Interview: Photographer Harald Fischerlehner (Austria)

Tell us something about yourself. My name is Harald Fischerlehner, I’m working as a technical engineer, aged 47 & based in Upper Austria - beside of photography I love my family, friends & like travelling. How and when did you get into photography? After university I went to Australia & Thailand for some months with my Minolta SLR and since these days the camera is part of my life. What does photography mean to you? Happyness! Being balanced, creating something together with the model & the makeup artist. Most of all I love it when I can recreate a model to something new - and the model is not just statisfied but positively surprised

Please briefly describe your photography style for our readers. Good question! To be honest very often I’m dissatisfied & doubtful about my pictures & the style therefore I can hardly nail my style of work. But during all the years I recognize that less technique and much more connection to the model is a key to my pictures nowadays. To keep the human as it is & let the people go during the shoot is a prior target to me.

Where do you get inspiration from? Actually in these days a huge storage of inspiration is on click away - therefore I often check portals like 500px, Youtube, Pinterest and my favs on Instagram & Facebook. Nevertheless I like the oldstyle way to leaf through Magazines and see how others do. Sometimes it’s just the location, the model or just a good day that brings me instantaneous to a new idea on site. I also do inteact a lot with colleagues to get their feedback & learn from the critics. Think you in advance what you want in the picture? Yes! Some pictures combined with Makeup and location are more or less done before the shoot even has started, but I don’t follow precisely a “masterplan” - the mood and flow of the people, the light, the location - everything should come together best - or sometimes I also skip a picture when I see that it doesn’t work that day.

Studio, on location or both? Both, but the technique nowadays (ISO possibilities and good lenses) allows so much on location that I hardly hit the Studio - this changed within the years, too. So the answer should be mostly on location.

Would you consider yourself a hobbyist or a paid professional? Hobbyist, working in a professional way.

What has been your most memorable session and why? Tough choice... to be honest I can’t select a single one... to get faith from people that they slip into different roles and let themselves go - these are memorable moments in almost every shooting.

What has been the biggest source of inspiration in your work? As mentioned above there is such a huge source nowadays in front of us so I wouldn’t limit it to a single source.

Nikon or Canon? Favorite lens? Non of both big players - since last year Sony A7R2; I mostly work with prime lenses 24, 35, 50 & 85mm; Favourite lens is I think the35mm / 1,4 Art from Sigma.

What is one piece of advice you would like to offer a new photographer looking to start their own business? Take care that you have just some orders a month and are not booked every day or even week, check your fix rates a month, don’t invest (too) much in euqipment - make a business plan what you need to earn to live a life and not thinking of debts.

Be friendly and polite to the customers & communicate with them - before, during and after the shooting. You wanna get booked again - work for that.

What do you think of our new magazine?

It’s a great possibility to give people a chance to show what they can do. The mixture from countries, models, photographers and makeup artists makes a very colorful rainbow how photography grows and looks like. I’m really proud to be picked out and that I can show some work of me. All the best to the Modellenland team & Thank you very much for choosing me Peter!

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