Vanessa von Zitzewitz describes herself as a portrait and reportage photographer. She was born in Hamburg, Germany and educated in France, before gaining an honours degree in Graphic Arts from the Parsons School of Design in Paris. Her latest book about the horses of the Emir of Qatar is due to be published in October 2009. Vanessa is also the first female Canon Ambassador.
Initially you were resistant to photography as a medium. What changed your opinion?
At first I had no interest in photography but a very short time after I picked up a camera I was hooked. I built a small darkroom in my bathroom and spent hours and hours, nights and nights developing pictures because the best way to improve is do it on your own. You never lose the excitement of the image developing in front of you; dodging and blurring with handmade tools.
How do you think people’s views of photography have changed?
Because photography is now easier and cheaper, people tend to shoot, shoot, shoot. That increases the likelihood of something interesting coming out. Previously, photographers would spend hours thinking and reflecting to avoid wasting film. It was a completely different way of photographing.
I must say that sometimes I miss the old days of waiting for the contact sheets to come back. I remember shooting in the Caribbean and waiting two weeks for the contacts to come back to discover what I’d done. Today you can see what you’ve achieved a second later.
© Vanessa von Zitzewitz
Self-portrait Canon Ambassador Vanessa von Zitzewitz
