Willkomen, Maria! Tell us about yourself and your home country.
I live in Germany, in the southernmost corner on the border with Austria, in the Bavarian Alps and close to the Danube. I think I've revealed a lot about myself through my photos over the years. I enjoyed working as a teacher of history, German language and literature. You can tell by the fact that sometimes my explanations for a photo get quite lengthy even though I've been retired for a few years now. I have a large family who live all over southern Germany, so I often have the opportunity to travel. I enjoy traveling and have been around the world a lot. I'd like to keep doing that as long as my health and fitness allow me to.
How and when did you become interested in photography?
As a little girl I was interested in looking at photos in the old family albums, looking for my similarities with the numerous uncles and aunts, comparing how they had changed from baby to old age, what clothes they wore, where and how they lived. I still have this attentive observation today.
When I was 14, I got my own camera, a Voigtländer, and learned the first rule: "Aperture eight when the sun is shining." From then on, I photographed all my life, sometimes with two cameras when traveling, one with ISO 100 film, the other with ISO 400. That's why I appreciate the achievements of the digital age. In the moment I work with a Fuji xt 4.
In 2013, on my 65th birthday, I decided to get back into photography more intensively and at the same time do something to keep my English skills from getting rusty. I was just starting out with digital photography, I had so much to learn and was therefore allowed to make mistakes.
You have a unique perspective on photography. Tell us about it.
I am fascinated more by the creative process, finding the truth behind reality and making the essence visible.
For me, this means clarity, simplicity, a kind of "less is more". I would prefer to have only photos that are so clear in their statement that no additional explanation is needed.
For this reason, the candid portrait is perhaps my favorite discipline, when someone is captured in an informal situation without the instructions of a "director". I would rather be able to recognize the essence of the person portrayed than the essence of the photographer.
This month marks the one year anniversary of your husband's passing. How has photography helped you through your grief?
If I hadn't been in this community since 2013 (Capture Your 365) and didn't know the wonderful spirit behind it, I wouldn't have dared to take the journey through the year of grief together.
I am trained in grief counselling myself, which has helped me in some ways, but there is a huge difference between supporting others and being the person affected. There is a lack of distance.
The support of the group helped me more than photography itself, because I didn't want to be alone with my grief. I chose the photos I published each month carefully. They were meant to paint a picture of the person I had lost through death.
Many members of the group have coped with difficult losses, aware that this is also part of life. What helped me was the interest, the sympathy, the empathy.
It is important to me to draw attention to how people deal with dementia. I know from some of the photos and comments that this is a very current topic. I want to provide support by showing that life can still have quality for the person affected, however depressing it is for their relatives when the circle of life narrows more and more. The key here is acceptance: acceptance of the incurable illness; of the changes in the personality of the loved one; of one's own feelings.
What advice do you have for others on the photo-a-day journey?
Nowadays, new members often already have excellent technical knowledge and have high expectations of themselves. I can only advise everyone to allow themselves to upload a technically imperfect photo, to call it a day after several attempts and not to sacrifice creativity on the altar of perfectionism.
This is not the place to aim for "likes" as on other platforms, where people serve the expectations of the audience rather than showing what is close to their hearts. Sometimes I'm surprised by the reaction to a photo, but I know it's not always down to the quality of the photo, it depends on how it resonates with the viewer. So don't define yourself and your skills by the "likes!" And as far as comments are concerned, Katrina Kennedy said: "If you want comments, leave comments!"
Similar considerations apply to the selection of photos for the weekly banner. What are the criteria behind them? I can't always understand the reasons. Sometimes I think, "Why this photo? I preferred another photo by the same photographer." But I suppose the overall image of the banner should be harmonious, that the person who chooses the photo is acting on the basis of the subjective point of view and, most importantly, this group is about more than photography.
You're right! Thanks for the reminder. Anything else you'd like to say?
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for accompanying me on my grief journey this year.
And a big thank-you to everyone for the wonderful work by the admin team, and to the fellow members who contribute to making the group so lively!
Thank you, Maria, for your willingness to be interviewed. I hope you enjoyed it. We look forward to your interpretation of future prompts!
