Notes from a ‘Silicon
Allee’ Event Photographer in Berlin
Berlin
I have seen a glimpse of the future: 3D printers make lifelike human skulls,
computerized tumbleweeds roll across vast deserts gathering data and robots are squishy.
The RE.WORK Tech Summit
in Berlin on June 19-20 brought
cutting edge creators to ‘Silicon Allee’ Berlin
to strut their stuff on the lighted stage.
I love technology.
Not in a nerdy, worship-the-algorithm sort of way. Give me better tools, I say. I remember the excitement of getting my first digital
camera: no more photo chemistry fouling
my lungs and ruining rivers. And no more
hours spent in darkened rooms; ah, the joy!
And then there’s the instant digital gratification of fast results.
This puts me in perfect company at a tech summit. I enjoy listening to the exhibitors
enthusiastically explaining their inventions at the exhibition stands and on stage. This last event got me thinking: most of the people on stage are not polished
speakers—they are real people, and as such I kept in mind my presence as a
photographer. I didn't want my snapping
camera and firing flash to put them off their cues. I took care to choose my moments and put a
lot of space between shutter clicks. I
don’t want a young inventor geek guy full of coffee thinking of his marketing
pitch to be thrown off his game by my firing flash. I also strive to capture the most natural moments in any event, where the people look relaxed and natural. I've seen other photographers' shots of speakers who look tired, strained or nervous because the photographer didn't wait for the right moment.
And catching the 'right moment' is what photographing people is all about.
The RE.
I love technology. Not in a nerdy, worship-the-algorithm sort of way. Give me better tools, I say. I remember the excitement of getting my first digital camera: no more photo chemistry fouling my lungs and ruining rivers. And no more hours spent in darkened rooms; ah, the joy! And then there’s the instant digital gratification of fast results.
This puts me in perfect company at a tech summit. I enjoy listening to the exhibitors
enthusiastically explaining their inventions at the exhibition stands and on stage. This last event got me thinking: most of the people on stage are not polished
speakers—they are real people, and as such I kept in mind my presence as a
photographer. I didn't want my snapping
camera and firing flash to put them off their cues. I took care to choose my moments and put a
lot of space between shutter clicks. I
don’t want a young inventor geek guy full of coffee thinking of his marketing
pitch to be thrown off his game by my firing flash. I also strive to capture the most natural moments in any event, where the people look relaxed and natural. I've seen other photographers' shots of speakers who look tired, strained or nervous because the photographer didn't wait for the right moment.And catching the 'right moment' is what photographing people is all about.
