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Collect moments, not things! “- Reportage photographer Julía Erz in an interview

“Collect moments, not things!” – reportage photographer Julia Erz in an interview

If you talk to other photographers about the current trend of reportage photography, you will eventually come to Julia Erz. And so it happens that you can not ignore Julia on facebook and Instagram. Authentic and emotional – this is how the young photographer Julia Erz describes the photos from her documentary family reports. The mother of two children offers in South Germany unseen family shootings. We absolutely wanted to get to know her uAnd ask her a few questions.

Dear Julia, you like to describe yourself as a moment collector. What can we imagine?

First of all many thanks for the nice introduction and the invitation for the interview. Yes, that’s right, I call myself a moment collector.

“Collect moments, not things!” Is my constant motto. So many people are looking for anything that fills and fills them. It is so tiny moments for me, which make our lives precious. We dream of our next vacation, of the wedding, which we visit soon, etc. Here are the small moments of everyday life so quickly lost: The first leaf that my daughter gives me. Puddles jump, etc. I capture these little moments photographically in a documentary way. For my children, I see how fast time passes, how fast they grow up.

How many photographers did you do after school and then you discovered your love for photography. Why did you choose photography then??

I’m a nurse in the very first job, but then I studied rehabilitation psychology in Stendal (Saxony-Anhalt) with a Master of Science degree. I volunteered for a long time in hospice work and psycho-oncology (caring for cancer patients).

With the birth of my first child, I have begun to document everything that a “new mother” has to photograph in such a way, when she bursts with pride and simultaneous exhaustion. At the same time, I was looking for a way to pour pictures, but also texts, into a form. I came across digital scrapbooking and started creating our family albums. I have been leading this since 2013. I have dealt with the creation and the workflow a lot. In addition, I have deepened my knowledge in relation to photography autodidactic.

Photography gives me a free space to live my creativity. Psychology, contact with people of all ages, communication – all these are my topics from the previous professions.

As a documentary photographer, all this together with creativity is bundled and that fills me completely.

The need to photographically capture moments of life comes from within – I MUST just do it.

What else should we know about you??

I like humans! Big and small. I would be very happy to meet you!

I am authentic and emotional! My pictures reflect that well.

I love “good”, natural light!

I like to go on vacation and get to know new places. Being on the road, getting to know new people and new places – that means a lot to me. So if you want to book a holiday session, I’m looking forward to seeing you!

What is the exciting thing about documentary family photography??

To dive into other family systems with all their different characters and rituals again and again – that’s incredibly exciting and also very enriching for my own being as a mother. I am always happy to meet the families again and again!

Family life is often chaotic and colorful. What was the best moment you could photographically accompany with a family??

Last year I was allowed to accompany a short reportage. A grandmother, her be />

And what was the saddest moment that you experienced and photographed??

Some time ago, I met a family by accident who had to say goodbye to their star child far too early. I spontaneously agreed to accompany the funeral photo-documentary. It was not easy, yet an important affair of the heart. From my own experience, my daughter is a former extreme early, I know how much one is in such moments “in the fog” and only “works”. In retrospect, we first realized how much we went through. The parents were similar. They are very grateful for these precious memories that I photographically captured.

You’ve specialized in family reports that are increasingly referred to as “day in the life sessions”. What’s so special about this kind of photo shoot? What awaits your customers?

I accompany families in their life for a half or a whole day. This can be in your home, in nature or on vacation. In a documentary way, I capture the life of the family. I’m not a fly on the wall that does not talk to you, we keep talking while I’m there. I want to get to know you and your family in order to be as authentic as possible! For me there is no specific setting change, which means I do not interfere with what’s happening. I capture the moments in a nutshell the way they happen.

What tips would you give our readers along the way if they want to photographically record their own everyday family life??

1.) Take your camera with you, wherever you go with your children or without. There are EVERYWHERE to collect moments. At the dentist, in the library, when shopping … And when it is quiet in the nursery, then take the camera before you look.

2.) If you record your family life photographically, then please, please do not leave your pictures on a data graveyard. These memories are too valuable. I once read the sentence: The most photographed generation has not printed any pictures of themselves. Yes, unfortunately it is! Prints out the pictures you are making. Designed albums. But please do not just leave it on any hard drive.

How do you organize your own family photos? Do you print photobooks or do you stick neatly photographic prints in the classic photo album?

Our family photos are organized in so-called annual albums. I create a weekly double page with many moments from the past week. In addition, there are texts and quotes from family life.

At weddings, birthdays or holidays there are additional double pages that I fill. By the end of the year, if I’ve created 52 double-pages (or more, for special events a year), the album will be printed.

On instagram, I enthusiastically follow your 365 project. What was your motivation and how is it going??

The independent work as a photographer demands a lot of attention, yet it is at my highest priority to even photograph my children. That’s why I set myself this task with the 365er photography project. My children are my inspiration and motivation that I take my camera every day and always take with me when we are not at home. My husband is sometimes a little annoyed, but he also knows what valuable memories arise. One moment each day I select and fill my 365er photography project.

Thanks a million Julia!

Visit the website of Julia Erz. There you will find wonderful real family photos and magical videos of her lively work. Of course, you should also follow Julia on facebook – a like worth it. Regularly a photo of Julia’s 365er photography project can be found on instagram.

Julia Erz Photography, January 2017
Interview: Carolin Bartel
Photos: Julia Erz Photography

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