Interviews
Maja Böcking
Maja Böcking is a passionate photographer based in Northern Germany, specializing in analogue film photography.
Her work is deeply inspired by the aesthetics of light, the serene beauty of natural environments, and the unique presence of animals coexisting in human spaces.
Maja’s focus is to capture the quiet beauty of stillness, whether it is discovered spontaneously or intentionally created. Through the medium of analogue film, she has found the perfect tool to reveal the subtle, underlying presence of her subjects, allowing each moment to resonate with a timeless quality.
Your portfolio showcases a variety of subjects, from serene landscapes to intimate portraits. How do you choose the themes for your projects?
There is a very simple rule: I try to capture what is around me, close to me and within me. Most of my work, I think it is about 90 percent of my landscape work, was done within a maximum radius of 5 km from my home. I try to take advantage of every opportunity to travel and explore new places. But what is most satisfying and challenging is capturing and uncovering the fascination of everyday landscapes and settings. It is not about running around 24/7 with my camera in my bag and taking pictures of everything around me, but waiting, observing and sometimes even analyzing what makes landscapes and subjects attractive. Most of the time, it’s a particular quality of light and weather that excites me. It often creates a unique mood that draws me in.
Analog photography seems to be a significant part of your work. What draws you to this medium in today’s digital age?
I took my first steps in analog photography during my art and media studies at university. For over a decade I used digital and analog cameras simultaneously. At a certain point in my creative work, I was both stuck and overwhelmed by what digital photography is today: there are literally no limits to it (be it settings, editing, or the endless number of shots you can take). I felt disconnected from what photography meant to me: having a vision of something and feeling the need to make it your own and find your own language. That was when I decided to go all in on film photography. I simply love the craftsmanship of it, handling the material and feeling its haptics. This makes the process of creation more real and reliable to me than digital. At least for the moment. I have to work through the creation of an image step by step, making many individual conscious decisions that also set limits. It starts with the choice between 35 mm or 120 film, the camera, whether to shoot color or black and white film and what film speed is needed, how to develop the film and how to scan it or print it in the darkroom… There are so many decisions to make before you finally have a finished print in your hands: this is what makes the process more tangible and also more personal for me. It’s really a dance between the risk of not having a shot at the end of the day, or the chance of creating something outstanding that is the result of all your decisions and experiences. All the safety nets of instant control on the digital screen or multiple memory cards are absent.
I try to capture what is around me, close to me and within me. Most of my work, I think it is about 90 percent of my landscape work, was done within a maximum radius of 5 km from my home. What is most satisfying and challenging is capturing and uncovering the fascination of everyday landscapes and settings. It’s not about running around 24/7 with my camera, but waiting, observing and sometimes even analyzing what makes landscapes and subjects attractive.
Can you share the story behind your ‘Pretty Lady Tree’ series? What inspired you to focus on this particular subject?
I started the “Pretty Lady Tree” series the moment I decided to shoot exclusively on film for at least a year (still going on 3 years later). It was clear to me that I needed to work on a very consistent project in order to best self-reflect the development of my creativity and my new skills required for the complete analog process. On a warm summer evening I jumped on my bike, in my typical manner, with my trusty dog Mina by my side, and shot a roll of color film along the fields near my neighborhood.
It happened to be the first roll of color film I ever developed myself, and it failed in parts. But as you may know, repetition is the key to success. So I went back to that German oak tree with a new roll of film and it came out so beautiful. I was hooked ever since, and this place became a kind of playground for exploring new films, filters and techniques. Trees have an inherent symbolic power. They are symbols of life, generations, growth, nature and much more. They have a natural, almost heavenly appeal. But what is most important for my series is that we like to attribute a human nature to them. We like to humanize their appearance and apply it to our personal constitution. After almost three years, every new visit to the “Pretty Lady” has become more and more personal for me. It’s like we grew (up) together in many ways.
The ‘Light Collector’ series features intriguing compositions and captures evocative night scenes in small towns. What message or emotion were you aiming to convey through this series? Can you elaborate on the concept and creative process behind these images?
The “Light Collector” series is about the tension between the small town idyll, its absurdities and peculiarities, and its hidden aesthetics. It shows lonely street scenes where artificial light sources meet natural elements and sometimes create strange interactions. In contrast to my other landscape work, here I focus on this encounter between man-made space and nature. I am interested in how artificial light often creates bizarre new spaces and directs our perception differently than daylight, opening up a new way of seeing the everyday. The initial spark for this series came when, on my way home, I saw a strange-looking street lamp, almost completely surrounded by a flowering hedge. I passed this place several times a day in my car. But I decided to come back in the evening, when the streetlights are on. Since then, I have been looking around carefully in my everyday life to discover and document more of these curious phenomena in the cloak of darkness. At night, it is easier to sneak around with a bulky camera like my Mamiya RZ67 and a large tripod without attracting unpleasant attention. Still, being out alone in the dark gives me a nervous tingle. But as soon as I start setting up my camera, I concentrate on my work and forget everything around me. Creating gives me security and confidence. And sometimes I’ve even had a positive exchange with a seemingly dark figure who was interested in my sensational camera.
You’ve photographed both animals and humans in natural settings. How do you approach capturing the essence of your subjects in these environments?
Portraits are my biggest challenge. That’s why all the images in my portfolio so far are self portraits. Some of them are very time consuming and therefore rare. But I admire such amazing portrait photographers as Joan Boaz or Freya Najade. I’m looking forward to expanding this field. I just love animals! It’s the most natural and rewarding thing in the world for me to be around them and experience their quirks, but also their love and connection to us humans. We have had chickens and dogs for years. So it’s very natural for me to shoot them. As I said before, my dog is always with me when I go on my photography trips. So it is natural for me to photograph her in between. We have worked hard on our mutual trust and, of course, the rewards. My dog now knows that when I look down into the black box, she will not leave her position until she hears the click of the release button. And even my hen, Miezi, now knows that she has to wait a bit until I have focused and exposed correctly. Photographing animals means being spontaneous, having patience, and not being disappointed when no pictures come out. It only works if they are open to it. You can’t force them to cooperate, but with patience, trust and tasty treats you can win their hearts in the long run. When they feel comfortable and safe in your presence, they will let you look deep into their soul. That’s what I’m aiming for.
Film choice plays a crucial role in the aesthetic of your photographs. How do you decide which film to use for a particular project or scene?
Over the years, I have tried as many different types of film as possible and explored their characteristics. For a long time, I worked exclusively freehand with a heavy camera and needed faster shutter speeds to get blur-free images. This required fast films such as Kodak Portra 400/800 or Ilford Kentmere 400. For landscapes, Ektar 100 delivers vibrant colors and has a fine grain that is barely noticeable. For color portraits of my Dalmatian, I prefer the Portra 800 because it brings out the brown color of her coat so beautifully. I started more than a decade ago with black and white film. It will always be my anchor in photography. The reduction to light and dark and the simplification of the subject almost always works in my opinion. On moody days and for most of my self-portraits, I love to shoot black and white films like Kodak Tri-X 400 and Ilford Kentmere 100.
Reflecting on your body of work, how has your photographic style evolved over the years, and what influences have shaped this evolution?
My photographic style has definitely been influenced by my art and media studies and my work in a photo art gallery. It’s important to look at other artists’ portfolios, whether they are photographers, painters, graphic artists, or video artists. Of course, social media has become increasingly important. But once the algorithm has put you in a bubble, you will discover little new. I try to invest in print magazines, photobooks and zines, as for me, there are few opportunities to go to exciting exhibitions. But the most important development came from within, from the day I decided to take photography more seriously. I want to make it my art and evolve it. I used to take photographs more by chance. Now I go out to shoot on purpose. I often have a vision of the image I want to create. Or even dreamed about it. Which is not as rare as one might think. Compared to my earlier work, I reduce and isolate more. The reduction to a few elements and a simple composition resonates with my search for a pervasive beauty of stillness.
