Peter Kaaden
Hi Peter, tell us where you're from and how you got into photography.
I'm 22 and from Essen, it's a little and kind of beautiful city in Germany. How I got into photography is a pretty hard question but I think the main reason was my Mum. When I was a young boy she was working as a fashion stylist in Germany and I was hanging out in photostudios very often.
How would you describe your work?
It's a rough and honest documental view of my life and a view on today's wasted lovely youth.
Where has your work been published?
In a few magazines such as Vice, but mostly in interesting online platforms which are publishing emerging artists like Neon Black <3.
What is typically in your camera bag?
A Contax G2 and a Contax T2 with a lot of film. I also use a Yashica T5 wherever i go. I sleep with that little baby underneeth my pillow.
Do you prefer digital or film?
I only shoot film. I love film and the time I have to wait for it to get developed. It's so exiting to wait for your results. For me photography has a lot of to do with feeling and that feeling I have dies in a digital camera.
Who are some of your influences in photography?
I admire Boris Mikhailov, his honesty is impressive. Also, Ari Marcoupolos, Dash Snow, Jürgen Teller and Ryan McGinley have a big influence on me.
Who is one photographer you would suggest our viewers check out?
I found an awesome girl from Belgium a while ago. Her name is Ulrike Biets, check her out she's so dope www.ulrikebiets.com and there is pretty amazing german guy who is doing his own kind of this really really really german photography. Jan Ladwig www.janladwig.com.
What would be a dream shoot for you?
I would love to tour with a cool band. I think touring is the most honest thing in the music business. A lot of really good photographers did this in the past such as Jürgen Teller did with Nirvana and Annie Leibovitz with the Rolling Stones. I love the feeling those pictures deliver to me, it's not really about concert photography, it's about the things happen behind the stage; hangovers, drugs, cheap hotels and fucked up diner toilets.
Since your work is so raw do you find it hard to break into the commercial photography world or are you strictly focused on personal/editorial type work?
At the moment I'm trying to find a way in the middle. I want to keep it real and honest but I try to do more organized shoots. In my photography I always wait for those "special" situations to happen. Now I try to navigate people into interesting situations when photographing them.
Is there a shoot that has stuck out more than the others?
Oh yeah, there are so many but once I was walking from a club with this other photographer Jan Ladwig, it was pretty early and the club was no fun and on our way home we were hearing super loud music in the middle of the night out of a window of a house, so I decided to ring the buzzer and there was a super big tattooed hooligan guy in boxershorts who opened the door and was really pissed. Because I was drunk I took a picture of him and he was freaking out about that. The hooligan guy came out of his house a minute later and punched my friend in his face, maybe he was thinking its me. He had a super bloody nose and the only thing I did is asked my friend "hey can i shoot you." I did a whole film of bloody pictures of him. They are on my blog check it out.
What do you have planned for the near future? Any projects?
My first book is almost finished. It will be released soon with the Berlin based publisher Pogo-Books. I'm also working on a solo exhibition for hopefully the end of 2012.
Thanks Peter!
Thank you guys. <3.
Website: www.peterkaaden.com