An interview taken from our new digital issue. Photographer Richard Kranzin embarks on a captivating journey into the enchanting summer forests of Brandenburg alongside three close companions. Amidst the picturesque scenery of a forest lake, a secluded cabin, and majestic trees, a profound love story unfolds.
Through his art project “The Three of Us,” Kranzin skillfully captures the tender and cinematic bond shared by these three young men. This aesthetic endeavour serves as a delightful contrast to the bustle of city life, celebrating the timeless beauty of youthful affection and the myriad expressions of love. Radiating romance and ethereal quality, Kranzin’s masterful black and white analogue photographs in his latest book illuminate the pages, offering a serene respite from the ubiquity of digital photography. “The Three of Us” marks the esteemed photographer’s third illustrious photobook, building upon the success of his earlier works, “Boys in Nature” and “Nudes.”
Do not miss the book launch:
Nov 3rd
The Ballery @the_ballery
Nollendorfstraße 11-12, Berlin
How did the idea for “The Three Of Us” come about? Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind the book?
Since I am also a filmmaker, I always love to tell stories that are an escape from daily city life. Being born in Berlin and growing up in the big city, nature was always my sanctuary. My first short film
“In Beating Cells” already tells the story of four young adults, who fall in love with the idea of reuniting with nature and living their intimate dream at a small lake in the middle of the forest. A romantic foursome so to say. And the idea for “The Three Of Us” also came from that basic storytelling idea. This time it is two young city guys, who enjoy their time in the picturesque nature and explore their romantic senses as soon as they meet a new companion.
Could you elaborate on the significance of Brandenburg as the setting for your photography project? What drew you to this particular location?
Well, it was the publisher Björn Koll, who invited me to his Brandenburg home some years ago. We wanted to work on a new film idea, using his home and nature as a setting. Since financing films is a very complicated and political thing in Germany, we put our idea aside. But the nature in this particular area of Brandenburg still catches me. It is an almost untouched piece of earth, with a lot of wildlife. The Trees might be several hundred years old. The forests are some of the biggest in Europe and are full of history. You might even find ruins of hidden war shelters in there. So me and Björn developed the idea of creating a photographic story instead.
“The Three Of Us” is described as an aesthetic antipode to life in the big city. Can you expand on this concept and how it influenced your artistic vision?
As I mentioned, I was born and grew up in the big city, in 1990. But the fast-living style was never meant for me. I am a dreamer and more of a thoughtful mind, and never was interested in techno or drugs, which Berlin became famous for. The city became more and more artsy, extravagant and international. Sometimes I just felt crushed by the visual overload and competition of art in Berlin.
So instead of trying to compete with many loud or extravagant artists, that “took over” Berlin, I just wanted to stick with what I know and dream of and create more peaceful, quiet and mindful art.
Just like in my book “NUDES”, I wanted to create a nostalgic feeling, a softness and a very intimate observation this time as well. The analogue film always helped me to transport that idea.
Sometimes I see the world in slow motion. Diving into details, soaking in the atmosphere, and embracing senses and feelings. Something you forget when you live your fast big city life. And this should be conveyed with “The Three Of Us”.
How did the friendship between Jakob, Malik, and Friedrich contribute to the overall narrative of the book? Were there any challenges in capturing their dynamic on camera?
The story between those three characters is a fictional idea. My three friends Artur, Ben and Tony embodied those characters for my project. So a lot of the plot points were already set by me weeks before the shooting. I saw myself more as a director than a photographer for this project.
But I have to say that I was very lucky to have chosen these three because a lot of the most intimate photos in the book were only possible due to their intuition and ability to let go and trust the moment. I am so happy that we all built this trust with each other and that my ideas felt like a natural flow to all of them. The only challenge was to sometimes be fast enough with my camera, to capture what was already happening intuitively.
Read the full interview here:
RICHARD KRANZIN: THE THREE OF US Gebunden, 160 Seiten, 240×320 mm, 107 Fotos ISBN 978-3-95985-667-6 59,00 Euro
Get the book at salzgeber.de/threeofus
Follow RICHARD KRANZIN @richard_kranzin_photography richardkranzin.com
