Interview

What was your first photo opportunity?
Marie Hochhaus: I had my first real photo opportunity in art class at school. We had the task to shoot a photo series. I can't remember the exact task but I ended up taking photos in the woods of my friend Jannika. She had freckles and red hair.

Why did you become a photographer?
Marie Hochhaus: Since I can remember I loved looking at magazines and photo books. When I had my first computer I spent hours searching for pictures online. Soon I had a big library with gigabites full of photos and artwork. I was kind of obsessed to collect pictures and to administer my archive. But before I started to change the sites and took photos by myself, drew and painted a lot. I always felt a bit frustrated because of my perfectionism. I guess I was just too impatient with myself. So when I finally picked up a camera to explore my own creativity, I felt that this was all I needed.

What was the biggest success in your career?
Marie Hochhaus: I feel very, very blessed to work with a bunch of really talented people who put all their energies, efforts and passion into their job and who share their creativity with me. From my point of view one of the most important gifts about my photography is to find a great team to work with!

What inspires you in terms of your own work?
Marie Hochhaus: Uff! That's a hard question! There are just way too many inspiring artists. Just to name a few I really admire: Bettina Rheims, Gustav Klimt (for ever and ever ever!), Alex Prager, Tim Walker, Olivia Bee, Peter Lindbergh and Ellen von Unwerth, They are all inspriring me with my own photography and my projects.