Interview
„You mustn`t be a perfectionist when doing documentaries“
In conversation with Photographer Daniela Reske
Daniela Reskes pictures are like cinema – one-of-a-kind story worlds full of emotion and special moments. She documents weddings internationally. We meet in her studio in Reutlingen-Oferdingen/Germany – a former boathouse by a river with huge old windows and a cozy fireplace.
Daniela, when I look at your work, I feel like in a movie that I want to keep on watching. How did you get to your unique visual language?
I have always been intrigued by journalism, by pictures that are conveying the moment. When I started out as a photographer twelve years ago, the reportage approach in weddings wasn`t mainstream yet. It was offered by only a few photographers. In the US this approach of documenting the entire day had been common for some time though. Today, wedding documentaries are pretty much standard. I loved the idea of having a photo album that enables people to relive that special day. When are friends and family ever all together? To me it`s important to show what`s happening in a genuine way, to truly document.
How do you put that into practice?
I use a 35 mm prime lens. That makes my pictures look very cinematic. Instead of the typical portrait, I rather capture scenes. I have looked at photographs that I liked and analyzed them: How are things done technically? What do I need to master as a photographer? How do I need to act in order to enable these scenes and moments to unfold in front of me? I must not attract attention. Which challenges the use of a 35 mm lens. So, I have to be even more unobtrusive. This technique is a big part of my work. I don`t use zoom lenses, but I walk instead. And I know how I need to move.
Don`t you find that oftentimes people are immediately alarmed when they feel a camera pointed at them, either looking straight into the camera or turning away?
Often you can catch a funny moment when a person looks straight into the camera in just that moment when you want to press the shutter. When there`s a lot of interaction it`s easier for me. The more hustle and bustle the better. But I generally act very unobtrusive and am hardly noticed. However, at weddings, people are dressed up and want to be photographed. Because of its defined context, a wedding is an opportunity for many good photos – it certainly is different from going into town to take pictures.
What makes a good picture for you?
If it tells a story and if it`s touching – moving in any way and be it in a negative way. Of course, I`m pleased if the composition and light are right, too. But not the perfect picture is the good one. A trivial subject matter that`s captured with perfection often contains no emotion. A good picture is the one that conveys feeling and communicates the moment.
"To me it`s important to show what`s happening in a genuine way, to truly document."
So you can overlook flaws, for example when something is out of focus what really should be in focus?
If a potentially good picture is so blurred that I can`t use it, that of course annoys me. As I work a lot with my aperture wide open, it happens often, that something isn`t quite perfectly in focus. I can handle that. I think of the movies, where the focus is moved to the ear for the skin to look smoother. You must not be a perfectionist when doing documentaries, otherwise, you`ll end up unhappy. A picture has to communicate a strong story and strike a chord with the viewer. Everything else is a minor matter. That`s what I like about reportage.
Do you sometimes have nightmares about missing important moments at a photo event?
The evidently important moments, like the kiss after the wedding ceremony, are certainly must-haves. When it comes to these moments, I take no risks, but I don`t expect any artistic masterpieces either. The truly brilliant pictures are captured in other situations. You cannot be everywhere at the same time, you can`t get everything, because so much is happening simultaneously. I am alert and focused and I pay close attention to what`s going on around me. At a wedding, I`m with the couple already in the morning, when they prepare for the day. I then notice which people are most important to them, who have a special relationship with them. Those, I want to capture often. I don`t search for moments, but I keep my eyes and my mind wide open.
During conventional photo shoots, narrative moments don`t necessarily happen just like that. Nevertheless, you manage to maintain your expressive imagery…
Generally, I try to keep photoshoots as natural as possible. I don`t have a plan of how the people are supposed to look in the photos. I always try to find out, what they are here for, and what attracted them to my images. In my photos, I try to reveal relationships. I don`t dictate poses. I set the context in order to allow the happenings to unfold freely. It`s very important that I show up easy-going, confident, and relaxed. So that the people in front of the camera can let go. If I`m insecure the shooting is not going to succeed. Confidence comes with practice though.
"In my photos, I try to reveal relationships."
After twelve years working as a photographer you probably have a lot of that – say, how did you get into photography at all?
At school, we built a Camera Obscura, a pinhole camera. I was completely in awe. I have always been a visual person. When I had my daughter, I started to photograph her. A friend asked me to photograph her wedding. That`s how I got to my first portfolio images. Before I had been working in marketing and I was very media-savvy. That helped me to become visible and prominent as a self-employed creative.
What have your biggest challenges as a photographer been?
I find it difficult when people have a fixed image of how they want to come across. This is especially common in the business sector. I then feel like I have to put them in a costume, which I can`t. A challenge for every photographer is peoples` harsh self-criticism. Sometimes, while I`m photographing someone, that person points out that certain flaws can be retouched later. That`s when I start to communicate that I`m not here to make them slimmer. Of course, I picture everyone in an appealing, aesthetically pleasing way. If people aren`t at peace with themselves, I can`t do anything about that as a photographer though. I see the opposite, too: Last year, I had beautiful shootings with women, who told me that they wanted to be photographed because they feel they`re now at peace with themselves.
You were the co-author of a book and you initiated workshops – are there any new projects on the horizon?
When the situation allows it, I will certainly offer workshops again. Together with a friend and colleague, I have opened an online shop where we sell prints. And I`m sure we`ll do some exhibitions again.
The Online Shop “Weitsein” selling prints of Daniela and her colleagues Elmar Feuerbacher and Le Hai Linh is called www.weitsein.com. Danielas`Homepage is www.danielareske.de
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About the author: www.business-photographer.com
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