IPQmagMy name is Nina Papiorek, and I am a female photographer based in Germany.
I was born in 1979 and am the mother of two girls.
My photography topics are architectural based Street photography and Fine Art Landscapes. I like to mix different themes, because I am bored very quickly 😉
I was able to win multiple photography awards in the past. Last year I was represented at the “ipa – International Photo Awards” or the “Prix de la Photographie Paris”.
I was also a finalist at the Siena Awards and the Hasselblad Masters.
Also I am a part of “Soul of Street – the German Magazine for Street Photography”.
I don’t have a big story to offer that my grandfather has already photographed with me as a child or anything like that. At some point i just bought a camera because i thought it was great!
When was your first picture taken?
I started photography in 2004 and have been doing it with great enthusiasm since 2009.
Over the years i had a longer break because of my family, but i never lost my love for photography.
I am not someone who is out and about with the camera every day. rather, i have phases in which i shoot a lot, and phases in which i sometimes don’t touch the camera for months.
How do you put the person, place, or thing in front of the camera onto film, chip, or paper the way you want it to?
My photography is random. They are candid scenes from everyday life. Normally I don’t know the people shown.
Of course, my photos always follow a certain pattern that i personally prefer. So I like to combine impressive architecture with a single person.
The little person often seems lost in his imposing urban environment.
I personally like this aspect of my photography very much – life always seems so hectic and passes you by. i love to freeze the little moments.
This type of photography takes a lot of time, you often have to be able to deal with the situation of coming home without a successful photo.
It has a lot to do with patience and inner peace in my opinion.
What photographers have influenced you, and how have they influenced the way you approach your subject?
To be honest, I’m not very well read in this area. Of course i know all the great photographers of history, but i have never let that guide me.
Actually, I didn’t get involved with other photographers as I started – it was much later.
For me it has always been a „try and error“ to repeat and do better.
Your own taste develops over the years and that’s how my preferences crystallized.
What photographic gear do you use to stay focused on what you do best when shooting?
Hhhmmmm… i am not into technic at all.
I really think that a good photographer can take his photos with any camera. It depends on completely different things than the technology…
Maybe that’s why I started my photo journey with Canon without having tried anything else over the years.
Any technology/software/hardware?
Since i edit my images, especially in crop, alignment and in the tonal values, i work with Photoshop.
What motivates you to continue taking pictures? Is it political, intellectual or emotional?
I only take pictures for emotional reasons.
I love to go out with the camera, it’s my all „alone time“ or maybe you can call it „quality time“.
In these moments i lose all sense of time and I am happy.
