LZB InSight
Frank und Steff
Integration of sequences into a story and giving the images depth is what they’re all about – this weeks stars: Frank und Steff!
This photographers duo lives and works in Stuttgart, Germany and focuses on people, fashion and beauty photography with an artistic twist!
Collaboration on some projects in the mid 90s led towards the decision to make it official and become a true team – a team that realizes everything presented to them. However, there are still many ideas in their minds, just awaiting for the perfect location or model, or simply for the perfect client.
Both Frank and Steff are big fans of People Photography. But when Steff is more into the artistic approach to photography, Frank is the one fascinated by the staged picture language of Fashion Photography. It’s the combination of the two that gives them the opportunity of integrating multiple layers in one image, thus producing the depth important for the image to stand out.
They never carry their cameras around. Frank says that he’s not the type that produces pictures just to fill some hard disc space. He says: “ photography is always a process that needs some reflection in advance. It´s about staging something or somebody.”
When asked about the future, they give out only that they will focus on people in their work while keeping the photography on a high level, carefully planned and executed.
As creative people, what inspires you?
Inspiration can be found anytime at any place. The point is to keep your eyes open. It´s very often the smallest things that give the initial idea to a complex picture or series.
What do you enjoy most when it comes to photography?
The most exiting thing about photography and being a photographer is the uniqueness of each job or project. Every day confronts you with surprises and unknown challenges.
What is the key factor, the ‘it’, in your opinion, in all the people that have what it takes?
It´s the passion for the job and work, and the readiness to surrender to certain situations in order to achieve your creative goals.
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 always realize our projects together, meaning that we discuss our ideas in depth. The idea often changes and gets some new dimensions while talking about it. In case that one of us can´t develop any enthusiasm for an idea, we simply cancel it´s realization. There are so many ideas in our heads that it’s pointless arguing about projects either of us cannot work on with addiction. It´s rather exceptional that we don´t come up with a common concept.
How is it working with Steff/Frank?
F: It´s an exciting experience working with Steff. The fact that we share the same sense of humor guarantees lots of fun on the set. It simply makes me happy working together. I know I can rely on Steff 100%. I love her creativeness, her professionalism and her spontaneity, which are the keystones of delivering a good job.
S: I really enjoy the atmosphere on the set together with Frank. It has become some kind of self-evident working together and it couldn´t work out otherwise. Frank is a very humorous and creative person and he has, thank god, a good understanding of technical issues :-)
In your opinion, who is the most influential person in the world nowadays and why?
Must be someone like Superman. There should be more guys like him in the world that can be at several places in such a short time to overcome the local menaces, there are too many of them to be solved worldwide.
Tolerant, precise, artistically inspired – they’re sure to turn any image into a strong statement. We are looking forward to seeing more exquisite work from this energetic duo – Frank und Steff.
Thank you both for this amazing interview – your LookZoomBook team
Leeloo © LookZoomBook, 2012
