Ronny-Behnert

Interview with Ronny Behnert

My name is Ronny Behnert, photographer based in Berlin. I was was born in Luckenwalde, a small city in the south of Berlin, Germany

Please introduce yourself

Thanks a lot for that possibility!

My name is Ronny Behnert, photographer based in Berlin. I was was born in Luckenwalde, a small city in the south of Berlin, Germany. Since 1989 I am living and working in Berlin but during this time I had my second home in Frankfurt am Main and on the island of Sylt too, where I spent two years. I have been actively working on photography since January 2007 and founded in 2010 my project “Håggard Photography”. Meanwhile I am working for various newspapers and magazines.

Ronny-Behnert

How did you get interested in photography?

I always was an optical person and started drawing comics when I was younger, but one day I stopped and never continued again. After a few years I borrowed the camera of a friend of mine and went through the city where I took my first photos. That’s how I started to develop a new passion in my life.

Which artist/photographer inspired your art?

I would say many photographers inspired myself, but Josef Hoflehner, Michael Levin, Hiroshi Sugimoto and Irene Kung inspired me most. I adore their creative and personal view on our planet, and I awalys felt their passion for photography when I visited their exhibitions.

Ronny-Behnert

How much preparation do you put into taking a photograph?

Depends on where I am or which city I will visit. In my hometown Berlin, I am waiting a long time to get the perfect light and weather to shoot. I have the possibility to wait, so I can create a photo as I want to show it. When I visit an unknown city, I just choose the places in a tourist guide, which I want to shoot, hope that the weather is good enough and try to give my best to take the photo. In general I am very relaxed in other cities so take photos even when the light isnt that perfect.

Ronny-Behnert

Which places have been your favourite shooting sites so far and why?

Definetly Iceland with it´s amazing landscapes. I have never seen a country like this before, full of myths, passion, nature and friendly people. I have been there almost three weeks in 2011 and always want to go back to shoot this unbelievable landscapes again how I see the world today after three years, or more.

Photographs with such long exposure make the world look really desolate and lonely. Why have you chosen to present your works in such a form?

That’s the fact, I try to change my visible environment into an unvisible world, which you can only see through a nd-filter. I never know how the photo will look during the moment when I press the button and the time I have to wait until I see my photo on the display. Sometimes it´s a big surprise and only when I am completely satisfied, I use it for my post processing.

Ronny-Behnert

Could you please tell us something about your technique and creating process?

I mostly do long exposure photography in Black & White and I always try to develop my style. In general I try to take my photos in a very neutral light during a dark and cloudy day, so I can set the light in my photos as I like it. I work with different cameras, digital and traditional. Most of the time I work with my digital camera to implement my ideas, which is much more interesting with a digital file. Sometimes, if I want to take my photos in a traditional style and I have enough time, I use my old Kiev 88 or my Polaroid-Camera. If I have a bigger collection of my polaroids, I wold love to exhibit them, to surprise the viewer with a completely new style of “Håggard Photography”. The post-processing is a time-consuming process, because I try to separate different parts of my photo to work on it on a selected level. I always print my photos on Hahnemühle FineArt Pearl, one of the finest papers, which is available. It´s a very strong and exquisite, high-end product in pure white with an elegant pearl gloss. I mostly offer open editied prints. Only a few selected photos, which means a lot for me and my passion, are available in a special limited edition.

Ronny-Behnert

What do you do in your life besides photography?

Photography is a passion and a huge part of my life. I work with it and it´s my hobby. Beside of working with photos a do some other small jobs, like writing articles for some german magazines, etc.

Ronny-Behnert

What future plans do you have? What projects would you like to accomplish?

At the moment I have two special projects in my mind. The first series will show some morbid photographs in Berlin and for the second series I have to work in different landscapes, to create my vision of a kind of romantic landscape as I see it. In both series I will work with long exposures, but I don’t want to reveal too much.

Ronny Behnert portfolio:
www.bewegungsunschaerfe.de