23.3.11

photographer feature: matthias quasthoff







Age
29

Location
Berlin, Germany

Who or what sparked your interest in photography?
The way friends who are photographers interact with people

Who are some of your favorite photographers?
I probably wouldn't have been able to start without my friends Michael Schrenk and Erich Kronsteiner. Other than that I mostly follow photo blogs like Swampy, Sandy Kim's, Jack Siegel's, and Alex Olson's

Do you have any formal education in photography or are you self taught?
No, just asking friends and looking at books and exhibitions

Is photography your career?
No, computer science.

Are you currently working on any photography projects?
Not really except that maybe I'm trying to smuggle as many analog photos as possible into social web sites like Facebook and Qype.

What is your favorite thing to photograph and why?
My friends and maybe strangers in the streets and some places I like. But also surprising things like a swan in the mist on my way to the office just inside Berlin.

Where do you find and how do you instruct your models?
No real models. And I gotta learn a lot for the instruction part, as I wouldn't want to do more than slightly optimize natural situations, if that's possible.

Do you listen to music while you shoot? If so, what is on your photo shoot play list?
No, I don't or I don't notice in public places. But if I would it'd be rather jazz than d'n'b.

What is in your camera bag?
Olympus XA if it's a small bag, Canon SLR if I'm by car, and Panasonic GF-1 at night.

What is your favorite lens and why?
Mostly normal lenses for their simplicity: Canon EF 50mm/1.8 and Panasonic 20mm/1.7.

Where do you find inspiration?
Photography books, few photo blogs.

Future photography goals?
Make people forget I have a camera and find the line between a funny photo and an interesting one

Describe a day in your life that includes photography:
With the XA it could be anywhere from a disastrous public restroom to something more exciting. I like days with bright sun, although it might not be the best for photography it makes the photos look like they were from California.

What does your work flow consist of?
I try to avoid most post processing to force me to take more when shooting the photo. A roll of film lasts one or two weeks.

Three interesting facts about yourself?
You'd have to ask somebody else for that :-)

What, if anything, do you do to promote your photography?
At the moment only in Flickr and my photo blog. I submit my photos to groups for the camera models and to a film group.

Please check out more of Matthias’ photography on his website and Flickr!

1 comment: