My name is Lara Wilde and I am a fine art photographer and film artist living in Berlin. My work evolves around the emotional world of humans in the complexity of the outside world. Most of my pictures have a melancholic tendency. I geek out on lights and love to work with longtime exposure and all sorts of lighting; for me it is the key in photography. Mostly, I work on long projects and photo series with the goal of creating cohesive worlds that tell stories. I exhibited these series all over Europe and love to sneak in on people interpreting my work.
What made you choose the creative path in your life?
It was never a question for me that I wanted to work creatively, I just wasn’t sure if I could make a living out of it. My plan was to just be good at it and trusting that it would turn out fine. Also, to make sure that I did everything I could and because I was “hungry”, I studied three subjects on three different educational institutions simultaneously. I wouldn’t recommend it, but it gave me the opportunity to create from a broad background of tools. Being a trained psychologist also helped me to get into messy subjects and to use photography as a tool in peoples personal growth (mine included).
What is your most memorable project or photo? Or the most successful project?
A while ago I started visiting strangers in my hometown Berlin at night to photograph them. For me, that was special because it combined two things: First, the mysteries that only happen at night; it’s a time where life is less serious and less real. And second, meeting new people with all their worries, fates, and traumas inside the safe space of their home. I never knew what would be behind the door when I knocked, so I couldn’t prepare anything. That kept me on my toes.
What drives you? What’s your favorite type of photography?
What drives me most is playing. Photography – like any art form done with everything you have – gives the opportunity to become something more than we are. Play is just another word for doing something new outside your comfort zone, without judging or controlling. It is freedom in the most extreme and radical form. When we plan, we are strategic with things that we know well. But when we play all the layers of ourselves are putting random pieces together and we built something that is literally unthinkable.
Whose work has influenced you most?
For a long time, Gregory Crewdson had influenced me because of the beauty and complexity of his work. Staging scenes in a more cinematic way is technically challenging, so you need to be excellent in order to work like that. So that’s just cool. I don’t think there is a lot of room for creativity once a shoot is planned because the sets are so big, and you need a lot of people. That’s where I work differently.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Really look at your work. Don’t look what other people do and don’t give too much about what other people say about what you do. I get angry every time I open Instagram and see how similar the visuality is becoming. I know a lot of photographers who are not trained and not very technical, but they have something unique to say and that’s how they survive in the industry. Finding your creative voice is more crucial than ever before. With looking at your work I mean putting it away and looking at it again and again. Seeing it with fresh eyes and asking yourself, what does it tell you? How could it be stronger? How would the story continue?
Is there any place in the world that you wish to be tomorrow with your camera?
Home. Everyone who needs to get far has not seen the beautiful universe right in the backyard. I love to photograph foreign places, but I am a guest there. In my studio, in my house or in my city I am an expert, so I can go much deeper.
What’s your opinion on the NFT and how will it impact the art industry?
I think blockchain in general has the possibility to help artists in the future when it comes to copyright questions and selling art. I photograph mostly digital, but I know the big difference between a digital image and a picture on the wall. I like to sell printed copies, knowing there are people somewhere that look at my art when they eat their breakfast, or fight, or make love. It’s a part of their live. I think NFTs can be an addition to that “real copy” when it comes to authentication. I don’t think the betting war on unique but cheap little pictures which is associated with NTF will continue.
What’s in store for you for next projects / years?
Right now, I work in cooperation with a women’s shelter, and tell the stories of the women there. I am learning a lot about how it is to start from scratch in the German bureaucracy and I feel inspired by the tough cookies making their way back into the world. I cannot talk about my next big project, but I can talk about my wonderful random shoots that I can recommend to every photographer that feels stuck: I have a deep connection to randomness, so I invite models and ask them to bring some items. Then, I draw a theme and a technique out of my hat and get to work. It’s still magical for me to see how everything comes together as if someone had planned the whole thing.
Where can we find you and your work?
You can find my work on my website: https://www.lara-wilde.com , on Instagram: lara_wilde , and hopefully in your local gallery (if not, call me 😉 )
