MPB Meets: Street Photographer Siegfried Hansen

Award-winning street photographer Siegfried Hansen is known for his compositions that draw on graphic connections and coincidence in the public sphere. Siegfried’s work has been featured in books, magazines and exhibitions around the world. He is a member of the renowned street photography collective UP Photographers and founding member of the German Street Photography Festival. His published photo books include Hold the Line and The Flow of the Lines. We speak with Siegfried about his kit, technique and street photography. 

MPB: You shoot with a Leica Q2 and Leica Q2 Monochrom. Do you also use other equipment? How important is the equipment for you as a photographer?

SH: I attach a lot of importance to very good equipment and use only one camera; for years the Leica Q and later the Q2. The camera is handy, fast and takes very high-quality pictures. I used to work with APS-C system cameras and a 24-70mm lens. The restriction to the 28mm focal length took some getting used to at first, now I have to use my feet as a zoom even more than before. This forces me to get closer to my subjects. 28mm, which is the preferred focal length for my type of photography and the Leica Q2 in its compactness and simplicity is the optimal tool, especially if you are looking for the second or third level. But, in the end, the photographer makes the pictures. Good equipment is important, but much more important is the person behind the camera.

MPB: Your pictures seem through some situations at the motives, often very spontaneous. At the same time, however, the motifs radiate calm, which gives you the impression that the perfect moment was waited for. Would you describe yourself as a person and photographer as rather patient or spontaneous? Or put another way, do you have an idea about your subjects and wait for the perfect moment or do you discover the perfect moment at that very moment?

SH: That was a development process that went on for about eight to ten years. I allowed influences from other artists—photographers as well as painters—who I found good and interested me. I then incorporated these influences into my work and through that, I developed my own style. The real effort is to go out and change your perception. In my workshops, I explicitly show some very well-known images of mine and how they came to be. By collecting and not by hunting for the unique moment. I am very concentrated on this particular technique, but constantly taking pictures—no continuous fire, but I have worked out a concept. I collect until the subject, object or theme no longer interests me or I end up with a top image. 

A good street photo is the interaction of photographic skill, luck and perseverance. It takes time. And there are no shortcuts. I think anyone can take good street photos. The most important thing on the way to this goal is training, learning imagery—composition—and getting constructive feedback, either from the internet or from like-minded photographers.

MPB: You also give workshops in different cities in Germany, how does it feel to pass on your knowledge, your ideas, especially your way of seeing things? 

SH: In my workshops, mostly in Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg and Hanover, but also internationally like in Milan or Tokyo, it is important to me that the participants who want to dive into the field of street photography actively take pictures while they are out and about. It is crucial to build up a concept in advance so that you don't just walk around waiting for the decisive motif to ‘suddenly’ appear. I have developed a specific tool for this purpose for my workshops, which I call ‘pilot’. It turns you from a hunter to a gatherer, and it's through the gathering and the corresponding changes in perception that you get the good pictures.

My workshop participants, after getting to know my ‘pilot’ system, have usually changed their perception quite quickly and are much more active and thus also more productive. This has shown me that a lot of photography has to do with changing everyday perceptions. This change can be trained. It's also very inspiring to see how different photographers are and what incredible creative potential there is. That impresses me again and again.

MPB: And to what extent does the current Covid-19 pandemic influence your photography?

SH: I used the extraordinary situation of empty streets to photograph my hometown, Hamburg, from a different perspective. Suddenly, other things were visible. This allowed me to produce a series in which I was able to combine street markings in the foreground with the empty street and a familiar building in the background. I was inspired by the photographer Chargesheimer, especially his book Cologne - 5:30 am, which showed a city without people in 1970. With the first lockdown, I still thought it would all be over in a few months—now, I've taken more time.

MPB: In the end, you also published your images in a book. What is your general attitude towards the medium of books and the way your images are viewed?

SH: In general, I really like the classic nature of the book as a medium. In my opinion, the haptic is still very important when looking at pictures. There is a difference between looking at pictures on a laptop or cell phone or buying a book or, even better, visiting an exhibition. You look at the images differently than in a quick click-through on the Internet.

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This article is part of the MPB Guide to Street Photography, our comprehensive look at how to create street photography, with camera recommendations, advice and interviews with experts.