Tag Archives: travel

Artist Feature

On Travel – Markus Kaesler

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Markus Kaesler is a German photographer with a level of intent to his multi exposure work that is rarely seen. As you’ll soon see, the photos below require a care in execution that is as meticulous as it is devoted. What follows are samples from two of Markus’s projects. The first, CONTACTS, are multi exposures taken from cities connected by his travels. The second, in between, are whole travel exposures that record the experience as travel between places.

After viewing these, I implore you to take a look at Markus’s website for more of his work. Markus first reached out to us through our Call for Entry and will be included in the upcoming ƒ/D book. If you’re so inclined, I recommend that you also consider responding to our Call for Entry!

CONTACTS.

//crossing cities is a visual melting pot of cities. It links pairs of cities in different countries and unites them in a unique photographic way; one part of the pinhole images is taken in one city, the other part in its corresponding. On the same sheet of film. Every place has its very own character, determined by cultural values, religion and geographical settings. Keeping this in mind, the overlaying of cities in two different countries into a series of images that contains essential parts of both places does not only mean the physical crossing of borders. By using a technique of twisted double exposures, images are created that may be looked at from both sides. Depending on whichever side you look at, you may focus on different patterns of the image. And oversee others. The diversity of the places is shown in the same way as new ties are revealed. New forms and structures become visible, while the specific character of the places remains. The previous known adds up and leads to the unknown. The exposures float into each other. A kind of in between appears. The alphabet serves as a pattern. The cities are selected by the first letter of their names in english spelling. From that results the extent of 52 cities in 52 different countries.

Berlin//Bucharest 01
[singlepic id=426 w=600]CONTACTS Berlin//Bucharest 01 – ©Markus Kaesler 2016[/singlepic][spacer height=”20px”]

Paris//Prague 02
[singlepic id=431 w=600]CONTACTS Paris//Prague 02 – ©Markus Kaesler 2016[/singlepic][spacer height=”20px”]

Berlin//Bucharest 04
[singlepic id=427 w=600]CONTACTS Berlin//Bucharest 04 – ©Markus Kaesler 2016[/singlepic][spacer height=”20px”]

London//Lissabon 07
[singlepic id=429 w=600]CONTACTS London//Lissabon 07 – ©Markus Kaesler 2016[/singlepic][spacer height=”20px”]

London//Lissabon 08
[singlepic id=430 w=600]CONTACTS London//Lissabon 08 – ©Markus Kaesler 2016[/singlepic][spacer height=”20px”]

Berlin//Bucharest 10
[singlepic id=428 w=600]CONTACTS Berlin//Bucharest 10 – ©Markus Kaesler 2016[/singlepic][spacer height=”20px”]

 

in between

„in between“ shows the space between two places. The whole time of a journey banned on light sensitive paper. You see the resulting light traces that are painted on light sensitive paper during its journey crossing borders of countries and continents. The exposure starts in one country and ends in another. What you see is the “ in between“. Why do I care so much about the materials I use? If you consider photography as a storytelling art, you will recognize that the used material is part of the story. It makes a difference if a sheet of light sensitive paper actually has travelled thousands of miles while being exposed or if its just a piece of paper where the visual impression of a voyage is printed on. Some may say, that for the final visible impression it doesn’t matter how an image has been created. I oppose this, that the creating process is part of the resulting work. The true story may only be told by the one who experienced it.

BKK-SIN
[singlepic id=432 w=600]in between BKK-SIN – ©Markus Kaesler 2016[/singlepic][spacer height=”20px”]

FRA-BKK
[singlepic id=433 w=600]in between FRA-BKK – ©Markus Kaesler 2016[/singlepic][spacer height=”20px”]

FRA-IST
[singlepic id=434 w=600]in between FRA-IST – ©Markus Kaesler 2016[/singlepic][spacer height=”20px”]

TPE-HKG
[singlepic id=435 w=600]in between TPE-HKG – ©Markus Kaesler 2016[/singlepic][spacer height=”20px”]

Interviews

Martin Martinsson – Movements

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I first encountered Martin Martinsson’s work last year when perusing Flickr for pinhole work. It was his Movements 7 image that I found, and it was a perfect example of aesthetic in the everyday. When I dove deeper into his photos, I found a photographer who really understood spacial relationships – he clearly has the eye of an architect.

There’s a distinctively geometric pattern to his photos. In some of the photos, this geometry reaches out and grips you till you come to terms with the more subtle aspects of the photo. In other works, the geometry doesn’t hit you immediately, not till you let the image blur a little.

Martin’s work is often dripping with color and a moody tonality. He’s a photographer who’s bold style stands out immediately. He is also very skilled in an elusive practice: finding excellent imagery in the everyday hustle. Most of us can’t afford to pinhole full time, and so we have to fit it in around the rest of our lives.

Martin has been gracious enough to entertain our prodding questions below. I recommend you keep an eye on his work on Flickr, as he’ll soon be releasing additional photos.

Let’s start with your journey in photography. Did you start with pinhole? Or is it something you discovered later?
The pinhole camera was something I discovered a few years ago, so no, I did not start with pinhole photography at all! In fact I have been interested in photography for as long as I can remember. I remember that my parents were interested in photography and they both had some nice cameras laying around. Photography was always something present when I was a child and also discussed around the dinner table. I don’t really remember a particular starting point but when I was a teenager I thought photography was really a fun thing to do and I always tried to make an extra effort when I started taking photos myself. For a period of time, especially in my late teens and early twenties,  I took a lot of photos and I have box after box with old photos laying around the house.

My manual 35mm camera broke down about the same time as digital cameras really started to hit the market. I bought one of those small digital devices, but strangely digital photography killed my interest in taking photos. For me something was lost without the manual controls and I thought most modern cameras looked and felt horrible to handle…

About three years ago I decided to give photography another chance so I went to the store to buy me a new high end digital device with retro looks and manual controls. I haven’t got any type of formal training in photography so I really never knew anything about the technical or artistic aspects of photography. Except for framing, I always just pressed the shutter button and hoped for the best. I decided that this time I will take it more seriously – bought any kind of book about photography I could find – and started to play around with my new camera. Digital was really a fantastic way for me to learn more about the technique and to really try all those “what happens if I do this” or “how can I achieve this type of effect” – type of questions most beginners have.

After some time my wife got a pinhole camera as a birthday present from a friend. It is one of those paper cameras you have to assemble by yourself with the use of tape. I wasn’t even sure it was possible to find 35mm film any longer since I was under the impression film photography was a thing of the past. A visit to the local camera store proved me wrong. I bought a few rolls of film, stole the camera from my wife (I have absolutely no intention of giving it back) and started to shoot some film again. The photos looked fantastic! It was mind blowing!!

That started another journey, or maybe it was more like going back to square one. I was reminded of what attracted me to photography in the first place. I have barely touched my digital camera after that but I take more photos than ever!

Waiting
[singlepic id=281 w=600]Waiting, ©Martin Martinsson[/singlepic]

Your Flickr feed is filled with great photography, both lensed and lensless. How has one form of photography influenced the other?
Thank you! That’s very flattering to hear. As I mentioned before, I used digital photography as a way to learn more about photography and once I got to know the camera a little better and was able to take photos that sometimes even looked better than the physical world, I became a little bit bored (easily done playing around in Photoshop or Lightroom). I noticed that I was not very interested in capturing the world as it is. Even making the photos that look “nicer” than reality is something I don’t find very stimulating.

I currently own about ten different cameras. I am not exactly sure what the influences would be, but I know that regardless of what I take photos of, I am aiming towards a somewhat different or unique look. My interest in analogue photography as a whole has always been about finding a special look that is in a way of out of my control. Adding an unexpected and uncontrollable element to the photos. That might be different things like a special type of film with unique characteristics, grain, physical defects on the negative, expired film or using a pinhole camera. All these things are possible to fake with a computer but I find that it is much more fun when there is a certain element of surprise.

Movements 1 – By Bike
[singlepic id=274 w=450]Movements 1 – By Bike, ©Martin Martinsson[/singlepic]

What is it about pinhole photography that attracts you to the artform?
The first time I got a roll developed I had no idea what to expect or even what the photos would look like. I didn’t have a light meter or anything to help with the exposures and mostly used my body, the ground, walls and statues instead of a tripod. I had never even used such a camera before. The photos that came out where blurry, with vignetting, weird colourings and sometimes with partially overlapping exposures. The photos also had a very unique look to them with a sort of dreamy characteristics. I absolutely loved it and in the beginning it was all totally out of my control how the photos turned out. I was hooked at once and haven’t really been able to put away that camera ever since.

After a while I started to learn a bit more about pinhole photography with its unlimited depth of field (or maybe more accurate unlimited out-of-focus) , bought a proper light meter and scanner, and got to know a little bit more about which types of film I like to use. My pinhole camera is also really small and convenient. It fit in almost all pockets so there is really no excuse not to take it with me. Besides, film is cheap (in comparison to Polaroid photography which is another passion of mine) so there is really no excuse not to experiment and to take as many photos as possible just for the fun of it. Not all of them are good, but it doesn’t really matter.

Pinhole cameras have a really unique character to them which I don’t really know how to describe in words. It just has a really special and unique look. Almost instant art.

Movements 5 – Commuting Underground
[singlepic id=275 w=600]Movements 5 – Commuting Underground, ©Martin Martinsson[/singlepic]

Movements 8 – Waiting at Kastrup
[singlepic id=276 w=600]Movements 8 – Waiting at Kastrup, ©Martin Martinsson[/singlepic]

I first came across your work when we featured your photo, “Movements 7” back in April. I loved this photo because you found a way to make something mundane so beautiful. In your Movements series, you focus on modes of travel. What was the inspiration for this series?
The idea behind the “movements” photo series was a combination of pure pragmatism in combination with and a simple creative idea that I wanted to explore. I am father of two children and I have a job which demands lots of extra working hours so my time is obviously very limited. I would actually like to walk around just take photos all day, but since time is so scarce I need to take advantage of any spare time. Such a moment is actually while commuting between kindergarten, grocery stores, work and the apartment. Travelling or moving around is something that takes up a lot of my time so why not take advantage of it and actually do something useful like taking photos?

The second idea I had, had something to do with the special characteristics of the pinhole camera. The long exposures open up lots of creative opportunities – either by using a stationary camera with moving subjects or vice versa. Since commuting means lots of moving around and lots of moving subjects I wanted to do a series about it. It is an activity that takes up quite a part of my life. It is also a part of my life filled with lots of frustration and waiting. On the other hand it can also be a moment of quality time with the family (or yourself) and some sort of (to use your words) mundane beauty which I thought was interesting to capture.

Movements 9 – Arriving at Triangeln in Malmö
[singlepic id=277 w=600]Movements 9 – Arriving at Triangeln in Malmö, ©Martin Martinsson[/singlepic]

Do you feel you’ve been successful in presenting the vision you pursued in Movements? Why or why not?
Actually I was quite disappointed at first with the results. The photos were taken during quite a long timespan and I have probably used up at least four-five rolls of film. From that batch there were only about 5-6 photos which caught my attention. I thought that was quite a meagre result considering what I normally get from a roll of 35mm pinhole. Quite a disappointment, but I have afterwards realized it was partly caused by the colour temperature of the light in the underground. The yellow light didn’t work really well in combination with slide films like Provia and Velvia and there were also a lot of underexposed photos caused by the fact that I forgot to calculate for reciprocity failure. The only photos which turned out ok, were shot in either daylight, or in situations where the light was really blue. I wasn’t really aware of that when I started the project. At least a lesson learned. I have continued to take photos in the underground and on trains but still haven’t developed and scanned the results. This time I have bought a Tungsten colour balanced film which I hope will work better!

Blue Underpass
[singlepic id=272 w=600]Blue Underpass, ©Martin Martinsson[/singlepic]

Your photo, “Coloured Underpass”, is stunning. It’s absolutely arresting. I’ve honestly had this photo open on my computer for 4 weeks now – I can’t stop looking at it. I need to know, how was this photo made? Is this a double exposure? Is it a glass hallway with lots of reflections? I must know!
I am so glad you like it! Maybe you will be disappointed now because there is really no trick! It is just a hallway between two office buildings at the Munich RE headquarters in Munich with coloured florescent lights. I was there at an open event last year when I noticed it. Each segment (leading to a different building) has its unique colour for making orientation easier. Each colour shift is an intersection between different underpasses and the floor consists of white pigmented concrete which has been polished so it reflects the light somewhat.

As I was taking photos of it, I realized that I needed to elevate the camera from the floor to get a better central perspective of the space. Luckily there was a wine bar in the building behind me so I went to pick up a drink with the tallest glass available to use it as a tripod – champagne!

Coloured Underpass
[singlepic id=273 w=600]Coloured Underpass, ©Martin Martinsson[/singlepic]

You have a fantastic sense of space and depth. To what do you attribute this ability to see? Are you trained in visual arts? Obsessed with shape? Something different?
That is very nice to hear. I don’t consider myself being a real photographer at all, just a guy who enjoys exploring things visually, and when I compare my work to some of the really good professionals out there I feel really humble regarding my own skills. On the other hand I have sold a few photos lately and there has been some attention in the internet which I would never have anticipated when I started so I must be doing something right?!

As I mentioned before I am not trained at all in photography and haven’t really had any artistic training except for my education as an architect. So shape, space and depth is something I work with all day but I really don’t know if there is a connection, at least not a conscious one. My day time job does have an influence on the type of subjects I find interesting like infrastructure or different type of “junk space” I can’t see an aesthetic influence. Photography is actually something I do as a way to escape thinking about work and my daily activities.

Orange Underpass
[singlepic id=278 w=600]Orange Underpass, ©Martin Martinsson[/singlepic]

Stairs
[singlepic id=280 w=600]Stairs, ©Martin Martinsson[/singlepic]

 

ƒ/D Associate Editor Libby Selinsky contributed to the content of this article.

General

Carrying Your Kit: The Getaround

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One of the most difficult aspects of practicing photography, for many photographers at some point or another, is carrying all that damn gear. “Traditional” (e.g. lensed) photographers probably have it the worst, as anyone who’s lugged a few constant aperture zoom lenses or a full large format rig can attest. While we pinholers get a break by not having to carry glass, we still have our challenges getting our kit to the photo destination.

“The best camera is the one you have with you,” as the saying goes. Indeed, nothing sucks like walking by the perfect shot without your trusty pinhole at the ready. Therefore, a key to this beloved hobby of ours is keeping a camera with you as often as possible. For many of us, that means commuting to/from work, joining friends on the evenings or weekends, shopping, parks, etc.

So for today’s article, I want to share my Getaround setup in the hopes of spreading ideas to help you shoot more. As always, if you see something that could be improved? Share it in the comments and help all of us out as well.

First – here’s a picture of my Getaround:
Pack

And here it is, “exploded”:
Pack exp view

 

Let’s go through it piece by piece.

Cameras

I always carry at least 2 cameras, sometimes 3 or 4. Why? First off, so that I can have a color and a black and white option. At a minimum, I want that. Pictured here are my Pinholga (converted by yours truly) and my Zero Image 6×9. I tape the current film label to the back of my cameras so that I can remember which is loaded with what. Not pictured here, but often in my pack, is my Zero Image 4×5. These 3 cameras give me 5 configurations: 6×6, 6×9, and 4×5 (25mm, 50mm, & 75mm focal lengths). On particularly ambitious days, I’ll add in my Polaroid. That’s a lot of options!

Packing

Notice that I don’t use a traditional camera backpack, and that’s entirely on purpose. I have two reasons for this. First, I wanted something that didn’t scream “cameras!” but was fully featured including a laptop sleeve. Second, the backpacker and urban market has a lot more options that have better suspensions than normal camera bags. Osprey is my brand of choice and for good reason – they are well renowned for their suspension. When I lived in Seattle, I could carry this bag, loaded with 25 pounds of camera and laptop gear, for hours and still be fine. That’s a damn good suspension system.

Inside my normal backpack I have a camera bag insert. This is basically a camera bag padding system that you can stuff into any backpack. They come in a handful of shapes and sizes and will keep your gear protected in your backpack. This was key to my feeling comfy with a non-padded backpack.

The backpack and camera bag insert are very key to my Getaround. By having something that I can take everywhere, I can easily have plenty of cameras with me at all times.

Tripods

Yes, I always carry two tripods with me. What you see here are my Slik mini tripod with ballhead and the infamous Gorillapod. Why these two? First, their weight is so minuscule, there’s hardly a penalty for carrying a second one. Second, while the Gorillapod is invaluable when you need to mount on something elevated like a fence rail, it’s a complete pain in the ass when you just want to be on a flat surface and level the camera. In addition, the Gorillapod isn’t quite as stable as a normal tripod, so it’s definitely reserved for those shots that cannot be done any other way.

Not shown here is my full size tripod, which I carry when I anticipate having the need for that much flexibility. See the loop on the bottom center of the backpack? That loop, plus a tie down, allow me to mount the tripod in the centerline of the backpack. This allows for a much easier carry to your shooting location, so when you get there you still have the wherewithal to compose your shot.

Various Sundry

A regular daypack is also superior for just carrying…stuff. We all have the normal needs for a photo trek, so having flexible room for it is a big payoff. Some additional photo related things I carry with me are a pocket level for my 4×5, extra film of course, and my trusty locking cable release.

What do you carry?

I wanna hear it in the comments!