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Room with a View
Room with a View
Julia Baier
March 26, 2015
Berlin photographer Julia Baier is known for her timeless images and unusual perspectives. It was in the Suspension series she produced for the special 10x10 exhibition, celebrating Leica Photograph’s 100 year jubilee, that a picture of her backyard appeared for the first time. In a short interview, Baier reveals how this has developed into one of her regular photographic motifs.
Why did you come up with the idea of photographing your backyard?
As is often the case, my pictures are a reaction to something unpredictable. The view from my bathroom window towards the backyard is the first one I see after getting up in the morning. Has it snowed? Or did it rain? What clothes do I have to wear? Is my bicycle still there? Suddenly, one day there was an enormous pond out there, a backyard lake; it drew the sky downwards and magically opened up the backyard. I had to grab my camera immediately. So, every day I look for something new: what’s changed in this microcosm behind my house – whether it’s traces left my neighbours or the traces of time.
If you had a choice, which window would you like to take pictures from?
I’d like to continue taking them from my bathroom window on the second floor of the building – the project is far from boring as yet.
What is the biggest compliment you could be given for your pictures?
The loveliest thing is when someone says that my pictures have touched them. I like to hear that they have depth and different levels that can't be expressed in words.
The series earned her the second prize of the European Award for architecture photography architekturbild 2015. You can find a magazine containing all the photos from the 10x10 exhibition at www.lfi-online.de.
Why did you come up with the idea of photographing your backyard?
As is often the case, my pictures are a reaction to something unpredictable. The view from my bathroom window towards the backyard is the first one I see after getting up in the morning. Has it snowed? Or did it rain? What clothes do I have to wear? Is my bicycle still there? Suddenly, one day there was an enormous pond out there, a backyard lake; it drew the sky downwards and magically opened up the backyard. I had to grab my camera immediately. So, every day I look for something new: what’s changed in this microcosm behind my house – whether it’s traces left my neighbours or the traces of time.
If you had a choice, which window would you like to take pictures from?
I’d like to continue taking them from my bathroom window on the second floor of the building – the project is far from boring as yet.
What is the biggest compliment you could be given for your pictures?
The loveliest thing is when someone says that my pictures have touched them. I like to hear that they have depth and different levels that can't be expressed in words.
The series earned her the second prize of the European Award for architecture photography architekturbild 2015. You can find a magazine containing all the photos from the 10x10 exhibition at www.lfi-online.de.
ALL IMAGES ON THIS PAGE: © Julia Baier
Julia Baier+-
Born in Augsburg in 1971, Baier studied at Bremen University from 1991 to 1995, followed by Graphic Design at the Bremen University of Fine Arts from 1995 to 2002. She works on personal artistic projects, as well as on assignment for magazines, institutions, agencies and clients. She has received numerous grants and awards. She has been a member of the international photography collective UP Photographers, since 2019, and lives in Berlin. More
