Interview IPFL A. Krack – winner 2015.

Foto: Astrid Verhoef

How did you experience your participation in the International Photo Festival Leiden 2015?

Being part of the Festival in Leiden in 2015 was an overall great experience! The whole atmosphere was very welcoming with such a warm and caring team. I especially enjoyed the good balance of a well-organized festival, which still felt personal and intimate in the best sense. Leiden is a beautiful historic city and to see the different photographic works presented open-air right in the centre is very unique.

The IPFL is a festival for young photographers. What was your opinion about the standards of the work of the other nineteen participants?

The works really conveyed a wide variety of topics and different styles of photography. Every participant found her/his own personal way of approaching a subject matter and I think it shows how a camera can be like a brush of a painter. The tool may be similar for everyone, but the results depend on each photographic vision and the creative ways to express it.

How did participating in the festival and winning the jury competition affect your career as a professional photographer?

Winning the IPFL in 2015 was a great push for my career as a photographer. It definitely helped to make my work known and subsequently led to some valuable publications of my series in established photographic magazines as well as sales of limited prints.

What are your current/planned projects?

I am currently working on a project about the effects of modern data technology on our perception of nature, and how it might change historic paradigms. It is a recurring interest of mine to look at the relationship we have with nature. This was present in my series “The Treatment” as well, when I tried to show how elemental forces of nature are used in spa towns in the diverse ways of therapeutic treatment.

What kind of advice would you like to give current and future participants or students of photography?

I believe the amount of visual input nowadays can be quite overwhelming. It can be even intimidating at times when you look at the internet and see the amount of imagery on your social media feed coming in from all over the world. My advice would be to first find out what interests you and only then approach it with photography. The style of photography, the technique, etc. will present itself as long as you find your personal standpoint towards a subject matter.