Photos: Alicia Kassebohm
While many associate photography with a profound aesthetic expression of experiences and feelings, Alicia Kassebohm rather plays in a dreamy atmosphere with an old school Polaroid and wonders around for the accidental stories. She plants her inspirational photography flowers in the visionary colorful vases and combines fun and art space for creation at once. Young, brave, far-seeing storyteller shows the intimate connection between the beardy men outlook and hidden personal perception behind: “Beardicted” photo set represents a sensitive side of men, which is combined with the stories written by the beardy models. Push the button for your imagination as Alicia is a taking you to her sweet flavored bloomy land!
Alicia, do you remember the moment when the idea to relate your life with the photography came to your mind? How did it develop to the time being perception?
I have always been interested in all kinds of arts. Accordingly, it was only, absolutely natural to start taking photos after drawing or doing collages. I bought my first Canon DSRL at the age of 15 and ever since, I’m learning by doing. My passion for photography was raised even more though when a friend of mine gave me an old Polaroid camera and some film when I was about 17 years old. It’s still my well-loved companion and I love the dreamy atmosphere you can create with Polaroids.
During my communication design studies I took a couple of photography classes and started doing first photo jobs, which were and are always fun because you get the opportunity to be part in various interesting projects.
As teenagers, most people start to feel the necessity of expressing themselves though the arts. Was it similar for you?
I think my personal pictures were and still are more a way of capturing memories. Some of them obviously put in place artificially, but it was more about doing something fun or using a wonderful setting to take photos. All being part of the progress.
You have already organized numerous photo projects and took part in the important fashion events. What do you like the most about photography? Which type of photography is your favorite?
I definitely prefer portraits or pictures with people in it in general – even if it’s just a silhouette of a person in a background. It’s just that I found people in general the most interesting. Thus, I could look much longer at a picture with a person in it and find something new in their view for example.
It is also one of the reasons, why I love taking photos in general and why doing my “Beardicted” series was so much fun too: you get to meet many new and interesting people!
I was reading the article that Berlin is one of the Top 5 cities where having beard is not only a part of the man’s outlook, but also a lifestyle. “Beardicted” represents the beards and men style in obviously innovative and creative way. Tell me more about this photo project.
I started the project simply out of fun and suddenly had more beard portraits then I planned on doing at first. Moreover, I was looking for a possible topic for a series that would show something in a new way – and at the time, it really was. Now you can actually find many pictures of beards with all kinds of objects or flowers attached to it on the web.
In the book, the accessories in the beards all have some kind of connection to the men wearing the beards. Some of the beard portraits even have little stories or texts attached to them. Keep in mind that the stories were written by the beard models and it brings more intimacy and charm. In other words, it shows that beards can tell quite some stories and can be so much more than just a style or hype.
Camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera. How do you organize your brainstorming/creative sessions in order to form a concept for the projects? What inspires you the most: daily life, routine, unexpected happenings, history, books or other artist?
Certainly, there is a lot of inspiration on all kind of websites, Instagram and co. I love looking at freundevonfreunden.com, interview or dazed & confused magazine or the photo diary of Hedi Slimane (www.hedislimane.com/diary/) for example. Overall, inspiration can come from anywhere – whether it is a person you see on the streets or in a bar (that is how I became good friends with Cat: http://aliciaka.com/aliciaka/Home/Seiten/Maison_M.html) a book that you read or a travel you made recently. I think we never had more sources of inspiration and opportunities to express ourselves than we have today, which is amazing, but at the same time makes it hard to do something unique.
What are your future goals?
To take more photos, try new techniques and have some great memories captured! And for the near future I plan on doing another personal short film (https://vimeo.com/aliciaka) since I really like that medium too.
