Philipp Meiners – Turning a Personal Project into a Photo Book
Apr 23, 2021
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German photographer Philipp Meiners discusses his passion for street photography and turning personal projects into photo books. He shares his process of curating his favorite photos, selecting materials, and creating a yearbook. Topics include using Lightroom, choosing the right paper, shooting in black and white, and exploring different locations for photography.
Street photography can be found and appreciated in small towns, not just big cities.
Curating a photo book involves careful selection, sequencing, and even adding quotes to enhance the overall experience.
Deep dives
Passion for Street Photography
Philip Meiner is an avid street photographer who discovered his passion for street photography while on a world trip with his wife in Vietnam. Seeing the vibrant street scenes and capturing the essence of everyday life changed his perspective on photography. Philip now focuses on street photography in his small town, Vecta, in Germany, finding beauty and interest in the local streets and people. He believes that street photography is not limited to big cities and encourages others to explore and discover the hidden gems of small towns.
Creating a Yearbook Project
Philip embarked on a yearlong project to create a photography book featuring his favorite street shots from 2020. Inspired by a street photographer from London, he took this opportunity to showcase his best work in a square format book. Using Lightroom and Blurb, Philip carefully selected and arranged around 76 photos, focusing on minimalistic shots, classic street photography, and night scenes. The process of curating the book was both challenging and exciting, with Philip fine-tuning the sequencing and even adding quotes from influential street photography books to enhance the overall experience.
Finding Mystical Moments in Vecta
During the pandemic lockdown, Philip initiated a project called 'Mystical Vecta,' exploring the hidden and mysterious aspects of his small town through night street photography. Despite the limitations, he discovered unique and captivating scenes, often near churches or reflecting interesting lighting conditions. Through manual settings and a specialized film simulation, Philip was able to capture the mystical ambiance he envisioned. His project challenged him to see the town in a new light and appreciate the photographic opportunities available even in familiar surroundings.
Future Plans and Impact
Philip's love for street photography has become his passion, and he plans to continue exploring the genre wherever he travels. He aims to exhibit his work in his hometown, introducing street photography to a local audience and showcasing the beauty of street scenes in small towns. Philip also contributes to the street photography community through YouTube videos documenting his photography walks and showcasing the charm of street photography in rural areas. His work serves as an inspiration to others, demonstrating the potential for creativity and storytelling in everyday moments.
Philipp Meiners is a German photographer who is passionate about street photography. He describes his passion this way: “Strolling through the streets, always looking for something interesting, the decisive moment, is a great opportunity for me to disconnect from everyday life. I just walk through the streets and watch what is happening, or look for a specific spot and wait there for the decisive moment.”
Philipp’s latest project was quite intriguing – a yearbook of his favorite street photos taken throughout 2020 and turned into a physical photo book using Blurb. I was curious about how Philipp curated his images, selected materials, and how satisfied he was with the end result, so we got together to chat about it. We talked about what all was involved in creating his yearbook and what it takes to bring a personal project to fruition.