Like a painting

A field of poppies, like a Claude Monet; surreal scenarios of loneliness, in the tradition of Edward Hopper; golden hues and the playful use of light and shadow, as seen in a true Rembrandt. The pictures shown here give space to an additional level of association, through their painting-like quality, and remind us of how close art and reality are at times.

1. John Harper
“I rarely add a title or a description, preferring to leave the viewer to decide about the narrative. I was in a café with my children and had just come back with the breakfast tray. My son was bored, which was evident in his body language. However, I liked the scene and the light, so I paused for a moment, lifted the camera to my eye and pressed the release.”

2. Huan Gao
“I passed the 491 Theatre in Beijing on my way to work. The cultural centre is located there at the former site of a radio station, established in 1918. The saturated colours, combined with the clear lines, resulted in an unbeatable motif. I was happy to have my camera on hand, and took the picture on Kodak Ultramax film.” 

3. Erik Kirkman
“When I light up our living room to take pictures, I use our 40-kilo, Rhodesian Ridgeback dog Rosie as my model. She likes to sit on chairs and be part of our company. The lighting and the look of the camera lend the picture a Caravaggio character. Sometimes Rosie gets a little tired of being photographed. Then I draw her attention back to me, either with a little bell or with a tin of liver pâté.”

4. Felix Rödiger
“Actress Alida Bohnen and I had arranged to meet for an open photo shoot. In the interim, we quite liked the idea of a scene with a clown with a frilled collar and false eyelashes. However, one of the eyelashes just wouldn’t stay in place. When Alida tried to remove it, it stuck so hard to one spot that it pulled her eyelid down. I still remember my precise words at that moment: ‘Hold on a moment. That looks interesting. I’ll take that!’”

5. Jiabin Zhu
“I took this photo in a shopping centre close to where I live. When the light shines through the colourful sheets of glass, it produces a really cool cyber-punk aesthetic. I take pictures there all the time, because I’m convinced that there are great motifs to be found just outside your front door. The colours and the intense light are reminiscent of stained glass windows in a cathedral.” 

6. Michael Mikula
“The particularity of Still Life with Fruit is that none of the objects are real. The fruits are replicas made of porcelain or ceramic. I really appreciate still life photography, because it calms me down and I can take the time to show the items from their most beautiful side. This picture is, among other things, at the heart of my final dissertation, Still Lifes in Contemporary Photography.”

7. He Houzhen
“When I entered the zoo on this winter’s day, the low-sitting sun illuminated the aviary. The scenario revealed a glimpse into a secret world full of different bird species. As a photographer, I’m fascinated at how light can transform mundane spaces into something magical. Particularly in winter, when the days are shorter, these golden moments feel like a special gift.” 

8. Meiyuan Huang
“As I was watching my two goldfish, I was, once again, struck by their sublime beauty in the light of the aquarium. Using my Leica, I took around 550 photos in continuous shooting mode, to capture the sheen of their scales and the elegant, weightless movements of their fins. I finally settled on this view from the back.”

9. Oliver Bentajou
“I was drawn by the various graphic elements of the landscape around the Lower Austrian village of Pönning. I wanted to compose the picture in such a way that all traces of human presence would disappear in it. In this manner, the landscape stands in its own right, and can encourage reflection. I like the idea that a photo includes whatever we project onto it, and that it harbours this invisible presence within itself.” 

10. Johnson Zhu 
“Chengdu has the reputation of being one of the most inclusive towns for queer communities in China. However, my perspective changed when I met this lesbian couple. Despite the city’s good reputation, daily life still remains tough. Their colleagues and families don’t fully accept them, and in many situations they still feel forced to hide their sexual identity. This picture captures an honest and intimate moment between the two.”

11. Marc Balthasart
“This picture was taken on an April morning in the new Mareterra district of Monaco, early enough to avoid the masses of people. This unprecedented expansion of the principality is straightforward, and stands in perfect harmony with the sea. The calmness of the place emanates from the photo. You want to be there, gaze into the distance, and be happy.”

12. Adam Pritchard
“I approached the scene and my lost-in-thought protagonist slowly, rather than directing or constructing the situation. I was fascinated by the quiet, emotional weight of the moment. Instead of documenting a specific event, I wanted to completely draw the focus to her state of being. The light falling through the blinds added to the overall mood of the scene. I only managed to get this shot because of our deep, mutual trust.”