Kirsten Bruening is an amateur photographer and lives near Cologne. Her passion for photography started in her childhood and she spent many years exploring analogue photography. After a long break of fifteen years, she returned to photography. She loves black and white photography in nature, portraiture, and wildlife.
Winning Position:
3rd Place
In this “Exclusive Interview” section, today we have the opportunity to talk with Kirsten Bruening, as one of her photographs won the Photo of the Month – 114th Month, 3rd Place.
Let’s discover more about Kirsten Bruening, and her forays into photography in the following interview :
Light & Composition
Greetings from Light & Composition University, Kirsten Bruening. How does it feel being selected as the winner of Photo of the Month, 114th Month, 3rd Place?
Kirsten Bruening
It’s a great priveleg to have been voted 3rd place winner.
Light & Composition
Your photograph “Flower Dreams” won the 3rd Place in the Photo of the Month – 114th Month, is a wonderful Close-Up photograph, with artistic perspective, correct lighting, and very well presented. Overall, a great composition! Tell us more about your experience of taking this photograph.
Kirsten Bruening
I took this photo relatively early in the morning in summer. The sun was still relatively low in the sky, so the plants were bathed in a soft light. The morning atmosphere was so beautiful that I decided to capture this moment in black and white. Color would have been simply disturbing in this case, because it would have destroyed the impression of the photo.
Flower Dreams by Kirsten Bruening
Light & Composition
Besides this winning photograph, many people liked and voted for other photographs of yours in the Photo of the Day contest. Are you proud of your work and achievements?
Kirsten Bruening
I believe that one is always the most critical person in relation to one’s work. Personally, I often question my decisions and consider whether I should have chosen a different attitude or perspective and I am also very critical of the attitude mistakes I have made, but that is what drives me to perform better and motivates me to learn and improve continuously. I am grateful for the experience I can gather in the Photo of the Day award.
Light & Composition
How do you see your journey to the world of photography so far?
Kirsten Bruening
As a child I was introduced to the world of analogue photography by my father. It was an exciting journey, which eventually came to an end due to school, family and professional changes. I only started using digital photography again last year and quickly reached my limits. Luckily, I received good advice from the Light & Composition University, so that I can continuously improve my knowledge through the individual courses and always have a competent contact person from the support team.
Light & Composition
As we know, you are originally from Germany. Do you think the rich diverse cultural and artistic heritage of Germany portrayed a different essence to you?
Kirsten Bruening
My parents taught me early on that life means respect. That means that every form of life must be protected, nature, animals and people. I think this is also reflected in my kind of photography.
Light & Composition
Do you like a particular genre of photography and if so, why?
Kirsten Bruening
For me, black and white photography is the purest form of photography. Before I photograph something I imagine how it looks like in black and white. I fade out the colors completely. Light, shadow, contrasts, emotions are much clearer in black and white photography. The true beauty of photography only really comes into its own in black and white.
Light & Composition
One of the keys to any style of photography is visualization. Please tell us how you started this process and what you did afterwards.
Kirsten Bruening
It took me a long time to really visualize. Like many others, in the beginning I just pressed the shutter button. Today, I am able to pay attention to the smallest details and compose an image in my head. I know from which perspective I have to photograph. This is a continuous learning process that cannot really be explained. Visualization must be felt and understood.
Light & Composition
What advice would you give our readers who want to take part in the journey around the world with Photo of the Day?
Kirsten Bruening
Go through the world with open eyes, practice, try something new, understand the rules. Talk to the support team at Light & Composition. Dare to take a course. It’s fun! And it will help you – stop embellishing your photos with Photoshop, Snapseed and the like. They don’t get better, they get worse. And your camera is not responsible for the result.
Light & Composition
Thank you Kirsten, for sharing your feelings and experiences with us.
Unchanged Over Time by Roberto Di Patrizi