Forget Me Not.

Travelling and Lingering - Longing for Real Experience on 35mm Film

 Hardly any other nation spends as many holidays abroad as the Germans. As tourists, we want to tick off as many sights as possible in the shortest possible time, often staying only a few days in one place and later analysing our travels through photos of places that we have seen in theory but hardly ever really experienced. This way of travelling brings neither relaxation nor a real appreciation for the places we visit. Besides the ecological consequences of mass tourism, many destinations are becoming economically dependent on tourists, which is increasingly displacing authentic local culture. Traditions and cultural diversity are being sacrificed in favour of a consumable, often idealised version of reality.
Added to this is the influence of social media, which pushes us to constantly view experiences through the camera lens. Places are rated, not experienced. A high Google rating decides whether we try something. Is a place ‘instagrammable’ enough? Does it fit into the Western aesthetic that guarantees Likes and followers? The unvarnished reality - whether beautiful, rough or imperfect - is ignored if it has not already been banished from city centres and tourist hotspots.




The Jaguar
Overgrown
Naked
In the Dark

I have had the privilege of travelling a lot, but I often find that I only have vague memories of some places. The stages of the journey are often so short that you barely have time to really realise where you are - and as soon as you get used to a place, you're on your way back again. How can I really appreciate a place? Did I take enough time to consciously perceive it? Was I able to enjoy it at all? How do I sustainably preserve my experiences?Analogue photography can be chance of pausing in the maelstrom of possibilities - which are open to me as the holder of a German passport. It helps me to look at places and people more consciously. If I'm only in a place for a short time or mainly travelling by car, hardly any lasting impressions remain. But if I stay in one place for longer, changes begin to emerge - day after day, year after year. 


The Waterfall
Towels
Cool Down
Free

In the last three summers, I have spent several weeks in the north of Portugal, in Caminha. The opportunity to visit the same places again and again has changed my perspective. Each year I have captured moments with my analogue camera - moments that have touched me and that I wanted to preserve.
My pictures are intended to arouse curiosity, perhaps trigger feelings of wonder. Some moments create a feeling of connection. Above all, however, I want to show that boredom and everyday life can be very special and that we don't always have to go higher, further or better to be happy. The simplest things are sometimes the most memorable.


Praia de Âncora
The Activities
The View
Viana do Castelo
For Tourists
For Brutalists
For Philosophers