Q&A: Photographer Julian Essink Documents People In His Special Way
CAPTURING HIS SUBJECTS IN THE MOST ELEGANT AND EYE CATCHING WAY - photographer Julian Essink truly has a way with his photos. Often communicating an unspoken message and feeling with his photos, Essinkโs allows the viewer to almost feel as they are the one behind the lens. The Berlin-based photographer received his bachelorโs degree in Photography and Media at Fachhochschule Bielefeld in 2016. Upon finishing his program Essink started splitting his time between Barcelona and Los Angeles, and will now return to Berlin for the Fall before spending time in Los Angeles for the holidays.
With a previous love for digital photography over film, Essinkโs love for film photography was sparked thanks to a friend and their TLR camera. Now, Essink shoots exclusively on film and finds creative freedom with his editorial work in particular.
With a goal to work on his own portrait book next year and of course plans to continue to collaborate and create, Essink is a key photographer for your radar. Read below to learn more about Essinkโs photography career and whatโs to come.
LUNA: How are you doing these days? How was your trip to LA?
ESSINK: Iโm alright - I put a lot of time and resources (hi fellow film photographers) into building my portfolio and shooting free projects during winter. So the past couple of months I distanced myself a bit from photography and rebalanced. Iโm kind of feeling like my current stay in LA is the final phase of my absence - I can feel the tingle in my fingers again.
LUNA: How did your journey with film photography begin?
ESSINK: To be honest I hated film for the longest time. For the first 10 years of taking photos I worked entirely digital and didnโt get what people liked about film. But then, in a time that I was bored by my own digital output, my friend visited me in Barcelona with his TLR camera and I got super into it. Thatโs four years ago and now my entire portfolio is shot on film.
LUNA: What do you like about film over digital?
ESSINK: Too many reasons. The whole process, look, interaction. After a day of shooting I feel empty - I have no idea what I did, if anything comes out close to how I saw it through the viewfinder. The uncertain and unplanned makes out so much of the image.
LUNA: You take the most incredible portraits - what steps do you take to get your models comfortable?
ESSINK: Thank you so much! But to be honest I have no idea. I think Iโm just trying to be nice and respectful. Thereโs no one size fits all recipe.
LUNA: Youโre from Berlin but have been splitting your time between Barcelona and Los Angeles in recent years. How do you think these different cities have shaped you as a creative?
ESSINK: I have only been in Berlin for a year, so it hasnโt really played a roll in my development as a creative.
With Barcelona, I have a way deeper and longer connection. Moving there was the best decision of my 20s and Iโd probably move back any time again. Thereโs something really carefree about it - I was super broke for most of that time, but I enjoyed life more than ever before in Germany. The people I was surrounded by were all super inspiring and shifted my mindset in so many ways.
Los Angeles was never really in reach for me to be honest. But then I met my wife, whoโs a born and raised Angelino. We did 2.5 years of long distance and I got to know the city. I love it here, the fast pace, so many niches, cultures, characters. For a photographer itโs paradise.
LUNA: Does your creative process differ from commercial vs editorial projects?
ESSINK: Sometimes I feel like Iโm an entire different photographer on jobs. For the longest time I tried to please every client, shoot the way theyโd want it to look. Most of my commercial work doesnโt even carry my name on it lol. When I shoot an editorial I want to do whatever I feel like and try to give everyone on the team the same freedom to express themselves. The goal is to slowly unite both worlds.
LUNA: You work with the incredible Take Creative - whatโs this relationship been like and what do you like about collaborating with them?
ESSINK: I canโt really speak on that yet. I joined the Take family late last year after redoing my entire portfolio at the beginning of the pandemic. Didnโt leave a stone unturned. So Iโm pretty much a blank sheet of paper for most people in Germany. So Take and I are still working on building my brand and getting my name out. Which could go faster, but then again Iโm amazingly shitty at selling myself and doing the whole Instagram shabang.
LUNA: Favorite shoot from the past year?
ESSINK: Super difficult - every shoot has a different energy. But I think the story โchildishโ for schรถn! Magazine was def a turning point for me. Also loved our team, made of old and new friends.
LUNA: Whatโs something you wish you had known at the beginning of your career?
ESSINK: I just wish I wouldโve bought all those cameras before the hype. Other than that, I enjoy the learning curve.
LUNA: What intentions do you have for the rest of the year?
ESSINK: Iโm actually only back home in Berlin for September and October. So Iโll try to make some money then. Afterwards Iโm returning to LA to spend the holiday season with my wifeโs family.
Iโve also been thinking to publish a portrait book next year - itโs time to finalize the concept and start shooting.
CONNECT WITH JULIaN ESSINK
WEBSITE
-
weekly tunes playlist has been updated! new tracks from @furtradeband, @pecqband, @garryfool & more! check it out! https://t.co/ToFU0R6YGo -
-
RT @oliviaborch: new @LunaCollective out todayyy shot by @alltookev โจ @P1H_official editorial design by me ! https://t.co/cvSCKsWB5D
-
RT @rlyblonde: @AnnieDirusso for @LunaCollective shot by me #35mm #portra800 https://t.co/0UUJSCBGcH
