SATURATION BERLIN

LAUREN RANDOLPH Do you think your style of photography would be different if you didn’t live in Berlin? You have an eye for what’s found on the street, riding the UBahn, etc. What if you lived in a city like Los Angeles and were commuting more by car, for instance?

KONRAD LANGER In my opinion, the best way to find good and surprising photo locations is by walking, biking, or skating through a city. Overground public transport is ok as well because sometimes you will get some elevated views that expose buildings you won’t see from street level. In Berlin, it is super easy to combine these types of transport and go from spot to spot, neighborhood to neighborhood with open eyes and the ability to stop and shoot wherever you want. That’s not always possible by car. I only take the car for photography when I already know a location that’s a bit further outside. I have never been to Los Angeles and I’ve only heard or seen things on the internet, but it looks like a big area where you basically need to take your own car. That’s something that would stress me out a bit as I love walking and getting lost. I experienced something like this in Dubai last year - the city is just so poorly executed for pedestrians.

KONRAD LANGER Do you think that Berlin as a city has a certain color vibe? If so, can you find the same vibe somewhere in your hometown, Los Angeles, or other cities that you’ve visited?

LAUREN RANDOLPH As much as I love Berlin, I’ve spent the majority of my time there in the winter months when it feels very cold and gray. Because of this, I tend to think of Berlin in these more muted tones, but that’s what makes the color stand out even more. While the city may be muted, it is covered in colorful graffiti, the train stations are stylized and colorful, and when it’s not winter then the parks are green and always full of people. It’s the energy of the city that is full of color, even if the architecture may not be. 

LAUREN RANDOLPH With Berlin being such a moody city, often appearing pretty gray under the clouds, how do you feel sunlight or natural light affects the way you photograph a scene?

KONRAD LANGER I wouldn’t say that Berlin is always moody. There are some days where you only have grey weather, especially in the wintertime, but in spring and summer, you have a good mix of different light situations. I like sunny days with very few clouds but also sunny days with a bit of haze in the morning. Both are great for creating colorful and vivid images.

LAUREN RANDOLPH I know you as a fairly quiet person in social settings, but your photography is so bold. We met because of Instagram and the lively community in Berlin years ago. Is photography more of a solo activity for you, or do you use it as a way to be social/meet/hang out with people? 

KONRAD LANGER Yes, I still remember meeting up in that abandoned swimming pool in Berlin-Lichtenberg for the first time. Back then I used to go to Instagram meetups a lot. They’ve been a great opportunity to meet new and like-minded people from different backgrounds. Instameets for me have always been like a networking kind of thing rather than actual opportunities for producing great content (with a few exceptions). I still like to go out and shoot together with other photographers and people in general, but I like these groups to be smaller. Going solo on photography is fine too - I can take my time whenever I need to. Even before the pandemic, there were fewer just-for-fun Instagram meetups organized. I guess the whole IG-family is scattered into many niche communities nowadays as there are many more users doing different things on the platform anyway.

KONRAD LANGER What do you generally think about the development of Instagram as a platform for artists over the last few years?

LAUREN RANDOLPH I love what Instagram has created as far as a community based around photography. I have made so many friends from around the world, and traveled and seen so many new places that I never imagined visiting. However, like all things, the app has evolved, and how I use it has evolved, too. I never considered Instagram to be something I would use for the rest of my life. The fact that I’ve been consistently sharing photos on Instagram for over a decade is kind of mind-blowing to me. I don’t think it is the best way for photographers to present their work - with single images shared on a small screen. I’m much more of a storyteller, I love to capture and share an entire trip or photos from a whole event. Websites where I can share my work in a full gallery or album seem to be a better fit for the work I like to make. That being said, I don’t see Instagram going anywhere, and I don’t intend to leave the app any time soon. However, I’m not sharing as often as I used to.