At Schloss Blumenthal, right after the famous Elfenfestival, Herzflug is exactly what its name says — a flight of the heart. For me, the biggest crowd of beautiful, clear, radiant people I’d seen in a very long time, and — for the first time in ages — three nights running of just properly losing it to good DJ sets. Favourite line, from Vish, the DJ and host, after a cacao ceremony for 500 people: ‘now I’m going to get every last one of them properly grounded again!’ And he did — himself behind the decks included. Sounds, chants, making things, flailing about, a clown-chakra workshop, bare feet stamping in the meadow, fire in a dozen forms = Herz-FluG!
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This is what happens, when beautiful people with beautiful voices, skills, tastes come together at the beach with a bunch of instruments packed on the open stage... That's how things flow! thehouseofwaves.com mosemusica.com
'In there it's like the world is shifting.' said a little girl coming out of the (big) barn where the main stage was set as part of the old four-side-farm in Austria where Paul Zauner is organising this extremely exquisite festival already since decades. Whine-bar in the pigsty, tents under the apple trees, granny helps everywhere, somehow this says it all... inntoene.com
We got this invitation for giving a workshop at this little festival that we never heard of, but both organizers quite instantly felt so familiar and at home that it was out of question that we'd love to be there. And it was more than worth it! so much beauty and love around without being haughty or anything else too 'spiritual' was amazingly falling out of a cliche that definitely exists, but had no place here in this amazingly rooted and healthy atmosphere. The festival is on pause unfortunately, but some connections are still active and there even after two years... wow! letsrise.de
I really always called myself a not-people-photographer for a couple of reasons. 1) you have to deal with people, which i did not want to do for a long time for a multitude of reasons. Obligations to ask permission, not wanting to deal with masks and facades that people put onto themselves, etc... 2) not wanting to having to live up to other peoples expectations. Especially around weddings. The one special day of a lifetime and what if you miss THE moment?! 3) I really didn't feel like i was ready to feel confident about what i can do with the camera. So a solid portion of shame and lack of self-confidence was in the pot as well. And then of course it happend what had to happen... friends and family started to ask if i could take some pictures... 'mmmnnngngnggaaaaOkkkish (?)' Damnit, a serious lack of not being able to say clearly but lovingly NO pushed some buttons as well and there I was. On the wedding of some friends. And then... surprisingly I found that there was already enough self-confidence established, enough boldness, enough detachment from other peoples expectations, that i just dove into my viewfinder and my own flow, and enjoyed the day! Before going through the pictures the first time my brain of course was full of 'I missed this that' and 'there i should have been earlier or closer or whatever...' Just to find myself finding out, that wedding photography somehow seems to be really easy going! Nice people on a beautiful day for a really special occasion tends to be the easiest thing to shoot, even if you think you missed so much that you perceived, there are soooo many amazing shots that the missing out monster went quite silent rather quickly. It still likes to poke it's head out every now and then, but i learned to welcome it and unwind the energy that it likes to wrap into as disguise and re-wind it into faces, funny moves, unconventional poses and places to just enjoy a beautiful day with beautiful people and then beautiful pictures are sort of the by-product anyways.
