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gallery raoul manuel schnell portfolios |
Raoul Manuel Schnelll
Born in Germany, my childhood was dominated by the world of arts – and moving. After switching schools more often than I can count, I finally attended The College of Art and Design in Lugano, Switzerland. It was there that I found my calling. The first time I set foot into a darkroom I knew this was it. Though I completed my studies in Interior Design my only goal from then on was to become a photographer.
After being trained by Walter Schels in Munich from 1972 - 1973, I have been shooting everything possible and impossible; working for magazins such as Vogue, Elle, Harper´s Bazaar and clients such as De Beers, Siemens, Estee Lauder and Lancaster to name a few.
My special attention always was and still is directed to the light. There was a time I have had a custom made lighting installation built in my studio to effectuate the perfect play of light and shadow in a picture. Today, natural light isthe source I am using whenever possible. After 20 years spent in a black studio, I was ready for a fresh start.
In 2004, I moved to Montreal and in 2007 to Nova Scotia and everything changed. After being used to work in colour, I now found beauty in the black and white photography, I rediscovered my love for architecture and design and found a new one: people.
Every person is an adventure. It is not about shooting a nice picture but looking behind the curtains and, if I am allowed, capturing a part of that person’s soul. Since the camera itself is intrusive enough the shooting takes place in familiar surroundings without elaborate technical equipment and with either natural light or light sources like table or wall lamps. And the picture is always in black and white.
When I shoot architecture, I don’t want to just reproduce the object but to understand and interpret its volume and lines and visualize it from a different angle. Again, the composition of light and shadow plays a decisive role, especially in black and white. I try to turn an neutral object into my very own object and therefore into a personal picture.
Another discovery was shooting reportages. Trying to transfer reality into a picture and drawing the viewer into becoming a part of that image, is both exciting and satisfying. I shoot in either colour or black and white, depending on what fits the situation best.
My work can be seen at anderson in Lunenburg. In August 2008, anderson is featuring my first solo show: Faces
Born in Germany, my childhood was dominated by the world of arts – and moving. After switching schools more often than I can count, I finally attended The College of Art and Design in Lugano, Switzerland. It was there that I found my calling. The first time I set foot into a darkroom I knew this was it. Though I completed my studies in Interior Design my only goal from then on was to become a photographer.
After being trained by Walter Schels in Munich from 1972 - 1973, I have been shooting everything possible and impossible; working for magazins such as Vogue, Elle, Harper´s Bazaar and clients such as De Beers, Siemens, Estee Lauder and Lancaster to name a few.
My special attention always was and still is directed to the light. There was a time I have had a custom made lighting installation built in my studio to effectuate the perfect play of light and shadow in a picture. Today, natural light isthe source I am using whenever possible. After 20 years spent in a black studio, I was ready for a fresh start.
In 2004, I moved to Montreal and in 2007 to Nova Scotia and everything changed. After being used to work in colour, I now found beauty in the black and white photography, I rediscovered my love for architecture and design and found a new one: people.
Every person is an adventure. It is not about shooting a nice picture but looking behind the curtains and, if I am allowed, capturing a part of that person’s soul. Since the camera itself is intrusive enough the shooting takes place in familiar surroundings without elaborate technical equipment and with either natural light or light sources like table or wall lamps. And the picture is always in black and white.
When I shoot architecture, I don’t want to just reproduce the object but to understand and interpret its volume and lines and visualize it from a different angle. Again, the composition of light and shadow plays a decisive role, especially in black and white. I try to turn an neutral object into my very own object and therefore into a personal picture.
Another discovery was shooting reportages. Trying to transfer reality into a picture and drawing the viewer into becoming a part of that image, is both exciting and satisfying. I shoot in either colour or black and white, depending on what fits the situation best.
My work can be seen at anderson in Lunenburg. In August 2008, anderson is featuring my first solo show: Faces