Who is your favorite person ?

It was only at the beginning of the year that I became aware of Jesse’s interview format through Chinwe Edeani. An interview of a special kind - answering 12 questions with one photograph each.

Before I knew that Jesse will contact me, I looked at some of his interviews. I tried to decipher some of the visual answers and at the same time I asked myself what my answers would look like. The questions got me thinking. How to answer them while at the same time protecting my privacy ?

Then Jesse’s request arrived. He asked me if I would like to answer the questions with my mirimalistic visual language. Well, I did not expect that at all. I liked the idea as it is playful, but also challenging.

However, with the first question, "Who are you?", I had to make an exception. I could easily have answered this with my well-known "M", which I have photographed in every condition of life. But I decided to take one of my favourite shots in black and white. A self-portrait from 2012. The photo was taken during my stay in Japan.

"Jesse’s visual interview" brings new perspectives into play, which have taken my thoughts in all directions. One could further elaborate on this visual point of view, but for now - enjoy my visual interview h e r e

Follow Jesse on Instagram. His book recommendations, his photographs, his way of expressing himself both in writing and visually aroused my curiosity. Maybe yours too.

Berlin 2011 © Miri Berlin Photography

Berlin 2011 © Miri Berlin Photography

Jesse Freeman is a visual artist and writer based in Tokyo. His mediums include photography, filmmaking, collage, and ikebana under the Sogetsu school.

You can see more of his work through his sites:

Tokyo Art Beat profile:
https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/author/jesse_freeman

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/jesselfreeman/

Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imnothinginparticular/

Berlin Mirimalism - Book Cover - Titelbild

Bevor 2016 sich dem Ende zuneigt, 2015 ist gefühlsmäßig so wahnsinnig schnell vergangen, möchte ich mein "Berlin Mirimalism" Fotobuch wieder in den Vordergrund des Geschehens rücken, und im Laufe der nächsten Zeit die einzelnen Fotografien daraus, mit der ein oder anderen Notiz von mir oder von euch, präsentieren. 
Seit Ende November habe ich fast die Hälfte der limitierten Ausgabe verkauft. Yeah. (Nur die ersten 20 von den 25 Fotobüchern sind mit einem limitierten und signierten Print zu haben. )
Eine ganze Menge hat schon das kleinformatige Softcover Buch gekauft, manche haben sogar Prints daraus bestellt. Auf diesem Weg nochmal vielen herzlichen Dank dafür.
Ich verkaufe nur noch die restlichen Fotobücher der Softcover Ausgabe. "Berlin Mirimalism" kann direkt bei mir bestellt werden. Der Versand innerhalb Deutschlands ist kostenlos.

Photo: Jeffery Saddoris

Photo: Jeffery Saddoris

In the coming weeks I will present the images from my "Berlin Mirimalism" photo book, accompanied by short notes referring to one or the other photograph. (Due to lack of time I will not be able to offer an English translation for all the posts, please bear with me.) 
Since November 2015 I sold nearly half of the book's limited edition. (Only the first 20 copies of the limited edition of 25 also come with a limited and signed print. ) And many of you ordered the softcover version, and some of you even ordered prints from the book. I feel very honoured and I can't thank you enough for your interest, support and feedback.
There will be no further re-prints of this first issue of "Berlin Mirimalism", so make sure to get yours today. There are only a few copies left.

Berlin 2011 © Miri Berlin Photography

Berlin 2011 © Miri Berlin Photography

Das Titelbild von "Berlin Mirimalism" zeigt ein Motiv, welches ich unglaublich oft fotografiere. Es ist ein Ausschnitt aus einer Skulptur mit dem Namen „Schreitender Mensch“ von Rüdiger Preisler. Es befindet sich in meinem Kiez, im Görlitzer Park.  

Berlin Mirimalism - Photobook

Photobooks - Berlin Mirimalism

Photobooks - Berlin Mirimalism

::: Deutsche Version siehe bitte weiter unten / For German version please see below :::

Hi everyone, 

I finally did it. My long-overdue photobook "Berlin Mirimalism" has finally arrived and is ready to be shipped. The softcover version of the book comes in a handy 19x19 cm / 7.5x7.5 inch format and has 36 pages. Inside the book you will find 26 color photographs from Berlin - 8 of them never before published. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that some of them offer uncommon views of Berlin. None of the photographs fails to capture the vast bright blue sky above the city. Nevertheless, despite my well-known "mirimalism" flavour, the unique beauty of the architecture still manages to stand out. 

In addition to the softcover version, "Berlin Mirimalism" is also available in a signed and numbered hardcover edition - limited to just 25 copies. Each 28x28 cm / 11x11 inch limited edition hardcover also includes a high quality print of one of my favorite images from the book. 

I'm flattered and honored to have the foreword for my first photo book written by Jeffery Saddoris from the USA, a writer, artist and the co-host of "On Taking Pictures" - a weekly podcast about photography, which I have been listening to since 2013. If you never heard about "On taking Pictures" you should tune in.

I would like to thank everyone who supported me on one way or the other since I have started with photography, as well those of you who got involved in the production of this book and I encourage you to get a copy for yourself or as a gift.

Berlin Mirimalism
S o f t c o v e r
19x19 cm  (7,5 x 7,5 inch)
36 Pages, German/English
ISBN 978-3-00-051378-7
20,- € (incl. Versand)


 

Berlin Mirimalism  ::: SOLD OUT :::
H a r d c o v e r (signed and numbered edition of 25 copies)
28x28 cm (11x11 inch)
36 Pages, German/English
inkl. high quality print (20x20cm / 8x8 inch) from the book (only 20 signed and numbered copies)
159,- €  (incl. worldwide shipping)

 

::: D E U T S C H /  G E R M A N :::

Hallo alle zusammen, 
es hat eine Weile gedauert, aber nun ist mein erstes Fotobuch "Berlin Mirimalism" fertig.

"Berlin Mirimalism" beinhaltet 26 Farbfotografien aus Berlin, darunter acht Aufnahmen, die ich bisher noch nicht öffentlich gezeigt habe. Wenn ich die Bilder beschreiben müsste, würde ich nicht übertreiben, wenn ich sage, dass manche von ihnen buchstäblich schräg sind. Keine der Aufnahmen lässt den blauen Himmel über Berlin vermissen, dennoch kommt die Architektur trotz der mirimalistischen Note nicht zu kurz.

Ich fühle mich sehr geehrt, dass Jeffery Saddoris aus den USA, Autor, Künstler und einer der Macher von "On taking Pictures" - ein wöchentliches Podcast über Fotografie, das Vorwort zum Buch geschrieben hat.

Neben einer Softcover-Version im handlichen 19x19 cm Format, biete ich eine limitierte Auflage von 25 "Berlin Mirimalism" als Hardcover im Großformat (28x28 cm) inklusive eines nummerierten und signierten Prints aus dem Buch an.

Ich freue mich, wenn ich Euer Interesse geweckt habe, und danke schon mal auf diesem Weg jedem, der mich bisher auf die eine oder andere Weise unterstützt hat.
 

Berlin Mirimalism
S o f t c o v e r
19x19 cm, 36 Seiten Dt./Engl.
ISBN 978-3-00-051378-7
20,- € (incl. Versand)

Bei Interesse einfach eine E-Mail schicken .
 

Berlin Mirimalism
H a r d c o v e r (Signierte und limitierte Auflage von 25 Büchern)
28x28 cm, 36 Seiten, Dt./Engl.
inkl. eines hochwertigen Prints (20x20cm) aus dem Buch (signiert & limitiert auf 20 Prints)
159,- € + Versand (Bestellungen bis zum 30.11.2015 159,- € incl. Versand)

"To think outside the square"

Tokyo 2012 © Miri Berlin Photography

Tokyo 2012 © Miri Berlin Photography

Hi everyone & Hallo, I would love to introduce you to one of my favourite podcast episodes, that I have started listening to a few months ago. It has nothing to do with photography, which is nothing unusual for me.
It's about Storytelling, it's about creativity and how our perception and imagination can play tricks on us. It's about how someone can touch your soul one way or the other while at same time leaving hardly any impression on the second person present. 
In this episode called "Searching for Sally", Tally Abecassis the host of "First Day Back" takes us on her journey, while she is searching for her teacher from elementary school, who had a great impact on her life and career.
Tally asked herself why Sally pushed her into documentary, did she see something special in her, or was Tally just projecting a whole lot of meaning onto it ?
I have listened to this episode a couple of times, as if I was searching for something. It felt like reading a good short story, or as if my eyes lingered on a great photograph or painting.

Here's an extract:

I went to a Jewish school two blocks from my house. It was run by two rabbis and a non-Jewish principal who I think was responsible for bringing in this teacher, Sally Mackey. She was this gorgeous artsy woman who did a form of enrichment programming that was trendy back then. She wore her dark hair in a tight bun and she wore long glamorous dresses and swooped around the school. She would pull us out of class and do projects with us in little groups. I remember her as somebody completely different from anyone else in my life back then. It's like school was regular school the way you imagine it and then for classes with Sally we ate those Alice in Wonderland cookies and went off to some place where we did stuff that made no sense in the other world. She had us make poetry out of items in the grocery circular, she had us dress like famous psychologists we researched, she had objects on the wall that were like sculptures, not just Impressionist prints like my parents had. I remember at one point when there wasn't enough space in the building, they moved Sally's office to a janitor closet near the boys bathroom, she said we were going to do a study on toilet flushes. Imagine how radical that seemed to a bunch of 11 year olds. I thought she was nuts and I wanted to be like her.
She was unconventional and creative and just clearly marched to the beat of her own music.  

© Tally Abecassis

21 minutes
Listen to the story - Episode 6: Searching for Sally