Newcomer of the Week: frauhaase

Kathi Haas, also known in the community as frauhaase, is a graphic designer from Lübeck, Germany. She is passionate about documenting Lübeck’s bicycle scene through photographs. In this interview, our Newcomer of the Week shares more about her project and how one community member inspired her to shoot analog.

Name: Kathi Haas
LomoHome: frauhaase
Location: Lübeck, Germany

Please tell us a little something about yourself and what you do.

I’m a 27-year-old graphic design student who has been living in the wonderful city Lübeck for four years. I was born in the grey Ruhr district so living in Lübeck got me acquainted with the wonderful landscapes of Schleswig-Holstein. I got to know Lübeck and Hamburg as cities of art and design. I also saw the emotional Baltic Sea, which is not far away my "new" hometown, and met a lot of creative people.

Years ago, I started with digital photography. I shot mostly portraits, nature, street and spontaneous situations. Today, I use my hobby for study and work. I started a Facebook page called 2Rad Lübeck which shows the city's bicycle scene and portraits of old and young people with their handmade bikes.

Moreover, I recently got an old photo laboratory, which we want to reintegrate in our school to have our photographic experiments in. I’m very excited about this and the analog art we could create.

How did you find the Community and who/what convinced you to join?

A friend of mine, reizuberflutung, told me about the community after spending some time talking about analog art. He inspired me and actually lighted the fire in my heard to pick up, from time to time, a Porst camera instead of the digital Nikon

As you have read the 10 Golden Rules of Lomography, what rule do you apply in your everyday life?

"You don’t have to know beforehand what you captured on film."

It’s a product of camera, film, and situation. I trust my instinct and emotion!

In this digital age, why still film?

Because I cannot immediately see what I shot, so I have to trust my senses and my knowledge. It’s great to see what the camera in combination with the film can produce with my view of the situation.

Your favorite analog camera as of the moment? Why?

As I only have grandfather’s old Porst, I couldn’t compare it with other cameras. But soon, I will get a Voigtländer and a Minolta, also family heirloom. I’m really surprised and I can’t wait until I use more films and try different techniques.

What is the Lomographic camera you’d want to have someday?

I think a Sprocket Rocket because in some situation I wish I have a wider lens to get the whole scene on a picture.

Any song or movie you live by?

Recently, I saw a movie about Vivian Maier. An incredible woman but also crazy in her way. I don’t live by anything, but sometimes I meet people or hear a song that encourages me and fits in a special period of my life. It’s like a puzzle. Vivian gave me an emotional eye to see something special in the daily street life and notice the small things or details, like slight movements and accidents.

Share your current favorite Lomograph, could be yours or a friend’s. Why?

I really love my album Summer in Denmark because each picture embodies silence.

I shot them during my last summer holiday on Langeland, a small, untouched island. As I had very stressful months of work and study before, I needed that two weeks of silence, without smartphone, internet, and television. There were only nature, beach, bicycle, and camera. Nothing else!

Any Community member you look up to? If so, why him or her?

As I’m a very "young“ member, I haven't see the whole lomo-diversity yet. But I already saw a lot of extraordinary pictures and photographers, so that I was pleasantly surprised about being honored early as Newcomer of the Week.

What are you looking forward to in our Community?

Inspiration, projects. I will also try to cook a color film in hot water and other technical stuff.

Thank you frauhaase and welcome to the community!

written by Eunice Abique on 2015-04-12 #lifestyle #newcomer #newcomer-of-the-week