Interview with Max Slobodda

2017-06-30 In interviews

Who?

A just turned 30 year old long-term photography student from the north of Dortmund, Germany. My main focus is on street and documentary photography. Within the last month, things in my life have been changing, and so has my photography. I’m currently more into staged, surrealistic photography.

Where?

My starting point is always the kitchen. I made a project with my former roommate Nikita Teryoshin called “Küchendienst“ (Kitchen patrol). We explored our kitchen with our cameras and tried to capture a whole new universe of mold and abstract forms. That project made me realize that I don’t have to travel far away to create interesting photos that I enjoy.

Otherwise, I like to explore places I’ve never been before. These can be specific cities or countries, somewhere in nature, or just streets in my neighborhood I’ve never walked down. It’s good to have a camera with you anytime, anywhere!

When?

Anytime my motivation is stronger then my laziness.

What?

The weird, the playful, the unexplainable or just a special mood. I love photos that I have to explore to understand. But actually, I don’t like to put a name to the stuff I’m doing. Instead, I’m going to quote Jens Olof Lasthein who responded in a lecture last year after someone asked him about the difference between street and documentary photography: “Fuck Labels“

Why?

That’s a question I’ve asked myself many times. I like that photography shows me how I process the world in a visual way.

Alexandra Höhn, a very talented photographer, unfortunately passed away last year. I wasn’t in personal contact with her, but I always enjoyed her photography and the way she captured moments. She was at the beginning of her career, but I’m sure if she had more time she would have become a great photographer and her work would have affected more people. Sadly, she died before she could publish her almost-finished book, but her photos are still viewable online. I will still look at them from time to time and think about her, photography itself, and myself. Her untimely death made me think a lot about why I’m photographing, and I now see my photos as a kind of proof of my existence. Something that will be there once I’m gone. People may see the stuff I’ve made and find joy in it. Maybe they’ll also wonder who the person was behind these photos.