Photographic Etudes from Streets of Berlin
The initial intent was simply to document. As it was my first experience living abroad, there was a heartfelt and personal desire to preserve these moments despite the passing of time. With camera in hand, I strolled the streets, and naturally, I began to yearn for the classical yet beautiful landscapes different from my homeland. I aimed to skillfully capture everything my eyes beheld.
However, as time progressed, the enthusiasm for capturing beauty and elegance dimmed. Instead, I yearned to document the emotional essence of Berlin, whether emanating from myself or the subjects. Rather than flamboyance, I sought to capture the mundane moments; I wanted photos where emotions were vivid, even if they didn't align perfectly technically. Perhaps this transformation in my approach emerged from my role as a stranger and observer in this unfamiliar city and society, while simultaneously becoming a participant and documenter behind the camera.
Berlin’s streets unveiled various emotions—joy, serenity, anger, sadness, loneliness. Intriguingly, often the emotions I observed in the subjects in my photos, their true emotions, and the emotions felt by those viewing the photos didn't perfectly align. Undoubtedly, this discrepancy arises from the inherent subjective interpretation during the moment of capturing a photo. Thus, I aimed to take photos that would sometimes align these three different perspectives' emotions as closely as possible, and sometimes completely differ—a challenging task that continues to engage me.
Throughout this process, some photos were taken solely due to their beauty, while others were an attempt to encapsulate emotions. Nevertheless, the reasons behind 'why I took a particular photo' aren't of utmost importance. What truly matters to me is the emotions viewers experience through my photos and what aspects of Berlin they notice. What personal Berlin did I learn from the streets, and what significance does it hold for you? How does it differ from the Berlin you imagined?
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