Feature Helmut Schadt

Helmut Schadt (http://www.fotocommunity.com/pc/account/myprofile/30258) from Renningen, close to Stuttgart, Germany

is introduced by

Raul Luis (http://www.fotocommunity.com/pc/account/myprofile/481795)

(Photos from Helmut Schadt's portfolio selected by Raul Luis)

by Raul Luis:

Helmut Shadt, his work is inspired toward the human plight and his compasion is vividly captured in those he photographs. His passion and love for his humans brothers and sisters, especially those who are not as furtunate as other is his inner drive.

Mr. Bush's favourite ...Incarnation of evil Iran....;-)

Q1: )What inspired you to pick up a camera?

A1): Me not more the youngest here so my first acquaintance with photography goes back more than 55 years. I think the first very simple camera , just a red plastic box with fix focus optic and only one shutter speed I bought from money I earned from some small job while going to school. At this time I was about 12 years and this was around 1950 when Germany slowly recovered from the devastations of the war and by and by the "Wirtschaftswunder" developped. The wish to make own pictures when going to the Wilhelma , the zoo and botanical garden in Stuttgart or from school excursions was immense and the joy about even the simpliest shots great. As at that time wasn't yet colour film available I invested a lot of time in colouring the b&w snaps. Still I remember that I was proud about the secretly taken shot of my first love when she left a store :-). Possibly this even was the main reason to buy that camera, me not more sure, it's so long ago.........and nowadays very probably I wouldn't more be so much interested to get another shot;-).

Rasta in the Philippines :-)

Q2): Who has had the most influence on your work?

A2): My interest in photography grew in the 1970ies. After having finished my studies in telecommunication and having saved money for about one year, together with my brother we went on a nearly two years lasting backpacking tour through Asia. Afterwards I had a lot of slides and started to take part in competitions and international exhibitions. Hereby I learned about the exceptional work of outstanding photographers like Pedro Luis Raota, Henri Cartier-Bresson and many others. I realized what photography is able to express and what emotions can be transformed by it. I did buy and read the books of Andreas Feininger , those of Willy Hengl, who was a very successfull exhibition photographer and organizer. I studied all catalogues intensively, went to exhibitions and by and by acquired a small photographical library. Many hours I spent in the darkroom doing b&w prints and experiments with Lith-films and Agfacontour. Photography became an important part of my travels in many parts of the world, but mainly Asia. Although fired from fotocommunity I won't hide that Stefan Rohner had much impact on my photography that even grew after he had been to India and had shown his photographs from there. Not more to find his outstanding photography and honest advice here I regard as an immense loss for fotocommunity. That some people for some reason don't loose a single tear about his leaving I can understand very well :-))).

Die Lagune

Q3): What has been the most challenge to achieve your work?

A3): While in the beginning of my travels mainly the adventure of seeing foreign countries and its highlights was the main purpose, so later on the social life in those countries, the people and their faces in all aspects of life became the challenge of my photography. In poor countries the different aspects of life are much more visible than in rich countries, but in spite of obvious poverty still it's more easy to find a smile there in the face of a leper or beggar in Asia than in the faces of so many comparable immensely rich Westerners. To show how little in fact is necessary to be content with life and how well we still off in comparison to so many poor and underpriviledged in third world countries I regard also as a challenge of my photographical work.

Afghanistan 2.3.1968 - junge Verkäufer bieten Kondome und Wasserpfeife zum Rauchen an

Q4): Any tips or suggestions for other photographers?

A4): Sites and tips that may be useful to improve your photography I have listed in my profile. Other means to improve the level of photography may be taken from what I did write under A2). The advice to study the fc-gallery carefully I won't enforce too much as imho this turns out more and more as an album of nice postcards and many colourful exact documentary that could well adore picture books about landscapes, architecture, plants or Brehm's Animal Life :-). Artful photography in betwenn still also sometimes found but chances to discover it getting sparse. Well , it's a mirror of this community that I still consider as a great place to meet nice, kind, charming and interesting people with a sense for humour.

With many thanks and kind regards,

thank you Helmut.

You want to introduce a photographer from fotocommunity as well? Contact Dirk Hofmann (http://www.fotocommunity.com/pc/account/myprofile/12143) to learn how to do so!