Friday, 11 July 2014

Inspiration and Stories Behind David Uzochukwu’s Lens

“A great photograph tells a story. It makes the viewer stare at the picture and get caught up in it.”



Today, we would like to introduce a young and talented photographer to you. David Uzochukwu, a 15 year old photographer from Luxembourg shares with us his stories and inspiration behind the lens.



Hello David. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how your passion for photography started?

Sure! I’m 15 years old, Austrian and Nigerian and I’ve been living in Luxembourg for the past 9 years. I love traveling, strolling around with a camera and meeting new people. I fell for photography a few years back — I was twelve, probably? I started documenting everything with my mum’s point-and-shoot and things developed from there.
 



You’ve taken a lot of shots and seen a lot of photos too. For you, what makes a photograph great?
 

For me, a great photograph tells a story. It makes the viewer stare at the picture and get caught up in it.

We love you’re style of photography (surreal photography). Could you share with us why you fell in love with it?

Thank you! Mostly because of the reason above, it’s all about telling interesting stories. It’s also a great way to process daily thoughts, and memories.


Your 100 day and 52 week projects are great. What helped you in making better photos during the project?

 Haha, that’s nice of you to say, especially since I only held like one month through my 100 days project. The project itself did! Taking pictures every day is a magic formula, and if you really push yourself to create daily, you’ll grow eventually.
 

Being 15, your photography conveys mature concepts and stories. Where do you get all the inspiration from?

Everyday life. Memories, dreams, atmospheres. People, their stories. Music, paintings and films. Inspiration’s coming from everywhere.


What’s the best part of being a photographer?

Being able to bring your visions to life. That’s just priceless. (Also, the community is amazing. I’ve made more friends during one year of photography than during the whole time I’ve lived in Luxembourg.)

Name a photographer that’s influenced you the most and why?

Laura Zalenga. I keep mentioning her in every single interview I give, but she’s the one who inspired me so much with her beautiful photographs when I was just a small boy sitting in my room not knowing how to ever fulfill my dreams, and gave me the courage to take self-portraits after struggling with it for so long. Her photographs are both personal and whimsical, and that did influence me heavily.


Can you choose one of your favorite photos and share with us the story behind it?

One of my favorite photos of mine is probably ‘Castaway’. I was feeling really lonely at the time, hence the title. I didn’t even think about the picture when I took it, I just set up my camera and started shooting. It was a very organic process, and very emotional. The pictures I like best usually come to be like that.


What is the one thing you wish you knew when you started taking photos?

“Never compare your beginning to someone else’s middle.” Seriously. It’ll kill you.


Could you share with us your lifelong dream for your photography?

My only dream is to become happy through photography. I don’t need fancy magazines or to shoot high-end fashion with high-end models. I just want to keep telling my stories and other people’s stories, and grow as much as I can.

***
#To see more works of Kurt, visit  David Uzochukwu's web and his Facebook Fan page 
----------------

Do you have a photographic story to share? Are you fascinated with photos and words? 
Come join
Rinse to find more great works and meet others like you. 
Rinse will be better and more with your participation.

--------
--------

Contact