BEIRON ANDERSSON-Photographer & Model

The Reading Café is pleased to welcome Beiron Andersson-photographer and model.

I recently had the opportunity to chat with Beiron via phone, on his way to the airport. After a bit of talking back and forth, we got down to business. About ONE hour later, I had enough information for 3 interview posts.  I hope you enjoy this small portion of my interview with Beiron, as much as I did.

Sandy: HI Beiron. Your pictures have become very popular on some of the author’s interactive websites and that is how we have recently been aware of your modeling career.

BEIRON: Quite some time ago, back in the time when I modeled a lot, I had a lot of offers;  people that wanted me to do the book covers, but I decided not to do it.

SANDY: With Romance Cover models, sometimes you peg yourself into a corner and you can’t get out of it, and that is all they see.

BEIRON: Correct. You have to make sure, and there is nothing wrong with that, if you happen to be THE hit. Then of course, you don’t have to do anything else.

SANDY: That’s right. Exactly. I have already interviewed Tracy James and he did over 1600 covers, that was his thing back then (back in the 90s), but he was also into the body building and fitness. That was his livelihood. He says he is basically retired now, and he doesn’t get the calls anymore. But once you hit your 40s, as we all know, you have to start looking into something else.

BEIRON: That is the time to re-launch. That is exactly what I am doing.  I started a few weeks ago.

SANDY: Does it have to do with your photography business?

BEIRON: No. I will continue to do my photography business, which I have been doing forever. But I will be heading back and approaching modeling again.

SANDY: Have you looked into different aspects or different angles? Going back to magazines or fitness?

BEIRON: I am going back to fitness, but with that I will most likely have a lot of other things coming along. That’s the plan. As a model (most of the time) since I am not that tall, they don’t want you working out too much-you get too thick and look stalky in pictures. When I started, my first month modeling, was for Levi’s. When I went to try the jeans, I could not pull them past my knees, because I was lifting a lot. I had to slim down (quickly).  But this time I am not worrying. I am not going to start into a lifting craze, like back in time, to get size wise, but I am definitely working towards fitness.

SANDY: Have you approached different companies? Or have different companies approached you?

BEIRON: In December, I was the photographer on the European Next Top Model and they wanted me to be on the judging panel, at the end of the month. As part of the panel, they had 2 hosts, a male and female, and one was the ’95 Bond girl for Golden Eye, a celebrity stylist in Hollywood, and the director for the Next European Top Model.

As soon as we sat down, the director for Next Model asked if I was still modeling and I said no. He asked if I was still represented, and I said not really. My last representation- my agent in Paris retired. He asked if I would like to and I answered …..”Sure. Can you make me money?” And he answered….”Why not!!”  He started taking pictures and working on it right away. That is when I started to think again about modeling.  And then I was asked to do a shoot together (with a hostess) for a European job, that I did the week after. Something to jump-start all of that.

SANDY: That’s right. There has to be a starting point. The fact that you went back to Europe – they recognize you there, as well…probably more so.

BEIRON: It gives me time, if I want to start again. My children are older, I can start travelling again and that is one of the reasons I stopped modeling. I didn’t want to be on the road all of the time. I didn’t want to be away from home. And I was waiting for the day, for the market, when I got a little older.

SANDY: Yes. When the kids are younger, you don’t want to be away all of the time.

BEIRON: Yes. And as a model, back in time when I was really hot as a model, it is a whole different market for the older guys. It used to be, when you were 30-45 and had ‘salt and pepper’ hair, you were making a killing because there were very few guys out there that worked. There were very few guys that did modeling at that age. Either they lost the look, or they had a girlfriend, having a family and the wife or girlfriend didn’t want you working. Or they were in my situation where they had kids and a family and you don’t want to be travelling all of the time.

SANDY: That’s true. That’s exactly right. When you have young kids, you don’t want to be away from the children all the time.

BEIRON: It was a great market. But then all of a sudden, about 8 years ago or so  it all disappeared. It was a dead market for the older guys.

SANDY: What do you consider older? Over 30?

BEIRON: Well, when you think of someone who represents (for example) the corporate or the suit-guy. We think of someone that can be the ‘dad’ or the office manager or something like that. That is what I mean by older. 30 and up, when you become the suit-guy, when you are representing the guy that plays golf rather than playing rock and roll.

SANDY: We have read that you first came to the United States as a student. Is this correct?

BEIRON: I actually came as an exchange student in high school so that I could brush up my English. That was my objective…my reason. I went to high school in Northern California.

SANDY: You started your modeling career around 1990?

BEIRON: I did.

SANDY: Did you get your degree in North America or in Europe?

BEIRON: I have 2 different degrees. I have one in social science in Sweden and I have one in business from here.

SANDY: Did you meet your wife in Northern California or in Sweden?

BEIRON: I met her here when I came as an exchange student. We have been together a long time.

SANDY: What were your interests at the time, when you first came to California?

BEIRON: I was always into sports and athletics. I ran, skied, played hockey outdoors and sports. That was my main interest.

SANDY: Of course, in Sweden and all the outdoor winter sports as well?

BEIRON: We have a lot of winter sports. I grew up with ice rinks and the skis were outside the door, and we skied down the hill. And the ice rinks were a block away. And when we were younger, we would take the garden hose and make our own outside.

SANDY: Several sites report that you worked as a fitness trainer, prior to starting your modeling career. Are you still working out or training other people?

BEIRON: I am not training other people at this time, but I am training myself.

SANDY: What is your daily regimen?

BEIRON: It varies. I try to get a little cardio every day, and I lift weights, in different forms, 5 days per week. Right now, I am actually on my way down to the fitness expo in LA, where I am representing a fitness company called ALPHA STRONG.

SANDY: Alpha Strong. What do they promote?

BEIRON: They make sandbags. Sand balls, sand bags, which replace a lot of other weights like kettle-bells and dumb-bells

SANDY: How did you get started in the modeling industry? Where you discovered when you were working as a fitness trainer or discovered while still in school?

BEIRON: When I was living in Northern California, in a smaller town, people approached me and asked if I would be interested in modeling. But there was no market where we lived. So, when I opened a gym, in the smaller market in Northern California, I went down to LA with (my financers) for setting up the gym. I had some extra time on my hands, so I looked up the people who had approached me before and there was a lot of interest in representing me as a model. And that is how I started.

I was expecting to work a few hours here and there to supplement my income and it became a full-time job.

SANDY: Many print and fashion models do NOT do nudes etc, but there are several photographs of you, without clothing. Most are very discreet and tasteful. Do you have any regrets about posing nude? What advice do you have for new models and nudity?

BEIRON: I have no problem with that myself. It is a matter of what you do with it. You have some that are very well done-tastefully done. And you have stuff that is very raunchy. I have never done anything like that. And as a photographer, I work on that side as well. And this is where you find the best photographers in the world. When they do their own books, like some special fashion photographers there is always some photography on nudes. And the reason they do it, is because it is the most difficult to photograph-to look great.

Most people photograph nudes making them look cheap, tacky and tasteless. With most nude photo shoots, to make them look tasteful, it is one of the most difficult things to photograph. And that is why with a lot of the top photographers, that is their pride and joy when they come out with a book. The nudes look beautiful and tastefully done.

To photograph a bird, or a dog or a landscape is much easier than a nude. A lot of things have to click.

SANDY: Do you have a book of your own photography?

BEIRON: No. I do not. I have been-wanting to do it for along time, but it is a matter of finding time.

SANDY: Have your children kept up with your modeling career? What is their response to their father’s popularity as a fashion and print model?

BEIRON: Not really. They know and they thought it was ‘dumb’ of me to quit but it is not much of an issue. It is not something we talk about. It comes up when other people talk about it.

SANDY: Do any of your children have modeling or acting aspirations? Would you encourage the younger generation into the field of modeling or would you give them warnings?

BEIRON: Not really. No. Warning? I would definitely warn, especially with the women. A lot of the time they start too young. It is not a problem to start modeling at a young age, but it is a problem when parents and agencies send the young girls overseas or sending the girls to New York when they are 14-15-16 by themselves into a ruthless business.

If they are working, and have good guidance and someone with them- then great. If the daughter really wants to do it, they let them go, believing that the agency is going to be there taking care of them- sometimes they do, but most of the time-not. They are there for business-to make them a star.

SANDY: Speaking of–You did a campaign with Anna Nicole Smith. Sadly, she was a product of too much, too fast etc. What was it like to work with Anna back in the 90s during the GUESS campaigns etc?

BEIRON: She was probably a product of her background. She came from Texas to California to do Playboy. She was playmate of the year and at that point, GUESS picked her up and that is when we worked together.

SANDY: Did you ever stay in contact with her? A lot of people stay in contact with the people they have worked (with).

BEIRON: No. There was no reason. I had a wife and kids. There was no reason to stay in contact. I have stayed in contact with a lot of people that I have worked with, but it depends on the kind of relationship. It depends on the other ‘parts’.

SANDY: True. If there is any ‘reason’ you have to stay in contact.

BEIRON: Yes. If you work with someone, sometimes it is not healthy to have a relationship and others you stay in contact-forever.
SANDY: In your photography business, do you photograph a lot of professional models?

BEIRON: I live in a small Northern California town and there is no market. I don’t work with a lot of models per say.  If I lived in LA or New York, most of the people I photograph would be used to being in front of the camera, and they are professionals and come from all over the world. I have to find the talent locally, and if someone is not a model but maybe wants to be a model, it becomes a whole different relationship- a whole different way of working.

That has been my life for awhile- you have to guide and create.  Meanwhile, if you hire a model, like a top model from New York or LA, they know what they are doing. They create their magic in front of you- you don’t have to guide the model. They know what to do. It makes life easy. And that will come back to you.

This is the time and place for us. My wife and I have spent some time in this location, where we want to raise the family. In our town we have a lot of great friends and a great place to raise the kids. We have another year and half, and our son will graduate high school, and at that point will be the time to focus back on career. We can focus on us, and career. We don’t have to worry about the kids. It is not like you give-up, but you don’t have to be there daily, for them.

SANDY: That’s true, although at some point—They WILL come home!! (laughing)

BEIRON: Oh, I know.

SANDY: How did you maintain contact with YOUR family when you were travelling and modeling? You were still quite young. Do you stay in contact with your family in Sweden?

BEIRON: I had already moved away before I started modeling. We always had close contact. During my years as a model, it was actually easier because I went back home (a lot). I travelled quite a bit while I was modeling. I was in Europe (a lot), and if I worked in Paris or London, I could take a flight to Sweden and visit for a few days. Back during the time I was modeling, I saw them more than I do now. I was home at least 6 times per year when I was modeling. They would come and visit us once a year, but it is a little more difficult since I stopped modeling and did my photography, trying to build up my business.

SANDY: Do you still have family back in Sweden?

BEIRON: I do. I have one grandma and my parents. I have one brother. My brother is in LA.

SANDY: So what are you doing these days aside from the photography business and modeling career?

BEIRON: If you are doing photography, you really don’t have much more time. There is not enough time as it is. In between shooting, editing and so on, you have to try and limit yourself. Or you do not have time for anything. If I had a shoot today, I would be editing for the next 3 days from 6-11. That is the way my life has been for years. That is why I am re-gearing. I am tired of sitting in front of my computer-editing

SANDY: Does you wife go with you on your job shoots?

BEIRON: Not very often-once in awhile. Now that the kids have grown, we can travel together.

SANDY: Speaking of photography, you own your own photography business—Beiron Andersson Photography. Is there access to a website? Can anyone see your work?

BEIRON: Yes…it is under beironandersson.com

SANDY: What do you do to relax?

BEIRON: Relaxing for me is a good meal, sitting and enjoying good food or going for a run, hiking and working out.

SANDY: Tell us something about yourself that we do not know-for example: Did any modeling shoots go absolutely wrong?

BEIRON: We have a lot of them actually. As a model, it doesn’t always affect you (as much). It affects the photographer or the client when a photo shoot goes wrong. As a model you are hired for the day or hour. And if you have terrible weather and are not allowed to shoot at a location, whatever problems occur, the model is the one that does not have to deal (with it). The photographer and the client have to make it happen. They have to solve the problem.

If you have a swimsuit shoot, say in Barbados or the Bahamas, and a hurricane goes through and there is bad weather for a week, you have a crew sitting around; getting paid everyday and the costs are wracking up. That is a disaster for most clients. As a model you hear the money machine ringing. For myself, as a photographer, that is when it feels like a disaster. For a smaller company it can be a huge strain – an impossibility.

SANDY: What was your favorite modeling destination? What was the worst destination?

BEIRON: Favorite was Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. And the worst was Haiti because of the economy and the poverty. It wasn’t pretty.

SANDY: Any regrets?

BEIRON: We always have regrets.

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LIGHTNING ROUND

FAVORITE BOOK: Arn by Jan Guillou

FAVORITE MOVIE: The Godfather

LAST MOVIE YOU SAW: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (Swedish version)

CAR YOU WOULD LIKE: Nissan GT-R

FAVORITE FOOD: BBQ Steak with a salad and a glass of red wine.

DARK OR MILK CHOCOLATE: Dark (about 100g daily) *laughing*

BOXERS, BRIEFS OR COMMANDO (we have to ask, always): Boxers but depends on the time of year *laughing*

(We both started to laugh at this point, and I won’t say what we were laughing at, but Beiron and my husband agree on a few key points)

Where did you go on your last vacation? Palm Springs

Date Night? Too long ago. But I took my wife to a high school basketball game. It can be at date! And before that, went to an Irish Pub for a few drinks and meeting friends.

SANDY: Thank you very much Beiron. I appreciate the time and all the effort. Enjoy your day. It’s been great talking to you. I wish you all the best.

BEIRON: You are welcome. Sounds good Sandy. Same to you. Thank you very much.

I want to thank Beiron very much for giving me this opportunity. It was was a pleasure talking with Beiron about his family, his work and his experiences in the world of modeling and photography.  We wish him all the best.

Please check out Beiron’s website-the photography is spectacular.