SCoP: It’s a pleasure for the SCoP to have a conversation with you before the opening of the exhibition! First of all, the LOBA has a long, evergreen history of 40 years. Why do you think the award could last so long?
Karin Rehn-Kaufmann: Thank you for having me and for showing part of the LOBA at the SCoP. I am more than glad and honored that part of our Shortlisted and winners are exhibited at the SCoP. It’s like a dream has come true!! The topic of the award has been always the same since 40 years: the relationship between mankind and its environment. This theme has always been and always will be relevant for us. Each year the theme gets more and more important and urgent. But also the photographers who took part in this competition and especially who have won the LOBA before helped a lot to make this award prestigious and long lasting.
SCoP: As the jury of the LOBA, what kind of photos moves you? What do you think is the sharing character of a good photo?
Karin Rehn-Kaufmann: Important to say is, that the LOBA is not about one image, it is about a series. If the series tells a touching story or the visual language is speaking to me then it touches me. It is a mood and a feeling. For me it is a good image when it touches me and when it tells a story. The ones who touch my soul will stay in my mind.
SCoP: There are many photographers participating in LOBA every year. Let’s talk about the photographers of this year and why their work got your attention and stood out?
Karin Rehn-Kaufmann: The winner was Luca Locatelli with his series “Future Studies”. The photographer’s long-term project visualizes research into new ways for our future survival on the planet, and how to deal with the enormous environmental problems we face. In my opinion a great series which makes us aware of a lot of problems today and in the future related to technology.
And this year’s Newcomer, Gonçalo Fonseca with his series “New Lisbon”. The photographer’s series deals with the dramatic housing situation currently affecting Lisbon and, based on individual stories, reveals the consequences of advancing gentrification. The images are very strong and touching, that’s for sure one reason he has won the LOBA Newcomer Award.
There are a lot of photographers I like this year. The quality of this year’s LOBA is quite outstanding. It’s like a wonderful, colorful and very varying bouquet of flowers. But just to name a few photographers, I really like what Ragnar Axelsson is photographing in the Arctic, impressing and vivid b/w images. Also Vincent Fournier with his “Space Projects” is an interesting project. The perspective of these images are quite interesting. Maimouna Gurresi with her very individual approach to show her connection to her native country. Every series speak on its own and very interesting imagery. This are all great series, otherwise we wouldn’t have taken them on the shortlist.
SCoP: We are interested in the process of jurying. How does the jury make final decisions when disputes happen?
Karin Rehn-Kaufmann: Of course we don’t always agree on every series and each year the jury is totally different because the jury members are different. That makes the process quite interesting. We never do a jury discussion only online. We sit together, we discuss and fight for each series. What is important to hear the arguments from the judge, why is he or she voting for this photographer. Then everybody can understand his or her point of view and makes the judging process easier. And at the end all jury members should be glad and satisfied with the result of the judging process.
SCoP: You’ve been on the jury of the LOBA since 2008. In your memories, are there any candidates or winners’ work still impress you?
Karin Rehn-Kaufmann: That is a tough question, I mean I like every work of the past winners of the LOBA it is hard to say who is still staying in my memory, But for example, Dominic Nahr (first Newcomer), Jan Grarup, Jing Huang, Evgenia Arbugaeva, Alejandro Cegarra, just to name a few, are still series which I still remember quite good. But of course when I sit down and think of all the previous winners a lot more will come to my mind. I just curated our 40 years LOBA exhibition with all our former main category and Newcomer winners in our Ernst Leitz Museum in Wetzlar. A great exhibition about 40 years of the history of documentary photography.
SCoP: Base on the LOBA’s selection of photos from the past to the present, taking a close gaze on those pictures, how do you think LOBA has changed in terms of photographic style or visual identity as time goes by?
Karin Rehn-Kaufmann: I mean I recognize a big change in quality for this year’s LOBA. Because of the nomination system the LOBA is on another level. Coming from classic reportage when the LOBA started in 1980, the series were mainly in b/w, the view of the photographer’s worldwide changed to a more individual style. The photographer’s approach on social and economic problems is more individual and artistic.
SCoP: Leica makes a huge contribution to the world of photography. What role do you think photography plays in our lives and the society under this time? Has photography changed nowadays?
Karin Rehn-Kaufmann: Of course it has changed. Nowadays everyone thinks he or she is a photographer when taking images with the smartphone. But this is from my point of view not photographing it’s just shooting moments and scenes from our daily life. It is getting faster and faster, but for taking good photographs you have to take your time, you have to have an idea in your mind and you LOOK before you shoot. That means you take your time, you are the photographer who shoots, not the camera itself.
SCoP: At the same time, SCoP also reviewed the outstanding winners of LOBA over the past 40 years and their works in this exhibition. They spared no effort to show the relationship between people and the living environment, just like the name of this exhibition "People and Place". How do you understand the relationship between humans and environment?
Karin Rehn-Kaufmann: We have one world where we all live together. We have to be respectful, nice and caring to all the people in this world as well as the environment. It is an interaction between us humans and the environment otherwise it wouldn’t work. And unfortunately we see how far we destroyed already our wonderful planet with only looking for more power and money.
SCoP: Nowadays, more and more people use smartphones to take photos and browse photos on the internet. Do you think photographic equipment is still important to photography? Additionally, what’s the significance of printing the pictures out and showing them in the museum?
Karin Rehn-Kaufmann: Yes, as I mentioned earlier, it is important for photographers to take their time for shooting. In using for example a Leica M system you have to be able to set up everything manual. When you take a photograph with a Leica M-System camera, you experience a different kind of photography than with a smartphone.
I always say only a printed image is a photograph everything else is just data. It’s so important to print out images, therefore we have 25 Leica galleries around the world, and therefore it’s so wonderful to have the SCoP as a partner for our LOBA 2020 exhibition…. The stored pictures on our computers are only data, you can move them, you can delete them but in the end they will be forgotten.
SCoP: Many young Chinese photographers and photography lovers have been paying attention to Leica and LOBA. From your professional view, what’s your suggestion and insights to those young generation?
Karin Rehn-Kaufmann: That’s really great that the LOBA is getting more attention in China. My advice for young photographers would be: Keep doing what you love: taking pictures. Be curious and dare to try something new. A new angle, a different lighting, but don’t edit too much afterwards. Find your own unique style, which differentiates you from other photographers and take your time and LOOK.