Bettina Theuerkauf emphasizes the importance of building trust and connection with her subjects before capturing their images. She balances spontaneity and intuition with a later, more analytical approach to ensure her photos tell a clear and compelling story. Her work is driven by a deep fascination with human experiences and the beauty that can be found even in challenging situations. We sat down with her for a conversation that reveals the passion and precision behind her stunning work.

Your portraits have an intimate feel.
How do you manage to establish such a connection with the people you photograph?

The people I photograph need to feel safe and trust me. So, I start by approaching them without a camera, engaging in conversation to create a mutual understanding. Only then do I bring out the camera and begin capturing images.

What do you focus on when you look through the viewfinder?

It depends on the mode I’m in while photographing. Initially, I immerse myself in the situation, reacting to what unfolds. At that point, I’m purely an observer, working intuitively and spontaneously. There's a mode where I respond and see what happens. Once I feel I've captured enough good images, I switch to a more analytical mode, thinking about what additional shots I need to tell the story clearly, or what might be needed for the layout. This approach probably stems from my background as a photo editor.

Your images often tell a story, leaving viewers curious about what happened before and after. Do you plan this narrative while photographing, or are you entirely in the moment?

Both. At the start, I’m fully present in the moment. I tune into the situation—who the people are, the mood, the surroundings, the light. I let the place and my instincts guide me. Only later do I begin consciously analyzing. My images then become more technical, filling in the gaps needed to tell the story comprehensibly.

Are you committed to realism, or can a reportage present the world in a more beautiful light than it really is?

The world is beautiful, or at least it always has beautiful facets. Ultimately, it’s a matter of perspective. If you watch the news, you might think everything is terrible. And yes, there’s a lot—perhaps even predominantly—of darkness in the world of news. But I believe it’s important not to lose hope and to recognize the beauty as well. You shouldn’t make a story more beautiful than it is, but you can find beauty in everything. Even in the most horrific situations, there can be elements that touch you. A reportage shouldn’t be conventionally beautiful, but it should be moving.

Do you photograph quickly or slowly?
How spontaneous is your photography?

I think I’m very quick. I like to react spontaneously to situations, but there are also images that I seek out and compose consciously and calmly, especially when I’m shooting on film. Digital cameras tempt you to shoot endlessly, like a sports photographer. When I work with film, I’m much more focused and precise—simply because every shot comes with a cost.

But you mostly work digitally?

Mostly, yes. I didn’t have a traditional photography education; I studied media technology, which included a bit of everything—animation, photo, film, video. During a semester abroad in England, I focused on photojournalism and got hooked. However, I wasn’t taught analog photography there either. That’s something I’ve only recently discovered for myself. When you shoot on film, you celebrate photography. The number of shots on a roll is limited, so I photograph much more deliberately. This, in turn, has influenced my digital photography.

So, it wasn’t like us, where your dad gave you his old analog camera when you were a kid?

No. In terms of my creative path, I faced more obstacles than encouragement. Both of my parents are engineers, and I don’t think they ever really understood what I was doing or that you could make a living from it. So, I had to find my own way and go with the flow. I even studied business administration for two semesters before realizing it definitely wasn’t for me. My degree was a compromise: it had the word “technology” in it. After my bachelor’s thesis—a photo book—I joined the photo editorial team at ZEIT, until I realized I needed to be taking the photos myself.

What seems particularly intriguing about being a photographer is that you can briefly immerse yourself in different lives. For instance, you photograph engineers researching nuclear fusion for Spiegel, but also boxers in Ghana. Is that part of the fascination for you?

Absolutely. I love meeting people I would never have encountered otherwise and visiting places few people have access to. I get bored easily; I’m a very impatient person. I need constant input, always wanting to learn something new, and my job as a photographer can give me that.

After all these years, what has been your most moving encounter?

For a reportage, I had the opportunity to meet a survivor of Auschwitz, who sadly passed away in 2021. These people have experienced the unimaginable, and I was privileged to be there when they shared their stories. It was such a profound and intense experience that it stayed with me for a long time and made me humble. But it also made me grateful to have heard about it firsthand.

 

In her photography Bettina Theuerkauf is focusing on a sensible and authentic photographic style. The play of light and shade and the adaptation of new perspectives, is what magically attracts the Romanian born photographer. For her, photography serves as a tool, which enables her to analyze, and therefore better understand, our surrounding environment. Bettina Theuerkauf is currently based in Hamburg, Germany.