Asher Moss

The old adage – “all work and no play” is pretty consistent in many people’s lives, but not so with our latest Urban Beardsman, Asher Moss. Moss’ path into photography didn’t take the usual route; he grew up playing music, but it wasn’t until he picked up a camera years later that he’d learn how much it would change his life and how he’d view the world.

Eventually, a turning point for Moss came after discovering several historical photographers’ film work, and shares “these guys were creating strange images, mostly with nude women that really spoke to their generation during that time period.” That find carved a path for Moss’s own photography career, and states, “I randomly found a 35mm film camera at the flea market, and so began the experiments.”

While developing his skills behind the camera; Moss soon began a journey that would turn a passion into a profitable career, and explains “a year after I started shooting, I booked a US tour for six months creating my first photography book called ‘Miss Lonely’ that will be released this fall. It was kind of like getting thrown into the deep end of a pool as a kid and really helped me grow in my craft.” The tour became an invaluable experience for Moss and reveals, “it taught me about light, movement, different personalities, and most importantly, how to create an iconic image (or at least attempt to).”

Although he’s been mastering his craft for years, he shares how he’s always fine-tuning and thinking of new ways to enhance his work. “My audience is still being determined and defined. I play in a world that is neither high fashion or pornographic. People who like photos that look like they could have been taken 30 years ago for a motorcycle ad are the kind of people that like what I do, and really appreciate  drawing inspiration from the past.”

Aside from his unique projects, he also shares that the relationships he establishes with his subjects are one of the most rewarding aspects of his work.” His commitment and dedication results with an awesome outlook on life, explaining, “One of the most enjoyable aspects for me is the camaraderie of the artistic community. That type of imagination who can craft their visions into a reality always inspires me.”

While many people grind out a 9-to-5, waiting for the weekend, Moss is the polar opposite, and states, “I devote all my time to my work—it’s in my blood to work myself into the ground.” However, the difference from most is Moss gets to do what he loves, admitting, “my work is often play, which means I get paid to play.”

The road to success has its share of high points, and Moss shares that he’s been fortunate to be a part of some pretty awesome editorial features. “I love C-HEADS Magazine, their style is right down my alley. The more like-minded the company, the more enjoyable it is to collaborate. We have also created a pretty significant amount of content for Free People and that’s been a blast.”

For a man with such a prominent beard, it wasn’t until August, while on tour, that Moss really committed to growing it out longer, admitting, “I’ve grown several fairly significant beards over the years, but when I started my road trip last August, I decided I wasn’t going to touch it until the tour was over. It then became the most significant beard in my portfolio.”

As his beard takes shape, Moss shares his grooming rituals, “my regimen has all been self-taught. My dad was in the military and rarely had more than a terrifying mustache. I still suck at it, but a little brush, girlfriend scratch, and sometimes I brush it out and trim down the sides to give it that ‘Leonidas’ look.”

Having sported a number of beards over the years, Moss explains his point of view on the culture, “beards might be seen as trendy right now, but I had one long before, and will have it long after. I think parts of mainstream America still don’t get it and I’m completely ok with that.” 

With guaranteed success ahead of him, Moss is preparing for his next two books to be released, moving onto higher level work in the industry, along with working on a bi-annual magazine to be published. Be sure to keep up with Moss’s work at: basementfox.com, where you can also connect to all his social networking sites.