Why the photographer Jens Krauer is called "invisible": Urban shots with meaning

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Jens Krauer, a Swiss photographer, takes inspiration from the city streets, discreetly capturing the most ordinary people. He enjoys being invisible and documenting city life. The skill of the photographer allows him to capture overt sincere emotions, unexpected situations. The art of a really clean shot and the truth of our everyday life is forever frozen in Krauer's honest photographs.

Jens Krauer possesses a truly enormous growth, but on the street he instantly mixes with the crowd and becomes invisible. Here is a woman gesturing animatedly while talking to her friend on the phone. Her hands almost touch the camera, while completely oblivious to the photographer.

Jens's skill in dissolving into the crowd is simply amazing. Crower earned the nickname invisible ninja. The most interesting thing is that he does not even try to hide his actions and equipment. Watching Crower's work is a pleasure: with the grace of a cat, he moves across the human sea, remaining unnoticed and documenting everything that happens with his camera.

When journalists ask Crower where he got his invisibility hat, he replies: “Sometimes it's not as easy as it seems. Especially if the area is not too prosperous or the outskirts of the city. After all, there is no such flow of people. Locals there tend to pay more attention to outsiders. Do not trust new faces. It is important to look at filming from a documenting point of view, not from an observation point."

"Documentation is love," adds the photographer, "and observation is control." When the working conditions become difficult, Crower changes the problem setting. The photographer approaches people, communicates with them, talks about himself, about his work, about his goals. Usually his honesty and sincerity are rewarded with trust. In this case, according to Jens, this is the most important thing: “My job is acting and psychology skills. Of course, such a mixture requires not only experience and a certain amount of fearlessness, but also a deep understanding of the very concept of the street. " - this is how the photographer tells about his style of work in the genre of street photography.

Jens approaches his work like a purist, without changing anything around, he captures life moments as they are, without embellishing or hiding anything. The most important thing is to be able to dissolve in the outside world without arousing any interest and document the street scene, freeze it in time.

The street photographer believes that the shot should not be spoiled by his active participation in what is happening, only in this way he will remain absolutely clean and honest. Any interaction will irrevocably destroy the purity of the picture. “I tend to approach different situations differently. If suddenly I notice something interesting, or someone interesting, I instantly adapt and change the whole strategy of my work."

With Jens, art mixed with life, it intertwined with it in an inextricable connection. It all started with his childhood in his hometown of Zurich. The cityscape against the backdrop of the hip-hop culture of the time inspired Crower. When he got bored with office work, he literally broke free. The feeling of extraordinary satisfaction from what he was doing intoxicated him and gave him strength. It was in street photography that Jens discovered himself to the fullest. This work gave him the opportunity to create and express himself.

In 2016, Jens has already turned professional. Crower went on to work as a Fujifilm-X instructor and podcaster. Nowadays, completely different genres are submissive to his photography skills, but street photography remains his true passion. Only the street, its indescribable rhythm, overflowing energy, some kind of challenge, attract Jens, attract like a magnet.

Crower believes that it was street hip-hop that taught him all that the street has to offer. Only simplicity and purity, only a camera, a lens, comfortable shoes, openness of perception - that's all that is required. Only the street was able to give Jens the key topics he needed to work with. He loves to watch how time changes, the streets of the surrounding cities are transformed. Photography has the ability to remember unique moments and convey information.

“As a photographer, I just physically feel how great it is! After all, just imagine: you took a picture that has become a classic of the genre. It means that to the one you captured, you gave eternity."

The photographer is currently working on a long-term project. He removes the old part of Zurich. The city is changing rapidly and Jens wants to have time to capture life, style, subculture as they are today, in order to preserve the very spirit of the city. This requires skills and life experience. There are a lot of dangerous places in cities. This requires a certain amount of courage and great care. Usually, before work, Jens prepares carefully: he studies the maps of the area, collects information bit by bit in order to know all the details exactly.

Of course, there are times when troubles happen. Somehow Jens had to find himself in the company of bikers from a famous club. The situation was about to spiral out of control, but the photographer was helped by an excellent knowledge of the area and common acquaintances with aggressive bikers. This helped to reduce the degree of stress and level the situation to normal communication.

When Krauer traveled to Istanbul, he had previously thoroughly studied the specifics of the urban subculture and its features. Miraculously, the photographer managed to avoid problems during the filming of the shopping part of the city, because he was mistaken for a spy.

When things take a dangerous turn, Crower is honest about who he is and what he does. Explains that his goal is not observation, but documentation, it helps people to tune in to the positive, to avoid negative attitudes. Jens always takes business cards with him. If the situation requires it, he shows people his site, promises to send a picture. By this he seeks to show that his motives are open, positive and he is doing the necessary, completely legal and serious business.

Jens considers it very important and immensely enjoyable in her work that she helped him see the world. From New York to Bucharest. On the way, he found many friends and met a lot of like-minded people in his life philosophy, where money is not at all the main thing. The most important thing in life is mutual understanding.

The photographer is firmly convinced that the most important thing in his profession is not ultra-modern equipment and super perfect pictures, but the highest level of expressiveness and creativity. This is what Jens Krauer strives for. Photography is not a collection of high-quality photographs, it is the enjoyment of every moment of the creative process. “I would like everyone to live the way I do. After all, you don't need a lot of money to be happy. Art enriches in the fullest sense of the word."

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