LZB InSight
SCANDERBEG SAUER PHOTOGRAPHY
Extremely industrial, extremely loud, extremely dirty, extremely distant locations to most of the people – you can bet that there’s where SCANDERBEG SAUER will be!
In all the extreme oddness - they find extreme beauty.
Andreana and Alexander’s very fruitful collaboration in 2005 lead to the founding of SCANDERBEG SAUER PHOTOGRAPHY one year later.
The goal was set to be quite simple: ‘Love what you do, do what you love!’.
Their work is internationally recognized and it’s primarily focused on Corporate-Industrial-People & Landscape photography, all characterized by a unique visual expression and consistent vision.
Being that good at what they do - they will un-doubtfully continue concentrating on their proven strengths.
Having a deep interest in people, they search for the interaction between mankind and technology. The things that most people might find quite dull are all the more fun to this dynamic duo: research centers, chemistry headquarters, airports, harbors, refineries, etc.! “We love difficult, challenging working conditions!”
Based in Switzerland, the place where their hearts are, the company doesn’t only deal with photography, but also offers post-production and production services – e.g. research, budgeting and controlling, production management, location scouting, etc. So booking Scanderbeg Sauer will get you all!
The company is lead by pure decisive perfectionists that are very persistent in “making certain that a job is done right, on time and on budget” - any client can be sure he’s getting the best of the best!
When asked how is it working with each other, they say that even after many years it never gets dull and continues to be an enriching experience. Andreana would say that the secret behind their success might be the fact that they “are quite different but complement one another perfectly…”
As we see it, it’s only getting better and better!
Following is a bit deeper insight into what they’ve been up to as a team and what are they like as individuals.
Funny how some things happen.. and last! ;)
Is there something you’d like to shoot and still didn’t get a chance to? And are there any projects you said “no” to?
There are many things we’d like to shoot! We’re open to new encounters and emotions, and no matter how small or major the project will be - we allow ourselves to be surprised by it…
We try to create a working environment where mutual support, trust and appreciation are familiar elements. We’ve had a case where - already during negotiations - expectations were poles apart. So, we relied on our gut feeling, took the decision to say ‘no’ – and communicated honestly, directly and clearly. It turned out to be a positive experience!
Best photo-shoot experience so far? Can you describe the feeling of being somewhere and exploring emotions of a place that only a few people get to experience?
We travelled to a secluded airport in California’s Mojave Desert to realize our DECOMMISSIONED project. We have taken photographs of these dying aircraft and turned them into a metaphor for the economy’s disturbing dependence on oil. This work has been a completely different side to the modern industrial society which we normally photograph in our commissioned works. What we saw were the staple favorites: a Jumbo Jet, a DC-10, a Convair – all somewhat worse for wear, but perfectly recognizable. Missing undercarriages, engines and even completely missing wings could not overshadow beauty. There was nothing left of dynamism there, nothing more moved. Man fades out leaving only the relics of his existence behind… Our deliberately chosen views have breathed new life into these eviscerated airplanes and, fascinating as these metal giants are, the nauseating thought of ‘Peak Oil’ is thrust to the fore. We had so much fun with this project and the cherry on the cake was the selection as a PDN Photo Annual winner as well as HASSELBLAD MASTERS FINALIST!
Does it sometimes come to the point where your artistic views on a certain subject don’t match? What do you do then? Who wins? :)
We find it stimulating to harmonize views in a proactive and solution-oriented approach. It’s an essential part of a qualitative and creative way of working - which aims to create a win-win situation.
ALEXANDER SAUER has over fifteen years of experience as a working professional photographer and has built a successful international career. Self-employed since 2002 he has been working all over the globe in the field of advertising, annual reports, corporate communication, editorial, industry and people. He says that his collaboration with Andreana is the best thing that could’ve happened to him. He believes that he can learn so much from the past, but is very open to new things, moments and developments. Their world of industrial and corporate photography gets very real at times, but being privileged to travel the world, meeting many people from different countries and cultures is what he considers to be magically fulfilling!
ANDREANA SCANDERBEG is the primary point of contact for customers, agencies and partners when it comes to SCANDERBEG SAUER. She holds a strong track record in leadership, strategic and operational business planning as well as managing international projects – all gained during a successful 10-year career at one of the world’s largest financial services companies. In 2005, she wanted to get more creative and joined Alexander as his manager and representative. She loves to coach and mentor, as well as meet all kinds of people worldwide. She loves to challenge herself with beginnings and unknown territories. Andreana keeps dreaming of a world where there is no discrimination, hate and violence, she’s a passionate cook, a spicy food addict and a night owl that really knows ho to set up her priorities!
To end this interview - a reminder from Alexander: “Sometimes less is more!” :)
Andreana and Alexander – thank you for the beautiful interview!
Leeloo © LookZoomBook, 2011
