Remarkable: Photographs by Elias Wessel

"I do what I love. I do what I'm interested in, what I am attracted to. For me every shot has a reason. It's never random. Or do girls dress for boys? No. They dress for themselves, and of course for each other. If girls dressed for boys they would just run around naked at all times."

Elias Wessel, born and raised in Germany, studied German and English language, art history, fine arts, visual perception and photography at several universities in Europe, worked at advertising agencies, design bureaus and photostudios in Germany, Paris and New York. Based in New York since 2005 he creates images based on an absolutely remarkable character and style. His visual world contains something eccentric, something fabulous –out of this world. You wish to press play to experience how the story in his photographs evolves. The captured moment by Elias Wessel turns into a trigger of the own phantasy.

Lydia Hearst

^®claryl: Elias you've studied art history, fine arts, visual perception and photography. When did you decided to become a Photographer?

EW: Meeting Sigmar Polke at his wonderful retrospective "The Three Lies of Painting" in Bonn had a huge impact on my interest in fine arts and I began to paint. At the same time, my best friend who I had a crush on, moved to London. Our only source of communication was through mail. I wanted my mails to look and make her feel special so I created my own envelopes by cutting out my favorite pictures out of hundreds of magazines, brochures and catalogues. I collected thousands of tearsheets and I still remember vividly all the pictures by Rembrandt, Matisse, Juergen Teller, Chuck Close, David La Chapelle, Guy Bourdin, Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, Jeff Koons, Otto Dix, Takashi Murakami, Yamamoto Nashi and so many other wonderful artists. Since then I have always wanted to be able to re-create these wonderful feelings that those pictures gave me and I started to paint and take photographs of everything I loved. Nothing really changed since then.

Lydia Hearst „A Little Crack Is Where The Light Shines Through“

^®claryl: What tools do you use? (Camera, Objective, Tricks)

EW: I worked with pretty much all available lighting and camera equipment and used everything from 35mm to large format cameras - film and digital. I'm in the lucky position that I got into photography by using film and digital equipment at the same time. The experience of working in the dark room, processing my own films, making my own contact sheets and prints help me to understand what happens in digital photography and post production. Same with the lighting gear. I always like to test all equipment which might be of any interest. Currently I prefer working with the Hasselblad H4D or the Leaf Aptus in combination with Broncolor lights. The decision of the equipment I use always depends on the pictures I have in mind. Not the other way around.

Lydia Hearst

^®claryl: Do you create ideas for your pictures, do they come to your mind or spontaneous at the shooting?

EW: I go for a walk. Sit in a sidewalk cafe watching people go by. Do serious research. Get out of the city. Read a lot. Have interest in as many things as possible. Go out a lot. Look at art. Get influenced by things outside the field of art and photography. Traveling alone is helpful for a new perspective on life. I get inspired by life. Everywhere. When I'm dreaming, when I look out the window, a hotel room far away, a museum, music, emotions, the grapevine, things which surprise me or even looking at a blank paper thinking of what could be on there can be inspiring. The feel and story I want to create with my photographs is always there before creating the images. I just form the feel during the shoot.

Falling Up „Like Tears From A Star“

^®claryl: You live and work as a photographer in NY – isn't it difficult to stand out from the crowd?

EW: Yes there are so many wonderful photographers and artists. Having the possibility to meet so many of them here and to be able to see so much diverse works influences you. It fills your own archive of creativeness and can have a huge impact on you personality as well. At the end I believe that personality is the only essence that can make an artist unique and in order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.

^®claryl: As a Photographer, especially in the field of fashion, you have to bring some qualities beyond technical skills. Which do you like and which dont?

EW: I love all facets which deal with being a photographer. But 90% of what I am doing has nothing to do with actual photography. I don't like working with unorganized clients and if I could I would be out there taking pictures every day.

^®claryl: You also take pictures of celebrities, how do you you handle this work an the personalities of the people?

EW: I think being interested is interesting. I love meeting interesting and interested people. My shoots are all about creating a mood I want to breathe into my photographs. People have to love you and your work or why the hell should they want to work with you?!

^®claryl: Nowadays the Budgets are more limited than in the past. How do you handle this?

EW: Everything has to be perfect and sophisticated for the cause of the image you want to create.When you want coincidence, there has to be coincidence. When you want glamour, there has to be glamour. When you want to tell a story, there has to be a story. When you want to make someone look beautiful, there has to be beauty. Whatever this means. Beauty can be intellect and glamour does not have to have anything to do with money. However you can not take a picture of something what is not there and when one single detail is not working, the whole picture is messed up. So I just make it happen with no budget.

The Plaza „Jessica“

^®claryl: How much retuching is in your Pictures?

EW: I see post production as a tool I can use to change things which I can not realize in reality and with what I can control coincidence. When I first got into it I used it a lot. It was actually a good way to learn to be capable of doing my own post and understand what is possible. Now I'm getting very close with my actual shots to the final result. I just want to add a little magic to reality.

^®claryl: What long-term objectives do you have?

EW: I want to do what I love. I want to do what I'm interested in, what I am attracted to. I love seeing my work in a beautiful gallery or a breathtaking magazine and I like making a difference in how people see something. I want to make work that people can feel. I want to be able to touch someones life.

^®claryl: Last question: You inspire people but who's inspiring you?

EW: I get goosebumps by works which touch me visually as well as works which touch me emotionally or make me think. I admire everyone who is capable of bringing his own style and personality into the fields of arts.

^®claryl: Thank you, Elias!

See more of his photos on his website eliaswessel.com.

share on facebook