65 — Lottermann and Fuentes

LOTTERMANN AND FUENTES

left Nada Lottermann, Jürgen "Kloppo" Klopp (manager of Premier League club Liverpool F.C.) and Vanessa Fuentes, private shooting. cover Jella Haase for "FAZ Magazin".

LOTTERMANN AND FUENTES

Lottermann and Fuentes

Telling stories and taking photos with the dynamite duo

How did you first meet and become a working partnership?

NADA We met at school, when we were both 10!

That’s 35 years ago now. When we finished school, Vanessa went to Berlin and I went to Athens. We met again in Berlin.

After that I think Vanessa came back to Frankfurt, she was studying at the university here and I was doing magazines and styling.

VANESSA I studied art and visual communication.

I worked as an assistant, and Nada was working as a stylist, doing this art/fashion magazine called "Neue Mode Magazin", by herself. N I was always involved in fashion somehow.

And one day, I had this job for a theatre in Mainz. They were doing a kind of book to present the house, with photos of all the ballet dancers, and the opera and so on. And I thought, "Oh, I would like to work with Vanessa as a photographer."

V After school, we found ourselves in the same scene again, we were both into creativity. In Berlin too we would meet up. Nada was working on shoots and I had some other projects. But we would have sleep-overs and talk about all this stuff.

So, the theatre job was your first collaboration?

N Yes, and it worked so well with us together, that we realised we should think about becoming a team. This was the beginning.

Actors Aaron and Lenny Altaras in Los Angeles for "Stern Mode Special".

Actor Frederick Lau, short film production in Panama for "Viva con Agua".

We don’t want to change the person. We just want to show them in the picture, as we saw them in reality.

Did you train as photographers or learn by doing?

N I thought, if you want to be a photographer, you have to study photography. That was my opinion.

After school though, I thought, "I don’t want to study." I’ve always been the odd autodidact. I want to start now, I want to take a camera and shoot. I don’t want to go to lessons and listen to teachers tell me, 'okay, you have to do it like this.'

I find that very boring. I was also bored of school. So I finished school very quick too!

Later, when I was working as a stylist in Berlin, I was always complaining to my agent about fashion shoots. I was carrying all those nice clothes. And I arrived, and then the photographer made really bad photos, in my opinion. And I would say, "I did all this work. And you see the pictures are not great. It’s so boring." So, my agent said, "Okay, please buy a camera and do it yourself." That’s how it started. Around that same time I met Vanessa again and we did the shoot together.

Did you go straight into shooting with the price tag still on the camera?

N Actually, I went on a round-the-world trip with my family for six months. And I practiced with the camera all the time. So when I came back, I knew, 'Okay, the camera works.' So we bought the same camera for Vanessa and then it was just, "Let’s get started!"

V That’s the thing about our work now. It’s not about the technique. It’s not about the camera and lamps and everything. Or the lenses and stuff. It’s about the the colours, the people you have in front and beside you. In front and behind the camera, and the mood of the day too.

N And the schedule and the goal.

When you’re not on a shoot, are you together in the office developing pictures or are you off doing your own things?

N No, we usually work together every day. That means we have our meeting every morning around nine or ten. And then we have our office and we work on jobs like retouching or doing selections or moodboards – everything that has to do with photography.

Do you share all the jobs?

Or does one of you specialise in certain areas?

N We share everything. There is no 'you are better at moodboards or you are better at this or that'. We do everything together.

Of course, sometimes one of us has to do a selection and the other one has to do a moodboard. But there are no strict rules, like 'that’s your part, that’s my part.'

Does that mean that each of you bring something different to each of those jobs?

V It’s really specific. If one of us is in the mood to pick up a particular job, then go ahead! We’ve known each other for so long that we know if the other one can’t carry on with a particular task anymore. For example, after looking at something for so long, I might just say, "I can’t see it anymore, you have to take over."

Or if Nada did the moodboard in the beginning. But now she’s reached a point where she’s not sure and asks me, "Should we do more of this or that?" I’ll take over. It just depends on the moment, the mood. It’s more about atmosphere.

After a while looking at pictures you must get to the point where it’s hard to tell good from bad?

N That’s one of the reasons we like to work together as well. Because, sometimes, after a while, you can’t see it anymore, or you become too focussed into the details. But then the other one comes along and looks over your shoulder and says something like, "Oh no, that’s good. That’s enough. That’s perfect." And so we can just finish work. But it could also be more, "Oh no, that’s not good. We should take some more pictures..." The dialogue is there, always.

Given the millions of photos being taken and shared every day, how do you manage to create something that’s original and different?

N I think it’s a combination of having fun at work and communication with the person you’re shooting. We are very communicative. We love to be surrounded by people. And we love to have fun. We laugh a lot.

I think it’s the chemistry between having fun, loving your work and the people you are shooting.

V I have to say, we are really perfectionists in the particular way we see beauty.

But in a broader sense.

That’s why we go to LA so much, for example because there the light is good, the buildings are good, the interior is good, the cloth on the furnishings is good. This all helps you have a good picture, where the colours have come together. For us, this is normal. But sometimes,

I see that it’s not really normal. Sometimes, clients when they book us, they say, "oh, let’s do it in that hotel." And we are like, 'No, it doesn’t work in that hotel.' Because the fabrics in that hotel are not nice. We need good fabrics.

Even the door handles, if that’s not the right style, it doesn’t work. Even if it’s not really seen in the final picture. It all matters.

N Sometimes they are really incredulous. "Do you think really, we need this?" And the answer is yes, the floor is fake. It’s not an old wooden floor. We need the old wooden floor for that picture. It doesn’t work with the new laminated floor...

N We never have location managers for our jobs. We always try to find locations by ourselves, so we spend a lot of time scouting, actually. That’s why we love to travel. We are very spontaneous too. We’ll have one hotel as a base, and it looks nice. But then, we look around one or two, maybe three corners. And we always find something else, which we like a lot. And when it happens that this new hotel is really much better than the first hotel, we change the location and shoot there. That happens a lot. But it’s always a surprise. We need this surprise.

When the details matter that much, you must spend a lot of time scouting for locations?

Actor Clemens Schick, in Los Angeles for "JWD - Joko Winterscheidts Druckerzeugnis".

The best pictures happen when someone is caught in a good moment.

We love to be surrounded by people. And we love to have fun.

laugh a lot.

Actor Ronald Zehrfeld in Paris for "Persol".

Footballer Anthony "Tony" Mbu Agogo Modeste for "11 Freunde Magazin".

So who are you taking photographs for on these shoots?

V We do a lot for magazines, for "FAZ Magazin" for example. N And we like to shoot real people. We work in fashion, but we got a little bit bored of just shooting models.

So we changed a little bit to shooting fashion on actors. This was really good and it was really interesting and fun for us. And in the process we got to know a lot of actors, actresses, musicians. This is really important to us – that the shoot is not just a schedule. So we don’t immediately start shooting five minutes after they arrive. We just talk to them and then we have a coffee and then we have lunch and then we start to shoot. Ha ha ha! Of course, we have schedules. But if we have the choice, we will spend some time getting to know people, before working together on a project. This means the pictures will be better at the end. V You see, with our way of working, you need to know us a little bit and you need to trust us. New clients, they are sometimes a little bit afraid, but once they know us, they know we can get the pictures.

What is it about actors that makes them such good models?

V It’s not that they’re actors, celebrities, it’s because their job is to portray human beings. They like to tell a story. And it’s nice. You just tell them to sit down and then they give you something like,

"Oh, maybe I’m and the guy who’s waiting for the thieves?"

And we might say,

"Yeah, maybe you could be the actual thief yourself?" And you can see something going on in their head, and they try to move like a thief or something. Of course, some models, we laugh a lot with too. But it is more like: "Look to the right. Put your leg up and down..."

So you like your shoots to be like a spontaneous kind of performance?

N Yeah. We have some clients, they book us just because of the performance. Actually, I have to say, I think about this quite often.

We have a big Jewish community in Frankfurt. So it happend that during our shooting with Anastasija, those 4 orthodox jews crossed the street.

We have some clients, they book us just because of the performance.

Actress Claudia Michelsen for "FAZ Magazin".

It's the chemistry between having fun, loving your work and the people you are shooting.

Is there a skill to getting the best from people who are used to being in front of the camera?

V That’s a challenge of its own. If someone is really used to making a 'camera face', like politicians, or musicians or actors, if you can take them out of their camera face, it’s really something. It’s like a personal challenge.

N Also, we don’t like to shoot in studio, we don’t have studio setups. I mean, there’s always two of us, so every time one is talking shit! Meanwhile, the other one is taking the picture. And in the end, the actors, they get very comfortable. They open up and they’re funny. This happens even when the agents warn us, "You have to be very careful with this one. He’s very, very shy."

Do you enjoy the technical side of photography?

V We do the minimum of post production.

We have one camera which has a jpeg colour setting which we really like. And if this is okay, it can go out like this. We do just a little bit of colour correction and retouching, for example if you have some pimples or something. But we don’t have a flat raw file and then to sit at the end and post process everything. This is not the way we like to work. The best pictures happen when someone is caught in a good moment. That’s the thing, everybody’s beautiful as they are. We don’t want to change the person. We just want to show them in the picture, as we saw them in reality.

Do you have an agent, how does the work come in?

N We have one agent for the commercial jobs. But you know, we don’t work like usual photographers on commercial jobs.

If somebody wants to book us then they have to book the whole thing. And not say, 'Okay, we want your style, but at the end, you have to shoot like this...'

And then we have an agent for the social media thing. But we don’t have an agent for our fashion jobs.

So that just happens organically?

N We have been doing this now for almost 15 years, so there’s always emails coming in.

Or if we have a bigger project, like going to Los Angeles, we write to our clients we already know, like Dr. Hauschka.

We say, hey, next month we are going to Bali or Venice. And then they say, "Okay, oh, that’s perfect. We would love to take this product with you", or they already have something there, "could you please take some pictures?"

So you build a relationship with the clients.

It’s not just a business exchange?

N Yeah, and that’s when it’s really good. Because if you have an agency between the client and us, there’s always this distance, and there’s no trust. So we work with our clients directly, this is the best thing by far.

You aren’t shy of being in front of the camera, either.

Do you find that it just helps to develop the theatrical element?

N Actually, that started 15 years ago. We were shooting in this theatre and we found the wardrobe, with all the clothes for the actors. And they always had two of everything. We really liked this! So, in between the shoots, we were dressing up in the clothes, the two of us. And taking photos of ourselves.

V And then the actors we had to shoot came in, and we’re there with lipstick and Mickey Mouse ears, wearing a pink dress and a tracksuit. So we had to just say, "Okay, wait a minute. Just coming!"

It’s always like this with us, playing and then shooting the people. So we keep on mixing this up.

Is fashion good at the moment?

Is it in a good place?

N I don’t think about it, actually. I mean, we love fashion, but I’m not taking photos of fashion pieces that I don’t like. They have to suit the person.

Otherwise, it’s difficult for me. A lot of people they think it’s very spontaneous. But we also select the clothes.

We really like to see the clothes that the stylists have. And we know exactly what we want.

And what we don’t. But we don’t think about whether it’s getting better or whatever. There is no time for that. Too much work and too many ideas flying around for that. I never buy fashion magazines either.

How about film, are you interested in making movies?

V Production companies, they’re always asking us, when are you doing your movie? So, we have a lot of plans.

We have done some short movies.

We shoot with actors quite a lot. And sometimes we have the feeling that, "Oh, we are already in the story... We should have done a movie!" So we tried a lot of short things and we are working on more.

Did you write a script for the movie?

Did you enjoy doing that?

N It’s difficult. We always have the start. There’s always the theme when we do a shoot. But with film it’s like, okay, and then what? And after that? So, we have the good actor. We have the setting, but it’s missing the dialogue.

V Yeah, we are looking forward to doing more film. But we have respect for the craft. We are used to our photography setting now. But on a film set you have to work with more people and know more fields too. Then there’s the post production...

We are getting used to it. But in the end, we just do it. You know, we don’t talk we just do it.

N And afterwards, the editing, and the grading. And during the filming, it’s really difficult for the DOP, who has to work with us. I mean, it’s really difficult because we know exactly what we want.

We know, okay, it has to look like this.

And it’s always a bit difficult to work with another DOP because we are DOPs at the end of the day.

always like this with us, playing and then shooting the people. So we keep on mixing this up.

and Nada at "Boxclub", Hamburg.

That's the thing, everybody’s beautiful as they are.

Swiss-Chilean actress Jasna Fritzi Bauer in Los Angeles, private shooting.

Mexican actor and director Diego Luna at the Berlinale for "Stern".

Actress Jasmin Gerat, on Hydra Island for "FAZ Magazin".

N Well, there were shoots where I had something in my mind. And then things went different. But not too much I have to say. We never changed our equipment so we know it really well.

That means there are no nasty surprises at the end. Actually, Leica gave us a camera for six months, they wanted us to try one of their cameras. And we did a shoot with it in Greece for a fashion label. And let’s just say, it was good that we shot on our usual camera as well... The Leica, it’s a different look. It’s completely something else.

So when you’re on a shoot, do you get the feeling that a particular shot worked really well?

N Yes. Sometimes I’ll take a picture. And then a second one, a third one. And I think, okay, I have it. Sorry. I have it.

Do you just call it early and go for lunch?

N We are very into food.

So, the first thing when we have a shoot somewhere is to check out the restaurants.

The location is first and then it’s 'where do we sleep'?

And then the restaurants. We try to have a very good time.

Thinking about the future. Are there any other ambitions that you’d like to fulfil?

V You mean like whether or not we want to be professional tennis players? Last year we took pictures of Andrea Petkovic. We really loved her, so we decided, 'We have to be tennis players now!'

And she started to laugh at this.

And afterwards, we were like, "Why was she laughing?"

And I asked, 'Do you think she would train us?'

I don’t think so, but we could ask.

N She is retired now so now she has the time…

Maybe you should focus on the film work?

N Yes, I think a movie is the next big future project for us. We would love to do a big movie, a feature length. I’ve already dreamed of my Oscar speech!

How do you ensure that the photographs look exactly the way you want them?

Actor

NIEMANN Illustration Design

MICHEL MALLARD Creative Direction

FACTORY Product Design

ANDREAS UEBELE Signage Design

PECCINOTTI Photography

KUSTAA SAKSI Illustration Design

5.5 DESIGNERS Product Design

NIKLAUS TROXLER Graphic Design

JOACHIM SAUTER Media Design

MICHAEL JOHNSON Graphic Design

ELVIS POMPILIO Fashion Design

STEFAN DIEZ Industrial Design

CHRISTIAN SCHNEIDER Sound Design

MARIO LOMBARDO Editorial Design

SAM HECHT Industrial Design

SONJA STUMMERER & MARTIN HABLESREITER Food Design 2012

LERNERT & SANDER Art & Design 2013

MURAT GÜNAK Automotive Design 2013

NICOLAS BOURQUIN Editorial Design 2013

SISSEL TOLAAS Scent Design

CHRISTOPHE PILLET Product Design

MIRKO BORSCHE Editorial Design

PAUL PRIESTMAN Transportation Design

BRUCE DUCKWORTH Packaging Design 2014

ERIK SPIEKERMANN Graphic Design 2014

KLAUS-PETER SIEMSSEN Light Design 2014

EDUARDO AIRES Corporate Design 2015

PHILIPPE APELOIG Graphic Design 2015

MURRAY-LESLIE

Techne Fashion Design

Video & Installation Design

FILLE D'O Fashion Design

BAUR Graphic Design

URHAUSEN Product Design

BINGO Illustration Design

VAN EIJK Product Design

LESPAGNARD

Design

PE’L SCHLECHTER Graphic Design

JOHN & MARTIN SCHMITZ

Design

BROSMIND Illustration Design

MILANI Graphic Design

LAURA STRAßER Product Design

PHOENIX DESIGN Industrial Design

UWE R. BRÜCKNER Scenography Design

BROUSSE & RUDDIGKEIT Design Code

ISABELLE CHAPUIS Photography Design

PATRICIA URQUIOLA Product Design

SARAH-GRACE MANKARIOUS

Direction

STUDIO FEIXEN Visual Concepts

RAUSCH Interface Design

DENNIS LÜCK Designing Creativity

IAN ANDERSON Graphic Design

FOLCH STUDIO Strategic Narrative Design

TAMSCHICK

Media Design

Design

Design

LINDSTRÖM

FUERTE

Design

CHRISTOPHE DE LA FONTAINE

Design

KAMP Sound Design

KURPPA Brand Design

TENDENCY Product Design

MARTHA VON MAYDELL

Design

KLARENBEEK & DROS

Research

GHAMSARI Photography Design

BOARDMEMBERS