Berlin through a lens

Written By Mattia Compagnucci

Berlin is a second home to me. I lived there for eight years, and during this time, I loved the city, hated it and loved it again. I left since two years in favour of the warmer and sunnier Barcelona, but I still visit often for work reasons and to spend time with people I love.

Last week, I visited for the first time with the camera, and it was a great feeling to rediscover the city again. It also happened with my hometown, which I discovered again after I left when I was 24 — seeing places you were used to passing through with different eyes. Discover streets that you’ve never had the chance to cross. People, places and faces.

I must admit that Berlin is an easy model; it is easy to shoot in the city. The vast spaces, the variety of people, their backgrounds and lifestyles. It’s a one-of-a-kind bubble that attracts people who resonate with its mindset, mood, and soul.

As a visitor, I’m focusing on what I always appreciated about the city, ignoring what annoyed me.

And photography is the meaning of this rediscovery. It’s a sacred time for me, wandering through the city and discovering how it changed, morphed and adapted. I find this act as a kind of meditation mixed with life-watching training. Because, in the end, it’s not about the photos but the way of looking at the world, people and life. And it’s a catalyst mixing the being here and now with a more enhanced perception of your surroundings.

 

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Mattia Compagnucci
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