First off all i want to announce that there will be an exhibition of my friend Matthias Aschauer’s and my work. So if you’re interested in seeing some handmade fiber beauties you’re more than welcome to come!
Date is Wednesday, 12th May. Location FOTOK Grangasse 5, 1150 Vienna (starting at 7pm).
if you’re interested in a personal guidance on another day. mail to mail@severinkoller.com
now to the blog.
it’s been a while i’ve had the time to develope and scan films. after coming back from new york, a lot of work was ahead of me. also mood wise i was up and down and to be honest, not really motivated to take snapshots since i got back to vienna. there isn’t much inspiration left for shooting street here at the moment.
i’m suprised though how well this entry sums up the last couple of weeks, from depressing days to great ones and i’ve even skipped a lot like some commissions - because it’s just getting too much.
so here we go.
how do you know you're back in austria ? "pop-monk cried of shame" headline.
it's interesting that the stay in new york influenced my way of capturing street in vienna. it's not that don't shoot the old way anymore, it's more that i take photos that i didn't really "see" (photographically)
that shot would be more the oldschool vienniese way.. which i can't get around.
the veggie burger is back.
bought jeans at H&M. those mirrors make you appear slimmer, especially when you're reflected in two of them.
this one is more than a random streetshot for me. i can't really comment anything meaningful, it's all in the photo.
the advert says "risk a side glance!"
one more time the coolest cab in vienna. i think it's the third time i've taken a photo of it in the last years.
makes me think of the pro-life people's slogan "austria needs every kid" ( http://severinkoller.at/blog/wp-content/gallery/prolife_street/IMG19579s.jpg )
a boy in my house entry.
we had a shooting for a coffee brand. regina was modeling. here we had lunch - i said "welcome to my blog!" then she gave me that look.
miriam with a shirt she bought in new york.
lorant smoking on the balcony
at aschi's place.in this case it was better to push the contrast and lose some highlights ;)
a puppy shot for chris.
exhibition at fotoK
booze included.
some were ashamed of drinking though..
the real portrait.
this dog was a bit scary.
skaterboys
a group portrait. it says everything.
terry kerekes.
at mcdonnalds. two sebastians and one mr.lopez in the middle.
he's a real food artist
btw. kodak tmax400 sucks.. still thank you mr.lopez for the roll - so i could capture these precious moments.
another drunk night, another cheesburger. wasted about 70 photos by double exposure.. so here is a little gap - not that important.
there is a funny story. but i'm too lazy to explain.
ended up in the pub. it was a "fruitful" night..
that morning we left for a journey through austria for about 200 portraits.
lukas was the perfect man for the job. fun time.
getting up early in all kind of hotels.
we were driving all highways in austria. that was a weird fuel station.
once again stumbled across a 666.
(finally switched from tmax to trix, much better tones..)
that hotel was nice. against our expectations.
met my mother in graz.
a shot, dedicated to delicato.
another hotel breakfast
somewhere in klagenfurt
panda boy
couple in klagenfurt
later i took this shot and we walked left where the light enters and i took the next photo. they work well together.
back in vienna after that journey. an ashtray filled with cigarets on the balcony. first signs of summer.
sometimes i imagine life was like in stock photography.. a disgusting thought.
cookies, gummybears a pudding and tampons.
26 years ago
coporate design gone wrong.
another day at work. talking about what's feminine..
sophie having a cigarette after work was over.
when i take these sort of photos, my main interest is capturing a variation of expressions. i believe that's the best approach to portray people. i still wonder though, if i take different photos when i get to know someone better. what makes me choose when to capture? is there anything like an "unauthentic expression" just because you don't know someone's gestures yet? could it even be a bonus not to know them? these are the things i always have in mind taking portraits of people - it doesn't matter if it's a stranger or someone close. it's one thing to take a nice portrait, it's another to have captured something honest. taking portraits of 200 people in a week really messed with my mind.
arrived at home, i saw this sticker which reminded me why i condemn capitalists..
a bottle of wine with linus. that night his leica started working again. it was magic ! we then changed baseplates.
billy (http://billyreeves.blogspot.com/) told me this the other day: "..riding a mini scooter like every other kid in Vienna". never thought about this. 3 kids, 3 scooters. it might be more common here than elsewhere.
a cars headlight.
once again subway to work.
a nice day at work. not many clients.
because i left my keys at home that day, i was staying longer and used the time to make the best icecream mankind has ever created. won't tell the secret though, you gotta come over and try yourself!
sophie and i met completely random in january at a party where i almost didn't even go to. back then she told me she desperately needed a job.. so i thought of the delicato. i like when such coincidences work out so well. i like coincidences in general. even if they don't really exist.
shot through the window of the subway. makes an unusual distance.
elections in austria. enough talk about this topic alreday.
no funeral. people going to the raimund theater (which is always sold out). i remember my music teacher saying, after we've just been to a musical. "just so you know what it is like..."
3 ladys and a photographer in the kitchen.
driving to the wachau for a portrait job.
the hotel room was a bit too royal for my taste.. it was all pink and gold.
leaving the next day.
on a meal at the delicato. a woman reading the menu. a bit indecisive.
on the other side.
on a "sanbitter" break.
was tip toe-ing for this shot.
rainy days..
airport bus. going to switzerland for a documentation.
on the way to the factory. left client, right agency. two bosses on the (i) phone.
after shooting a few hours back at the airport.
thomas (aka my boss) and i had a delicious seafood snack. zurich is so cheap, really...
the plane was about an hour late. so was the luggage.
back in rainy vienna.
at a random concert. depressing night.
i decided not to clean my lens for a change.
next day - still rain. i only had plusx though which forced me to use longer shutter speeds.
for the photo geeks.
and then there was sun again !
and flowers sprouted
saturday morning. empty streets.
my father the pasta maestro
cigarettes and after-work expressions.
miroslav always needs to grab the leica.. horny bastard ;) that photo is high up in the retarded ranking!
no more photos
lustig, der eintrag ist teilweie wirklich so garnicht du. was aber auch was hat.
Comment by simon — May 2, 2010 @ 11:08 pmhttp://severinkoller.at/blog/wp-content/gallery/nach_new_york/IMG23683s.jpg
I liked it when she read to me… (shigh)
http://severinkoller.at/blog/wp-content/gallery/nach_new_york_3/IMG24022s.jpg
oh yeah… another print to my wishlist!!
beautiful as always Sev…
Comment by Aldo — May 2, 2010 @ 11:57 pmIch setz mich irgendwann ins delicato, nur damit ich mich irgendwann einmal auf einem der Fotos hier wiederfinde.
Comment by D. — May 3, 2010 @ 12:10 amhttp://severinkoller.at/blog/wp-content/gallery/nach_new_york_3/IMG23983s.jpg
Comment by iwasuki — May 3, 2010 @ 1:22 amlikey!!!
@fruitful night:depp
“A nice day at work” is one of my favourites, great work Sev.
Comment by Paul — May 3, 2010 @ 3:08 amYet another brilliant piece! Motivate yourself Severin! The streets and life out there are calling for you!
p.s. sorry commented twice in previous entry and this one… the comment was meant for this post ;)
Comment by Wei Chuan — May 3, 2010 @ 3:12 amthanks for the photos and ur interesting ideas on portraits. for me i just try to create an emotive photo, i dont really care if i “capture” their personality or not.
Comment by jono — May 3, 2010 @ 7:56 amThat first hotel shot, that one in the corridor; that one is brilliant!
Comment by Nicl Fasth — May 3, 2010 @ 11:10 amso nice to wake up … see you have a blog and journey through austria with you.
i know you say random but i love:
http://severinkoller.at/blog/wp-content/gallery/nach_new_york/thumbs/thumbs_IMG23734s.jpg
and … of course … the pup! i think he’s a spaniel. and you know …. i love spaniels.
i see 666 everywhere, too. you guys have a 666 energy drink. jesus. probably shouldn’t have said jesus, though.
thanks for the blog entry!
when you coming back to los angeles?????
chris
Comment by chris — May 3, 2010 @ 7:09 pmLoved reading this entry and looking at your shots. Looks like you’ve been a busy bee!
Really enjoyed this one :
http://severinkoller.at/blog/wp-content/gallery/nach_new_york/IMG23774s.jpg
In a creepy kind of way ;)
Take care!
Comment by Rastislav — May 3, 2010 @ 7:47 pmRichard
du warst in Klagenfurt und sagst gar nix davon? tststs :D … nächstes Mal ruf an dann wird auf nen Kaffee gegangen! … ansonsten die gewohnte Qualität und das mit dem New York Einfluss mag teils echt stimmen .. die Bilder haben schon bisl was davon .. aber so stark ne Veränderung hab ich im ersten Moment nicht erkannt (abgesehen davon dass die Kontraste in diesem Entry teils sehr stark sind und die Belichtung in vielen Fällen echt genial gelungen ist, .. well done!)
Comment by Michael — May 3, 2010 @ 9:53 pmWow. This was a dark and sad blog entry. It really was.
Comment by eek — May 4, 2010 @ 4:22 amfantastic photos, congrats. are you scanning all your images, or are you using digital cameras?
the blog photo header actually looks like a mcdonalds banner ad…
thanks and keep updating your blog,
Comment by Markus — May 5, 2010 @ 7:52 pmMarkus
Thanks Severin for this post
Comment by SimonC — May 6, 2010 @ 1:36 amFeels good
I found my new M7
That made me anxious to shoot more film
More TriX actually
great photos you got here.i’ve enjoyed seeing them.
Comment by damian — May 11, 2010 @ 8:02 amkeep up the good work!!!
see ya!
hi, Great shots.
Comment by Avelino — May 14, 2010 @ 4:20 pmThe photo in H&M, the lens looks like a jupiter 12 :) but i think it’s not a jupiter 12, right?
great photos.
Do you pushed tri-x in the night shots?
regards. :)
Comment by Avelino Oliveira — May 14, 2010 @ 9:53 pmI was reading the entry, going through the photos one by one.. and then suddenly reached the last - and my heart jumped. I hope all is ok.
Comment by Artis — May 22, 2010 @ 10:39 pmYou are my favorite modern photographer. If there are ones better, I don’t know about them. I went to look at HCB photographs the other day in New York, and I could only keep thinking of yours when looking at his.
Comment by Allie — May 25, 2010 @ 4:41 pmHi Severin
I just go on your site, there are some really beautiful things.
This blog is also nice, lots of pictures … ;-)
You are super productive.
We see that you do not quit your Leica … I try to do the same thing.
It really inspired love your approach!
Voila
Bye
Comment by k-poon dubus — June 18, 2010 @ 7:27 pmHallo Severin,
I am having a look at your pictures while being at work… I can’t wait to feel that well known “after work expression” that you mentioned several times :)
but I’m having a pleasant break thanks to your portraits, so:
thank you very much Severin!
Photography is truly meaningful and important to me. I enjoy the way you combine lights, shadows, and people’s expressions, with honesty, thoughtfulness, and unpretentiousness.
I’m looking forward to seeing more of your work,
bye
Mélanie
Comment by Mélanie Gomez — June 30, 2010 @ 3:21 pmHi, where have you disappeared? Waiting very much for your photos.
Dalia
Comment by Dalia — July 2, 2010 @ 10:51 am