2019-2020 Schatten Licht – documentary photography: photo series and photo story, photos by Andreas Muhs

Schatten & Licht, Berlin, 2019-2020, 30 photos, analogue

The title of the series, chosen by the B1 Stadtfotografen group for collaborative work, was "Light, City, Edge, Shadow". By taking pictures at night, I implemented the terms "Light" and "Shadow". For the terms "City" and "Edge", I chose shooting locations ranging from the center to the outskirts. For the first time, I used an analogue medium format camera again, the Pentax 6x7. I had last photographed with it in 2002 and then sold the entire system, as I only believed in digital photography. This wrong decision caught up with me years later. I particularly wanted to use the Takumar 105mm and 75mm Shift lenses again. The rediscovery of black and white film and the peculiarities of analogue photography freed me from the dead end of digital photo technology. The decision for motif and perspective is made slower and more concentrated; it does not have to be selected from countless variants on the screen. The starting point for an analogue photo – even if it is digitized – is the tactile film with its specific characteristics and its grain. I myself was one of those who didn't want to believe how different it is to work with an analogue camera. From this supposed step backward, an unexpected euphoria developed for my future free work, such as I had last experienced in the early years. From shadow came light.

Pentax 6x7 + 105 mm