Kim Leuenberger put all aside and decided to do what she loves most, photography. While studying photography in school, Kim also travels through Europe and takes remarkable photographs to share with her social media followers. Kim’s inspiration, talent, and passion are felt and seen through each and every one of her Instagram pictures. We got to chat with Kim about what her life is like and what inspires her art. Please check out the talented and inspirational Kim below!
1. Tell Us A Little Bit About Yourself
How Do You Like Studying Photography At the University Of The Art London? My name is Kim, I grew up in Switzerland and have been living in London for a little over 2 years now. I’ve always loved photography, but Instagram is what gave me the confidence to quit my Pharmacy studies in Basel and move to London to study photography. I love it here, the course is so interesting and pushing you to become more and more independent in your own professional practice and is opening a lot of doors and options I hadn’t envisaged before for me. Also because I love analog photography, it’s so amazing to be able to use all the darkroom facilities there!
2. Creativity Is A Key Part Of Your Photography, Including The Little Cars In Your Photos. What Inspires Your Creative Spark?
I’ve always been full of imagination. As a child, I could find anything around me and start playing along with it, imagining games and other things constantly. I think it’s part of who I am and for a while, growing up, I kind of forgot about it visually and concentrated on creative writing as a teen but when Instagram came around and I got into photography again, it brought it all back. When I start playing with objects or make something out of scratch, I just forget about all my worries and the outside pressure. It’s my own little world that I’m in and nothing can pierce my bubble. As what triggers it, usually, it’s a beautiful landscape, someplace I could see a fairytale or a film happen, with the right soundtrack. I feel like music is a great part of my inspiration and my creativity too, when I listen to Ben Howard, Sigur Ros or Bon Iver I’m just transported to a new world.
3. You Are Constantly On The Go, Traveling All Over Europe. What Is Your Favorite Part About Capturing The World Through Your Own Eyes And Through The Lens Of Your Camera?
Europe is such an amazing place. It’s so small yet so rich in so many different cultures and different landscapes. There is so much history everywhere around you and I just feel so inspired wherever I travel. There will always be a little something that will trigger your eye and make you want to take a photograph. I think what I love about taking pictures is that you get to remember the details of the place, like that flowerpot there under the window, or that cloud floating in the sky, these elders on their bikes. I love sharing the little things that make these locations unique with my followers and show a place through a more quirky angle. It’s also about capturing the light, I feel like each place I’ve been to has had its own unique light, and I’m so glad I can capture it with my camera. But sometimes it’s good as well to put the camera down and enjoy it as it is.
4. How Has Becoming A Social Media Influencer Helped You As A Photographer?
It gave me confidence that people liked what I was doing and that I could take chances and follow my dreams. Now, whilst at uni, I’ve worked with many prestigious brands already and have got amazing contacts all across the city all thanks to my social media presence. I love working so it’s great that Instagram is giving me a platform to start up working whilst studying! Now my practice at uni has been very different to my Instagram photography. On Instagram I like it to be instant, creative, fun, whereas my own practice for uni has been more fine art based.
5. You Followed Your Dream To Become A Photographer. What Advice Do You Have For Inspiring Photographers?
Don’t do what everyone else does, find your own unique style that makes you special and you will stand out. Studying photography at university made me realize that even if I knew how to work a camera and had a good eye, there is so much yet to learn. It’s not all about the technique, it’s mostly about your thoughts process and how you build up a project from scratch, the ethics, and the inspiration. I think you need to not be afraid to work in every single field before starting up. Maybe assist a photographer for a while, go to art galleries, watch a lot of films, read a lot.
