We were lucky to catch up with Simona Berger recently and have shared our conversation below.
Simona, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I was born with a purpose: to be amazing! LOL Just joking. This could be considered an easy question, and I could start using philosophy to answer the how, when, and why. However, it gets a bit more complicated once we stop and think that we don’t really want to use obvious answers using a diffused motivational language.
I think the only thing that helped me find a purpose was the experience. Experience is the key to everything, because our brain learns especially from experiences, ours or of other people. I found my purpose at 38 years of age, so I guess I had my fair share of experiences. I experienced everything I didn’t like nor need; all the things that left a sour taste in my mouth. Then, one day, I experienced something that left me with a sweet aftertaste: I shot my first photos. I became curious about everything related to photography, started taking classes, and learning as much as I could. Finally, I had a purpose: becoming the best photographer possible. See, I didn’t care about becoming the next Ansel Adams, no. What I cared about was becoming the best me through photography, because photography could give me a means of expression; something I didn’t find in anything else before. So, you could say that I found my purpose through actions.
Too many think you need to wait to find a deep purpose in life: wait, evaluate, reason, think, etc. etc. Sure, there is no harm in that. But, in one point, you’ll need to stop waiting and just do something. You don’t need other people to validate you. You don’t need a great purpose. You don’t even need to stop thinking and evaluating. But you can still do something while thinking! The more you stay in your “funk”, the more you immerse yourself in useless thoughts, the bigger your fears will become, the least you will have courage to take that step and take action. Don’t worry about failures: you’ll never know if a street is wrong until you walk on it. Start doing, and your purpose will come to you, just like it happened to me!
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a Fine Art and Conceptual Photographer. I don’t just take photos, I create photographs. I have a business, but I see it more an artistic career than a commercial venture.
I don’t photograph subjects; I capture the way they make me feel. My work is not for everyone: it’s exclusive to the person I am shooting. Everyone gets their own concept, and my editing style changes every time. I get excited brainstorming with my models and clients because I love to see what we can come up with. Sometimes, a piece of fabric, a thrift store find, or a headdress inspires me. There are no set rules which makes my brand unique.
Lately, besides taking part in several Art Exhibits, I have been working on a personal project in collaboration with Natalia Cantwell, one of my favorite models as well as my best friend. We are creating a Homage to Marie Antoinette photographic series; a “big production” photoshoot with different sets, styles and outfits.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
First thing: Open your mind! Realize that, as they say, there are always one thousand things to learn for each one you think you know. By opening your mind you’ll find more opportunities, get new ideas and improve your creativity. Consider things in a way you never did before. Talk to people you would have never considered engaging before. Step out of your comfort zone with an open mind; you will be surprised at what you can find.
Second thing: Read! Read everything you can, from fiction to your camera manual. It will help you considerably. How? Well, I don’t think I need to explain the camera manual, but reading will improve your creativity as a photographer. At least, it improved mine. I found out that, while reading, my mind imagined things, from clothes to sceneries. This comes in handy when I think about a new photoshoot. One example? My last project about Marie Antoinette. With my model and co-creator, Natalia Cantwell, we watched movies and researched old paintings from the era, as well as read any history and historical books from that specific time period. Of course, we did not want to spend thousands of dollars on this project, so we used modern things mixed with antiques, creating a harmonic mix that could easily have been assembled in the 1700s.
Third thing: Be humble! Ok, we are all the best, right? We take the first few shots, post them on social media, our family seems to like them, and we think we are the next Ansel Adams! So, we stop learning and, worst of all, we start opposing to every kind of critique of our photographs. And that’s the moment we will be finished as a Fine Art Photographer. Critiques are what help you improve. Heck, I had my photos dissected too many times to count, and I am been grateful for every critique I received. I am been thankful because there were still people out there willing to spend their time to help me improve my photography. Shouldn’t that be considered a gift?
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
It depends: in my humble opinion, if we are talking about the working environment, you should go all out on your strength, while you should work hard improving areas you are not as strong in, even if photography is just a hobby. For example, if you are a photographer, and you are dealing with clients, you should definitely show what you do best. Clients most likely have seen your photos, and they chose you for what you do, for your style. If you decide to experiment with other styles, clients may feel let down. Of course, there are clients that would love nothing more than being part of an experiment, but let’s be real, you cannot ask them to pay you to learn! Now, if you are an amateur, and/or photography is your hobby, then go ahead and learn as much as you can!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.simonabergerphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonabergerphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simonabergerphotography/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwJuqtvOUiexEuG-iHwidBA
Image Credits
Kayla Auerhammer, Mel De Wever, Gabrielle Berger, Paris N’Cholle, Gioia Berger, Sarina Prouty
