Danke!

In my final post of 2023, I first and foremost want to give a shoutout to everyone here walking beside me. It´s been a wild ride thus far and I am very happy and grateful to be in such good company! Thank you for your continuing support, your critique, your teachings, your shares and your encouragement. It really means a lot to me.

Some of you are friends or family, but most of you I have never met in person. Still, we are connected through our shared experiences, interests or projects.  Despite our different backgrounds or nationalities, despite kilometers, borders or oceans between us, we are still finding our common ground, supporting and encouraging each other on our paths. The 24hourproject is just one example, that everyone of us can be a vital part of the change we want to see in our world. It´s all about us!

The world today is in need of people who share their compassion, their knowledge and ressources. As the Dalai Lama so aptly said: „The planet does not need more successful people. The planet desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers and lovers of all kinds.“

Looking forward to the year ahead with you.

Wishing everyone a Peaceful and Happy New Year 2024! Let love rule and keep grooving!

Isabelle

Photo Credit:

Eric Coordes. Thank you for weathering the storms with me since 1999!

I would like to share the following poem by my friend Wahono as it beautifully sums up some of my own thoughts about Street Photography and life itsself. Please check out his gallery on Instagram @lightbook.

Pedestrian, a soul in motion

Walking through the streets

A journey of self-reflection

A path to find one´s peace.

The sound of footsteps on the ground

A rhythm that´s unique

A symphony of sights and sounds

A journey that´s complete.

The city´s pulse, the people´s beat

A world that´s always moving

But in the midst of all the heat

A pedestrian´s still grooving.

A journey that´s not just about the end

But the path that´s taken, too

For every step that´s taken, my friend,

Is a step that´s made anew.

Wahono Kolopaking

The days inbetween - a review

The days inbetween the years - this is a good time to take stock on the events that have happened, the people that have been important and the lessons learned over the past twelve months. Finding your own, artistic language definitely is an ongoing and very personal journey. A journey that leads to questions like: What is really important to me? How do I look at the world? What do I want to express? What is worth showing and which parts of myself do I want to show? How serious am I about the ambitions I have? There is always a great deal of „ME“ in the images I create. Do I want others to see this? Do I dare raising my voice and be heard?

These are just some of the questions I am sure everyone of us has been asking themselves once in a while and self-doubt seems to be a necessary part of the process. Finding the meaning in the making, as Sean Tucker puts it, is a desire for many people.

In the end, any artistic expression is about showing a part of us and we have to become friends with ourselves to keep walking this path. You need some courage on this journey, for sure!

The last quarter of the year has brought some unexpected, but truly beautiful surprises. I feel very happy and honored to be part of Progressive Street now, a gang of international photographers dedicated to the narrative of the street. Being a member of the Editorial Staff is a great opportunity for me and I am really looking forward to the creative projects ahead!

Progressive Street

The weekend before Christmas was fully dedicated to photography. I traveled to Hamburg and visited the 7-Spaces-Exhibition, organized by seven brilliant female photographers. Each of them presented a very unique and personal view on street life, which I found very inspiring. I really enjoyed the Vernissage, the talks and the photo walk. And it was such a pleasure to meet so many of you in person – some of you I only knew „online“ before. Thanks again for organizing this brilliant event. It´s awesome to be a part of this vibrant and supportive community. See more in Samuel´s Video Blog linked below.

Samuel Streetlife Germany

By the way, if you want to keep updated on events in Street Photography, check out Andrea Diener from @collateraleyes and subscribe to her monthly newsletter (in German) : streetletter@substack.com

Just right on time for Christmas, I received an E-Mail informing me about my Honorable Mention at Paris Street Photography Awards. I am really happy and grateful! Congratulations to everyone whose work has been acknowledged here – have a look at the beautiful winners´ gallery:

Paris Street Photo Awards

That´s my review on December - a magical month full of surprises! Now, I am looking forward to new projects in the year ahead. In January, I will join Women in Street for a 5-day-takeover - I am thrilled and a little nervous already. Hope to see you there!

On Air!

November 2023

Ever wondered, how I started Street Photography? Well - I did, too. When I began taking pictures out in the streets back in 2021, I didn´t even know that there was a genre like this. I just loved doing it.

Over time, I connected with other photographers, who introduced me to some of my favorite artists, like Harry Gruyaert, Saul Leiter, Vivian Meier and Alex Webb. A whole new world was opening up for me and I took a deep-dive into the fascinating aspects of Street Photography.

When Thomas Füngerlings, known for his Podcast weekly52, invited me to his show, I was quite hesitant to accept at first. I usually prefer to stay away from the spotlight, but it turned out we had a lot to talk about. Here are some of the topics we covered: how I discovered Photography as a medium to express myself, the importance of post production, i.e. editing, and how poetry and music are influencing my creative process. We also talked about my commitment to the 24hourproject, which kickstarted my passion for Street Photography. Last, but not least, we even developed some new, interesting ideas together - this Blog is actually one of them.

So thank you very much for having me, Thomas! It was a pleasure!

Click on the link to listen to this episode: Weekly52-Podcast

Photowalk for a Cause

September 2023

3245 photographers, 802 cities, 86 countries - when so many people join forces to raise social awareness and support an NGO charity organization, it‘s a special day on Planet Earth. As an ambassador for my hometown Münster, I joined the 24hourproject this year on 09.09.23. Our aim was to raise donations for Cameras for Girls in Uganda. This project helps to overcome gender inequality by teaching photography courses to girls aiming for a career in Photojournalism. It is a helpful qualification in a region where educational opportunities are limited, especially for women. Read more about Amina and her Team on their website!

I really enjoyed being out on the streets that day and to have plenty of time for my favorite hobby. Many thanks to all the lovely people who supported me and this project! I am already looking forward to the next edition in early 2024.

For more information and impressions, please visit www.24hourproject.org and www.camerasforgirls.org

Flamingo Girl goes Ballarat

August 2023

Being part of the Wall of Women by Women at the Ballarat International Foto Biennale in Australia is an honor and a great pleasure. Julia Coddington and Rebecca Wiltshire from Unexposed Collective had the brilliant idea to gather images by female or non-binary photographers worldwide and to put them together as a large wall installation as part of the most renowned photographic Festival in Australia. I was really happy when I learned that my Flamingo Girl was selected for this exhibition. Being among so many brilliant photographers from all over the world is such an honor for me. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to travel there, but of course, I enjoyed it online. If you haven‘t seen it yet, make sure to check it out at Unexposed Collective or Ballarat International Foto Biennale

Torn - A Street Art Project

June 2023

Torn - Images from the Underground. A project about Street Art that accidentally finds you.

I have always been fascinated by the technique of Collage. Tearing apart different kinds of papers and other materials and putting them together again, re-arranging them and creating a new contextual meaning has kept me busy for hours in my teenage years.

When I began taking pictures out in the streets, I started by capturing interesting sticker compositions or random advertisements which caught my attention through scriptures or other strong, visual effects. Soon enough, my eyes were noticing spontaneous Collages in the streets again: torn layers of advertisements, randomly pasted over with new material, some stickers or quick drawings added by people who had passed by - Individual traces of instant interaction. A fascinating, while at the same time spontaneous and rebellious piece of Street Art - the kind I really love capturing!

It´s an ongoing project - so stay curious! I will keep you updated…