Q&A: Sophie Kietzmann
☆ By Saachi Gupta ☆
Shot by Eliot Oppenheimer, BK 2020
"THERE IS BEAUTY IN SIMPLICITY” is a quote we have all heard several times in our lives, but there is nothing that proves this statement true like the work of NYC-based photographer Sophie Kietzmann.
Born and brought up in Berlin, Kietzmann believes that her photography is a mirror of her own perception of the world. With it, she explores personal topics like identity, sexuality, race and representation. Her work stands out as unique, capturing human emotions and the personalities of her subjects delicately. Representation, to Kietzmann, means responsibility, and with it, she aims to not only grow as an artist and hold herself accountable, but also help awaken awareness within her audience.
Kietzmann’s work has been featured in several publications worldwide, from Vogue Italy and Vanity Fair, to Refinery 29, GQ Italy and Glamour UK. Read on to find out more about Kietzmann's inspirations and aims as a creative, and how her cultural background has influenced her photography.
Nicole (Wespeak NY), BK 2019
LUNA: For those unfamiliar, would you mind introducing yourself and how you got into photography?
KIETZMANN: My name is Sophie and I’m a 90s kid that moved from Berlin to NYC 2 years ago. My dad was a physicist, and later self-taught photographer by profession, and an explorer at heart. From as far back as I can remember, he opened my eyes to the joys of observing, whether that was camping, growing our own crystals in our basement science lab or peaking through the lens of his DSLR. My dad showed me the technical world of this amazing tool that I could utilize to become an observer of my surroundings and therefore in many ways of myself. Photography gave me this great way to look out at the world, find the full spectrum of human emotion, expression, identity and integrity and then capture it in a photo. In many ways photography then becomes a mirror of my own perception of the world.
LUNA: How have you seen your creative aesthetic evolve over the years?
KIETZMANN: I’d say my aesthetic becomes more distinct the more my ethics become formed from the experience I get in this job. I would say I’ve trained my eye for details on a visual level, learned how to amplify the collective voice of my fellow creatives and team members and opened my mind and heart to my subjects– and I’ve been repaid it a million times over. I think my creative aesthetic started to reflect the gratitude I have for that. It fuels me to keep sharpening my “tool” and utilizing it. It’s almost like a gift that keeps on giving and I don’t mean that in a conceited way, but much more that I feel like I am in for a long ride and excited to see what is still to discover.
Alice (The Lions NYC), NY 2019
LUNA: What’s been inspiring you lately?
KIETZMANN: Fragility, definitely, and the humility, humanity and truth that it brings. The fragility of our system, the fragility of my identity and the fragility of the human condition. Inspiration is self analysis, release of ego and pain, creation and inhalation of identity in an endless cycle.
LUNA: Who are some visual inspirations you look to?
KIETZMANN: I always looked to photographers and other artists that had a very specific way of using natural light or imitating natural light in a matter where it’s almost like they are bending nature to reflect the beauty that they were trying to capture. I even feel drawn to it in paintings. Annie Leibovitz has always been that to me but recently I have been a huge fan of Carlota Guerrero and her strong feminist visuals.
From the series “Boys in Wigs” Kevin (Muse), BK, hair by William Blair (BA Reps)
LUNA: What photo are you most proud of in the past year?
KIETZMANN: I am most proud of the images whose voices and messages are being heard the clearest. My aim is always to provide the vehicle for that to happen in the most precise and effective way. The more space my images can hold for that, the prouder I become of it. An image where ethics, aesthetics and truth come together can be very powerful.
LUNA: How do you approach editorial work vs commercial vs personal? Do you have a preference for one vibe over the other lately?
KIETZMANN: I like to judge a project by what degree it can help fulfill a higher purpose. Not every project needs to aim to change the world but I think every project can aim to change one little detail after the other, whether that is the way we treat each other, the way we see each other, the way we trust and accept each other. If that’s the vibe I am going for, then every project holds so much more space for me to explore and create. In all three types of work, I try to search for the expression of truth, of authenticity, of respect and admiration for one another. Everything around that is just a matter of styling, creative referencing, marketing or personal history, which are all great tools.
Ta’Lor (Wespeak NY) and Simbaa, BK 2020
LUNA: How do you think your cultural background has played into your art?
KIETZMANN: I think my cultural background raised me into a specific view of the world, be that belief systems, social constructs, morals, admirations and aspirations. I think it shielded me from certain things and granted me access to others. I can’t say if it has affected my art in a positive or a negative way. All I know is it definitely mattered. The more culture I get to experience, the wider my understanding of the world becomes and the more I open that window. My cultural background will always be there and I am beyond grateful for that because it now allows me to recognize the same importance it has in other people’s lives.
Luisa (Unite Unite), BK 2019, Makeup by Emma Elizabeth
LUNA: Why is representation in the creative field important to you? What role are you trying to play in that?
KIETZMANN: Representation to me means responsibility. My own responsibility and holding myself accountable to portrait my subject as truthfully, respectfully, and kindly as my skills and experience enable me to. It does not mean putting an individual in a forced position of tokenism but the empathy and willingness and commitment to hold space for people’s being, identity, sexuality, expression and truths.
Amira (Wespeak NY), BK 2019, Hair by Emma Elizabeth, Makeup by Molly Fredenberg
LUNA: What do you want people to take away from your work?
KIETZMANN: I’d like them to take away the seed of accessing their own truths. Of glimpsing at their own belief systems, perspectives and positioning in the world and possibly stand on the other side of it for a moment.
LUNA: Do you have any upcoming plans you’d like to share?
KIETZMANN: Some things I hope to see in the near future are teams of creatives collectively contributing to an industry that no longer stands behind any form of sexism, racism, objectification or discrimination.
CONNECT WITH SOPHIE KIETZMANN
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From Pavietra 🕊️ https://t.co/BXVgWlZud8 -
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