This is an English transcript of the interview in LE MAGAZINE issue 10 that originally appeared in German.
This is an English transcript of the interview in LE MAGAZINE issue 10 that originally appeared in German.
Foreword by Stefan Kreienbrock
Thorsten Overgaard had been on my interview guest list for quite some time. When I reached out two years ago for another magazine, the message got lost, but now I made a second attempt and was rewarded with a confirmation. He was born in the same year as I was, but as I found out, he was involved in different things during his childhood.
Thorsten Overgaard
in San Francosco. Photo by Paulo Fontes.
He was very ambitious as a child and sold his first photo at the age of 15 to the advertising agency Ogilvy and Mather. In fact, he preferred writing articles for various newspapers and monthly magazines. Four years later, at age 19, he founded his own advertising agency, which had its ups and downs. But he kept starting new ventures until he sold his company in 2000.
No longer interested in big business deals, he wanted to work with the camera again, but not as a photographer. He wanted to tell stories with his photos by portraying and interviewing entrepreneurs to reveal their soul and character.
And so, we do have something in common because I also found my passion in storytelling through writing and photography. And just like Thorsten, I am not focused on making money but on giving something back through my photography and writing.
Thorsten writes in his book "A Little Book on Photography," which is very well-written, serving as a biography, a small guide, and an inspiration to work on oneself: "For me, local children visiting a garden and finding fresh apples are more relevant than a story about two people who died in Iraq. I always write and photograph what I would like to see myself. Play the music you would like to hear, as they say in music. I have remained independent and true to my own goals and style."
Thorsten Overgaard interview by Stefan Kreienbrock
Le.-M: Thorsten, we have already learned quite a bit about you in the foreword. Many of our readers know you as the Danish-American, multiple award-winning photographer famous for your writings, photographs, and Leica cameras. Please introduce yourself briefly to our readers.
Thorsten: I am a photographer, author, and teacher. The best feedback I receive is when people tell me that I made photography easy to understand and that they became enthusiastic about photography after reading my books or meeting me. Or even better, they looked at my photos and felt inspired to start photographing themselves.
I see myself primarily as a storyteller, and I have managed to integrate the legacy of Leica and the often dry techniques of color and exposure into my ongoing narratives and workshops around the world.
The photo editor John Morris, who worked with Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, and many other great photographers in the early days of Leica reportage photography, said about them: "I don't think they were interested in talking about photography itself; photography was simply their way of expressing themselves about the world and events. They didn't talk about apertures and exposures and which film they used."
Le.-M: You say about yourself that one does not live forever. The time each person spends with themselves is in a way a documentation of their own life. You travel up to 25 times a year to different countries; doesn't time pass twice as fast in such cases?
Thorsten: Life is like a photograph. A day may not seem like much, but when you look back, it's the memorable moments that make up a life. Something that happened, and I photographed it, remains as a memory.
And if I can make it more beautiful than it actually was, I make the world more beautiful: "An artist is a creator of future realities." I find that if you travel a lot and work a lot, it seems like you have lived more time than you actually had.
There is also a responsibility to preserve moments for now and forever. My slogan is: "Everything has to go somewhere," meaning that a photo, a poem, or a novel that you create must get out there.
A barista makes coffee for people, a bricklayer builds houses for people, and a photographer takes pictures for people to see.
You have to believe in yourself and in the significance of what you do. Not even the greatest photographers were aware of the value of their images for posterity.
Henri Cartier-Bresson did not expect a building to be erected in Paris to house his legacy, "Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson," and Helmut Newton did not anticipate a building in Berlin, "Helmut Newton Foundation" or that his signed photos would sell for over $100,000. Had they dared to believe that, they would have printed and signed more photos and perhaps even taken more.
It's not about fame for me, but about how one contributes to the culture of humanity with their skills and work. It's not about being noticed, but about being remembered. Photos have the property of becoming more valuable with age.
Le.-M:I read that you are building a photo archive with your photos - what exactly is behind this idea?
Thorsten: The most important thing in life is to keep creating content. If you felt the urge to get a camera, then get one. And if you feel "there is a picture," then take it! I have an archive of about 130,000 photos ready for use. That is my stock from which I draw images to illustrate my books, articles, videos, etc.
There is no "one-size-fits-all" solution for using photos. As a photographer, you must be both an artist and an entrepreneur. The business models for distribution have changed and will continue to change over the next centuries, so the first step is to take photos. Once you have photos, you have something to share.
Rodney Smith's widow, Mrs. Leslie Smolan, did a good job. She ensured that Rodney Smith's photos made it into the Getty Museum collection, into the rooms of five-star hotels, and that Hermes used them in an international campaign. This is an example of content continuing to have value.
So, you create content and later figure out how to use it. The genius of art is that you create it once and then use it many times.
Elliott Erwitt (1928-2023) knew this and told everyone and their mother how great "copyright" is: As an artist, you own your works and have the right to publish them, again and again, from the same negative.
It's like printing money, only there's no business model, so you have to figure out for yourself: "How do I get my pictures used and paid for?"
Le.-M: What would you say are your best photos: your commissioned works or those you spontaneously took on your travels?
Thorsten: Commissioned works give you access, bring you to places, and are a lot of fun in themselves. And you learn to take photos that tell the story, complete them, and deliver them. You never leave empty-handed; you always deliver. Plus, there is competition, and you want to be the one who takes the best photos from that days event. So, you sharpen your technical skills, your prediction, your timing, and your ability to tell the truth.
When you flip through a magazine or newspaper, there are very few photos worth hanging on the wall. But the photos the photographer took on travels, behind the scenes, or simply felt like doing with their camera, become part of history. The "Makeup Girl" (2011) is an example taken backstage at Fashion Week. Getty Images that I worked with at that time, couldn't care less about what happens backstage, but I do.
This has nothing to do with a current event but is a historical photo from any time you believe it was taken.
In the long run, even self-assigned tasks can be valuable because they get you moving and encourage you to search and produce. They give you a goal.
The task can be as simple as: “Take two hours to have a coffee,” because on the way there, you will experience and see things that might result in a great photo.
Or the task could be to document your children or grandchildren. Or doors in Spain. Give yourself an assignment to take photos.
I was fortunate to work a lot with Queen Margrethe of Denmark, and the photos I cherish the most are the less official ones, and honestly, I believe she does too. They show her personality.
Le.-M:You say that when you pursue your own goals and ideas, you are able to do something valuable. What exactly do you mean by that?
Thorsten: I believe that’s how the world works and how it should work: You do something you believe should be done, something you enjoy, a passion, a calling in life, something that should be done in a smarter way, and then there is almost a natural law that people who do valuable things get rewarded.
I firmly believe that I want to create things that I enjoy looking at and buying, and then people who share the same values will find me and pay me for it.
Le.-M: You are very ambitious in your work, no matter what you do, and if something doesn’t work out, do you quickly become impatient? Or do you remain calm?
Thorsten: I learned from my mother that within twenty minutes, I would have found a new solution.
There is a saying: “If a motion comes in, use and win,” and sometimes it feels like a problem or a setback is the universe telling you that more is expected of you. So, you stand your ground.
When everything is going well and you’re the “Man of the Year,” when strangers in a hotel lobby want to take a selfie with you, and Leica wants to exhibit your work, it’s important to recognize that this is not the beginning of an era but the reward for something you have already done.
From that point on, it will gradually fade, and that is when you need to set a new goal, redefine yourself, reinvent yourself, and work on the new opportunities and challenges instead of just standing around and enjoying the sunshine.
Le.-M: In street photography, it's about capturing that one moment on the street. Is there a photo that is particularly special to you personally? And when did you feel that this was the moment?
Thorsten: "A Moment in Istanbul" is a good title for this photo because it was - as always - a moment. What was special about this moment was that it was a dead moment of the day, a walk uphill in the heat, in a boring street environment, a dead end for the mind.
And then, just as I was about to give up working, I took this shot. It confirms what I always say: A photo can happen at any time, and when it does, it is unpredictable and unplanned.
Most great photos are only 1/125 of a second of life for the person who took them, but some of them take on an inner life and meaning - often to the complete surprise of the photographer.
"Dickens in Boston" is a completely different scene, but one where I walked around for two hours despite the weather - because I was thrilled by the unique weather.
At one point, I held this frame for maybe 3-4 minutes, waiting for a subject, while my hands were freezing and the ice snow was hitting the lens and camera.
You don’t know if it will work out, but most of the time it does, and this was one of those times.
In a way, the work was so easy to do that it feels wrong to call it work.
Le.-M: In Germany, there are currently a lot of street photographers or those who want to become one. What do you think is the reason for this?
Thorsten: The ability to take a photo is an amazing technology. There are many reasons, but let’s consider this: Since 2016, the world has moved towards "for and against" and "us and them," as if minds and opinions were at war. In such a climate, taking a photo is liberating because it contains so many possible nuances of how you see the world, yet allows the viewer to see it in their own way. It’s enlightening. It really happened. You are alive. You communicate.
Le.-M: What do you think should be included in a good street photo? Is there a kind of guideline you follow? Or does it always depend on the circumstances of the street?
Thorsten: When I "see" a photo, I take it, and my goal is to shorten the time between seeing it and photographing it. By this, I mean that I don't think or deliberate but simply recognize that there is something there and capture it.
A good photo has a similar emotional effect on those who view it as it had on you when you saw it. It’s pretty inexplicable, but you saw it. It’s just there, and any good street photo is just there.
When you, like me, have taught thousands of photographers on the street, you realize that everyone is unique and sees their own things in their own way.
Le.-M: When you are alone on the street and trying to find a story or a compelling photo, do you listen to music or focus on photographing?
Thorsten: I like to see things clearly, so I don't use sunglasses or headphones. Nor do I hide myself and what I do. I want to be the fly on the wall, and that's how people usually perceive me.
I find it inspiring to take a break, sit on a bench, have a coffee, and watch people. Or I like to go to a quiet courtyard, a church, or a park to explore the light. I mostly seek out quiet places, but if I find myself on a busy street, at a concert, or in a crowd at an airport, I can observe what is happening around me by standing still, becoming as unnoticed as a lamppost, while the photos come to me.
Le.-M: Your workshops are held worldwide, which means you travel a lot. Doesn’t it get boring in the long run when the same questions are always asked in a workshop? Or does it differ from country to country?
Thorsten: I travel a lot, but I am also at home in Clearwater, Florida, where I can immerse myself in finishing books and video courses that I started while on the road.
Photography seems to be a topic I can talk about endlessly, and when someone has a question, it feels fresh to answer it. The participants in my workshops are usually very competent people who are successful in life and happen to share the same attitude towards their passion for photography. Their questions are always intelligent, and it is fun to interact with such people.
The questions can relate to something I wrote or said, or to the way I do something (e.g., using a lens at its widest aperture), how to photograph strangers, or how to understand what the "magic of light" looks like.
Surprisingly, it’s not the repetition of people's questions that bores me; now and then, I find myself hopelessly bored because I am so predictable as Thorsten Overgaard. "Haven’t I already taken enough of these photos?" But then, when I look at my pictures from yesterday, from six months ago, or from eight years ago, they do make sense.
And when others ask about them with great interest, the meaning becomes even clearer. "When in doubt, do the usual" is another saying I follow when I have days where I wonder if there is a higher purpose in life.
Personally, I think Henri Cartier-Bresson should have continued making portraits (he stopped photographing and started painting instead).
He was a master of portraits, and each of his pictures is worth every minute you spend with it. But I can understand that he felt he had explored everything and wasn’t developing further. However, I would have told him that while each portrait may look like another, each has unique value, both for the viewer and, of course, for the subject.
Le.-M:Thank you for taking the time for the interview, and we wish you many more great photos in your archive.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this interview by Stefan Kreienbrock X LE MAGAZINE 010 DAS SCHWARZ-WEISS-MAGAZIN. You are always welcome to email me with ideas, commens and suggestions.
Above: LE MAGAZINE interview with Thorsten von Overgaard.
LE MAGAZINE 010 DAS SCHWARZ-WEISS-MAGAZIN is available as printed magazine, and as digital iPad edition. Editor Stefan Kreinbrock.
Thorsten Overgaard in Paris.
Thorsten von Overgaard is a Danish-American multiple award-winning photographer, known for his writings about photography and Leica cameras. He travels to more than 25 countries a year, photographing and teaching workshops to photographers. Some photos are available as signed editions via galleries or online. For specific photography needs, contact Thorsten Overgaard via email.
You can follow Thorsten Overgaard at his television channel magicoflight.tv.
