professionally as a portrait photographer and founder of Unscripted Photos.