The 2017 ZEISS Photography Award ‘Seeing Beyond’ is open for entries. One winning photographer will be awarded with €12,000 worth of ZEISS lenses, €3,000 travel expenses to complete a dream photography project in the location of their choice plus a trip to London to attend the 2017 Sony World Photography Awards ceremony to receive their prize.
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In 2016, Tamina-Florentine Zuch, at just 25 years of age, was announced as the winner of the first-ever ZEISS Photography Award, with her series documenting a train journey through India. Tamina received lenses from ZEISS worth thousands of euros, as well as an offer to cooperate further with the company. We catch up with her to see how her new projects are progressing and what the future holds.
“A journey on an Indian train is never boring. The endless hours are occupied with card games, music, discussion and conversation, or simply the observation of passengers, one by another. For outsiders, such a trip is an exotic, unforgettable experience; for Indians it is simply a part of the daily grind. Every sense is accosted by the extreme conditions: heat, cold, dust, dirt, noise, smells, the lack of space, and most of all by the multitude and multiplicity of it all.” - Tamina-Florentine Zuch
Hi Tamina, thanks for chatting with us. Congratulations once again on your overall win last year. What have you been up to since?
Since April I have been concentrating on my graduation project focussing on the families of migrant workers and their daily life in their home countries. I have been travelling to Romania and Moldova. I also visited the migrant workers in countries like Germany and Switzerland. I also spent five weeks in Ghana working on other, smaller projects.
What advice would you give other young photographers thinking of entering competitions and awards?
I would advise any photographer to enter as many free competitions as possible, as it is useful to spread your own work around, to make sure as many renowned jurors get to see your work, and of course for a chance to possibly win. Some competitions involve quite an effort but often it is worth it. I believe you get to know your own work even better when entering competitions.
How did the win impact your studies?
The win in the 2016 ZEISS Photography Award got my series of ‘Indian Train Journey’ a great deal of attention. Even the BBC global invited me to present my work live on TV. It helped a lot to be able to show my work to a greater audience. A fair amount of photo magazines were interested in interviewing me and showcasing the winning series. All in all it was an interesting experience that helped me learn a lot.
Why photography? That first attracted you to the medium?
Photography is a door-opener to many different worlds I would never have an excess to otherwise. It offers me the possibility to dive into a new world every day, meeting new people, experiencing new things, learning about my surroundings. It is the best job I can imagine.
Tell us about your approach to new projects and work. What is your main aim with your photography?
My aim is to get as closer look as possible to what I am interested in. For example, if I am reading about something, photography offers me the chance to go out in the world and experience it myself. To capture my own point of view on life.
What’s next for you? Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?
Next is to finish my final project at university and graduate in February 2017. After that I would like to do a masters and try to stabilise my career in order to become a professional photographer. In ten years I will hopefully continue to be working on my personal long-term projects.
tamina-florentine.com
ZEISS Photography Award
