c ry st in is a t wenty -th ree-year-ol d ph otograph er c ur r e nt l y i n l o n d on. she was born in 1987 in magdeburg, g e r m a ny a n d graduated from lette-verein berlin as a s t at e - a p p r o ve d p hotographer. she is currently a personal assistant to ph otograph er axel h oedt .
ACHE Magazine: What do you try to convey through your work? Why do you photograph?
AM: Who is your favorite photographer, and how have you been influenced by his/her work?
Crystin Moritz: I am a visual person. When I hear a song or read a book, I see pictures in my inner eye, so it was quite logical for me to express myself through photography and art. The most important thing for me is to transfer an atmosphere. I love to look at photographs and see a story behind them.
CM: I have several ones. I love Francesca Woodman, Corinne Day, Doug Dubois, Wendy Bevan, Paolo Roversi, and Axel Hoedt. They all inspire me in the way they look at their subjects.
AM: How long have you been shooting? How has your photography changed since you started? CM: I have been taking pictures since I can remember. I always had a camera, but I started to photograph in a more serious way with the SLR camera of my father. At fifteen, I got my first digital camera, which was good to experiment with and to find out what was interesting to me. But I was bored quickly and changed to analog again when I was nineteen. During this whole process, I found out that the most interesting thing for me is people, and so I specialized in portraits and fashion. AM: How would you describe yourself as a person and as a photographer? CM: Easygoing. AM: Who or what inspires you? CM: Everything. Mostly nature, a certain light or smell. Movies, books and music are very essential, but the past decades are absolutely inspiring. AM: Digital or film? Why? CM: Film. Digital photography was a good way to find out what I was interested in, but very soon, it was too clean and predictable for me. I love the thrill when I open an expired polaroid or play with chemicals in the darkroom. But I don’t condemn digital because it is very helpful for certain issues.
AM: Imagine you’ve been commissioned for an editorial for a fashion magazine. For which publication (i.e. Vogue, Nylon, etc.) would you most like to shoot? Why? CM: I think it is quite obvious – Vogue, for sure. I think it is still an accolade for every photographer. AM: How does fashion play into your work? CM: What I like most about fashion is that completely fictitious aspect. For me, this world is not about truth or reality but about illusions and dreams. It is my individual view on things. AM: What have you achieved so far in your photography, and what would you like to achieve? CM: There are people who appreciate and love my work, which is a big achievement for me. It is important to have positive feedback, as photography is just as good as its viewer. Additionally, I got a scholarship whereby I have the chance to work in London now. One day, I would love to launch a photo contest, especially for fashion photography because I really miss that.