Michael Dörr
My
name is Michael Dörr. I live together with my wife and
parents-in-law in a village near Saarbrücken (Germany). To my
delight, my two adult daughters live nearby. As I am a family person,
I would love to stay with all of them in a big house.
I
work as a nurse in the anesthesia department of a hospital. That
makes photography more of a hobby, or more precisely, my passion.
The
focus of my photographic work is, as you can easily see, in the range
of people photography, although I have also experimented with
photographing landscapes and animals before. But in the end the
encounters with the people I worked with have always been the most
fulfilling part of it. That’s why at some point I turned to
portrait and nude photography. I value the insight into other
people’s lives, enjoy the conversations and bonding with them
during our photography sessions. Even friendships developed from
some encounters, which I think is especially precious.
For
me, it is most important to take credible photos. I don't like
professional posing but prefer authentic pictures that reflect the
feeling of the shooting. I aspire to create a pleasant and calm
atmosphere in which we both, the model and I, can feel comfortable
and safe. Flash equipment and other technical devices tend to
distract me. Therefore, camera and tripod is all I usually use.
Although
I do own a digital camera, most photos I take are analogue. Over the
years I have accumulated a whole collection of cameras, of which I
appreciate the Contax645 and the Pentax67II the most. After
developing the films at home, I used to enlarge the negatives in the
darkroom. Meanwhile, I scan them to prepare them for further editing
on the computer.
As
many analogue photographers, I feel the benefit of working with film
especially is the way it slows down the whole process of taking
pictures. Moreover, I prefer the unique colours and tonal values film
has. Especially Kodak Portra comes with colours I would never be able
to reproduce digitally. Also, even when converting black and white
photos, my Photoshop lags way behind the qualities of Tri-X 400 or
Tmax, which I really like.
I
would like to give you more insight into me or my way of
photographing, but there is not much more to tell. Also, I cannot
provide you with tips or good advice about cameras or darkroom
technology, because my knowledge here is only slightly above basic
level.
But
if you can feel the atmosphere I felt while taking my photos… if
you not only see colours, light and tonal values in them, but if the
pictures leave you mesmerized, maybe even feel touched and deeply
moved... that would make me very happy.