MPB Meets: Surrealist Self-portrait Photographer Marlena Wels

The work of surrealist artist and self-portrait photographer Marlena Wels embodies the qualities of a dream-like fairy tale, imbued with a mysterious and enigmatic perspective on reality. Through the surreal elements that complement the moody atmosphere in her images, her photographs capture her surroundings with a whimsical approach. Let’s hear from Marlena about her kit, inspirations and editing process.

MPB: How did you get into photography? 

MW: My first love was actually painting and drawing. One day, however, perfectionism struck. I became increasingly frustrated with my results. I think my frustration at the time was the limits of painting and not being able to make things as real as I wanted them. It played a big part in me getting into photography. Somehow my first digital camera found its way to me during this phase and I was on the road with it more often than with pen and paper. When I was 15, I did an internship in a photo studio and got to know the world of Flickr—it was a revelation for me. With photography and image editing, I realised I could achieve exactly what I couldn’t achieve through painting. And that's how my first DSLR camera found its way to me and the whole journey began.

MPB: Do you consider yourself primarily a photographer, illustrator, artist or designer?

MW: I am still trying to figure that out. Even though photography is a very big and important part of it, I have never been able to identify with the term photographer, because I think it sounds very technical and manual. In the meantime, I have come to call myself a ‘photo artist’, which can include illustration, sewing costumes and building props. 

MPB: Where do your initial ideas or concepts come from?

MW: Some ideas come to me out of nowhere. They appear very suddenly before my eyes, perhaps triggered by looking at a falling leaf or an old picture frame. Others are inspired by places, objects, poems and often by emotional states. Places, objects and words can be so fascinating in themselves that they trigger a process in me to see the whole in my world. Let's call it daydreaming, something like that. I then take a closer look at what interests and moves me about it and how I can tell the whole thing in a picture. Similarly, I like to look at my state of mind—primarily, of course, when something comes to the surface and wants to be seen. Something that then also wants to be visualised and told, and thus can be seen, like my little diary or my own little therapy. It helps me to understand emotions, to make them tangible and to integrate them into my life like many little chapters.

MPB: Describe your artistic philosophy in five songs. 

MW: May It Be – Enya, Take Flight – Lindsey Stirling, The Voice – Celtic Woman, Listen with your Heart – Pocahontas, The Seed – Aurora.

MPB: What is the biggest challenge in self-portraiture? 

MW: Of course, the realisation is always a challenge. You have to be able to assess how the picture should look in the end, without anyone else being in front of the camera to refer to—so, imagination. And then accuracy, to get the focus point. But I see that more as the smaller challenges. I think it's more difficult for some people to even bring themselves to stand in front of their own camera. Because it's always a confrontation with the self, even more so when it comes to facing your feelings and making them visible. I think many know that they don't even like to hear their own voice. I guess facing yourself takes courage and I can't say how I mustered mine at the time. Perhaps curiosity outweighed the fear of the self and finally the realisation that it needn't be so bad. You can capture very unflattering sides of yourself, or the beautiful ones. And in the end, you decide for yourself whether the whole thing ends up in the bin or you take it with humour.

MPB: How do you achieve this dreamlike atmosphere in your photos and at the same time maintain the surrealistic authenticity of the photos?

MW: I always try to keep the scene as natural as possible by shooting the props I need and having a hand on the spot. This way they are photographed in the same light and can also be shot directly from the perspective I need. If I don't have them with me at the location, I try to find a similar light afterwards. If I don't have them materially with me, I have to resort to stock photos and make sure I find material that comes as close as possible to my lighting and perspective. 

In order to make the whole thing dreamy, I like to use—as you can certainly tell—flying objects, like clothes or hair fluttering in the wind, that bring dynamism into the action. From time to time, I also like to make leaves dance through the air, butterflies and anything else you can imagine. But it is always important to me that the picture is not overloaded and can still look like a snapshot.

MPB: What camera and equipment do you use? And how important is the equipment to you as a photographer?

MW: When I was a teenager and wanted to buy my first DSLR, the salesperson recommended a Nikon D60. Now, thirteen years later, I'm still with Nikon. For a while, it was the Nikon D300s and the Nikon D800, but I've now been working with a Nikon Z6 for just over a year. As far as lenses are concerned, I own the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM, the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G and the Viltrox 85mm f/1.8. There is also an old Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM but it is not supported by the Z6 and is therefore only used on the older Nikon DSLRs at best. But I now work most often with the 50mm lens.

I'm a really tech-illiterate person, the camera has always been just a tool for me to create my own little world. I still remember people telling me back then, "Wow, you must have a really good camera!", but in the end, I was still walking around with my little entry-level camera with ten megapixels. And I was very happy with it for a long time! But of course, there came a point when it was no longer enough for me and when I look at the photos from back then, I wouldn't be so happy to have to work with it either. So I guess I can say that technique is not a priority for me because I am more interested in the story of the picture, but it is the important basis for creating a good picture that meets my qualitative demands.

MPB: Your photographs are imbued with mystical symbols and the atmosphere of fairy tales that resemble the structure of a dream. What is your relationship between photography and mystical symbols?

MW: Fairy tales have always been a big part of my life. I grew up with fairy tale books in my hands and have now expanded my collection to a whole shelf. Fairy tales are much more complex than we might remember. They are not just about the helpless princess and the heroic prince on the white horse who comes rushing to the rescue. They can also be about friendship and cohesion, as in The Town Musicians of Bremen, about giving up one's self for the sake of others, as in The Little Mermaid, or even about heinously cruel deeds out of jealousy, as in The Juniper Tree. There is always a deeper moral to the story and so often it shows us that there is light in the dark and evil can be defied. I like to pick up elements in my paintings that remind us of these stories. We all know them, even if they are just the embellished Disney versions. They show that everything will be alright in the end. And even if it's not the happy ending we wanted, it still goes on in a different way—like the little mermaid turns to foam, but still gets her chance to have a soul.  

MPB: Do you have any tips for anyone who wants to start making surrealist images like yours?

MW: Daydreaming! Letting your thoughts fly and seeing things from other perspectives—looking at a meadow upside-down once led me to an idea for a painting. Of course, looking at surrealist art also helps to develop one's sense of it and to be inspired. But most of all, it helps me personally to listen inside myself and find out what images I can find there. These are mostly abstract feelings and worlds that can best be realised unrealistically. 

Thanks, Marlena. You can see more of Marlena’s work on Instagram @marlenawels

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