During my decade-long stint as a motorsport photographer, I would sometimes study shots from my collection of movies for composition ideas. It’s essentially storyboarding in reverse: curating and examining select individual frames from hours’ worth of moving pictures with the end goal of capturing similar still images in completely unrelated environments. In the end, it’s hard to say if it was helpful or not but I certainly enjoyed the process.
Being a lifelong Star Wars fan, the original and sequel trilogies were of course a part of my visual studies. Starting with the opening sequence of A New Hope, Star Wars is full of iconic shots forever etched into the minds of countless fans across the world. The latest release from the franchise, Andor, is certainly no exception. Although I’m currently on an extended break from photography, I figure it would still be fun to watch through the first season of Andor again and select one personal favorite shot from each episode along with some brief thoughts. My picks aren’t based on any particular set of criteria beyond what I happen to find compelling, nor are they necessarily meant to represent the episode overall.
Kassa
In my mind, trapezoidal hallways are synonymous with Star Wars. Two major lightsaber duels take place in similarly shaped corridors: Luke vs Vader on Cloud City, and Obi-Wan vs Anakin/Vader on Mustafar. While there are obviously no lightsabers in this shot, it nicely serves as a subtle reminder that we are indeed in the Star Wars universe.
That Would Be Me
As far as Star Wars goes, Andor has relatively few scenes in space so I feel compelled to go with this shot of Luthen’s final approach to Ferrix. There are of course the obvious similarities to cockpit shots from inside the Millennium Falcon and I also like how the ship is on the “underside” of the planet and rotates prior to landing, not that dissimilar from the arrival of Padmé’s ship to Coruscant at the beginning of Attack of the Clones.
Reckoning
The third installment of Andor features the show’s first proper action scene, but it’s the getaway shots in the aftermath that speak to me. As a casual motorcyclist who formerly worked as a photographer in world championship motorcycle racing, I of course tend to gravitate towards speeder bike scenes. In a photography context, I also favored wide angle compositions in part due to the limitations of my camera equipment.
Aldhani
I admit this is a bit of an impulse pick. At one point in time I had very little reason to believe we would ever see live action Coruscant again, so to see this shot from space is huge. Not much more to elaborate on here.
The Axe Forgets
This is easily one of my favorite scenes of the episode due to its behind-the-scenes nature, and the bit of humor in Mon Mothma’s “it’s charitable” line. As an added bonus, I like how this particular frame happens to be an accurate snapshot of their relationship. The cool vehicle interior doesn’t hurt either.
The Eye
There are arguably more spectacular shots of The Eye, but this scene is a relatively rare instance of fan service in the overall show so I have to go with it. I particularly like the tiny silhouette of the pilot and the sense of scale he gives to the often underestimated presence of a single TIE fighter.
Announcement
This is not the first time we see Senator Mothma’s airspeeder parked outside Luthen’s gallery, but I do really like the vehicle’s design so I’m including this frame. I also otherwise miss out on including a shot of Luthen brilliantly playing his antique dealer character so the scene also checks that box, albeit from a distance.
Narkina 5
This shot appears in the show’s teaser trailer, which at a glance reminds me of a poorly lit Kamino. While the context of Narkina 5 is pretty different from Kamino, the broader events it foreshadows are just as sinister.
Nobody’s Listening!
The interior of Mon Mothma’s residence is shown often over the course of the show, and this particular shot has a nice bit of gravity to it. This installment also boasts shots of the galactic senate chamber, and only loses out due to the visual similarity to its portrayal in the prequels.
One Way Out
In a show full of interesting and complex characters, Luthen often manages to stand out from the rest. His intentions are ultimately for the good of the Rebellion, but his methods frequently stray well beyond grey areas. As such, this very Vader-looking silhouette is a great visual portrayal of the character.
Daughter of Ferrix
Two words: Colin Cantwell. All too easy.
Rix Road
Another obvious choice. This scene is both visually and contextually fascinating. In a morbidly roundabout way, this is the closest thing to a force ghost that a non-Jedi can get and it only makes sense that it’s Marva.