Project „Moments“ - Alina Oswald

Photography. It´s not about the picture you see, it´s about the process how it arises and how a content can be presented and being communicated. How can a slip of paper which has just 2 dimensions influence the third dimension? Can I communicate emotions and a content through pictures without you knowing what it is about? And how can the viewer expand the meaning of the pictures with his freedom of interpretation?  I try to answer this questions with my photography.

For my project „Moments“ I photographed people in the moment they had an orgasm. For me photography is not about the picture you see, it´s about the process how it arises and how a content can be presented and being communicated. The center of my series is the orgasm, but also the aim getting people closer to this moment in public which is hopefully shared by everyone. I also want to find out how a slip of paper which has just 2 dimensions influence the third dimension. A person who just walks by my pictures in my exhibition (which is shown this month) doesn´t know what just happens in the picture.

So what do you feel while looking at it? How can the viewer expand the meaning of the pictures with his freedom of interpretation? Maybe he feels what the person on the picture feels? Can I communicate emotions and a content through pictures without you knowing what it is about?

Another interesting aspect of my photographs is that I achieved it to catch a moment without any control of how the model looks or how it is presented. I was always searching for that moment when I photographed. Most of the time a model changes the way it looks or the way it moves the body immediately when the camera is on it. But while you are having an orgasm your whole body gets out of control and you are getting the subject of your emotional reflexes. That's how I created truthfulness and authenticity.

Sensual. Beauty. Tender. That´s what I see when I look at this picture with this eyes closed young man on it. With knowing that he just has an orgasm the picture gets a totally different meaning. You are invited feeling what he feels and getting his positive energy.  I first thought about doing this project some years ago but forgot it again. Then I talked to a friend who told me this idea and that I should do it. I thought I won´t ever find people for shootings.

But I started photographing my good friend who inspired me and I photographed myself. I started talking to people about my project and asked them very open and directly if they want to join. And more and more people said yes. And I started shooting them. The project got bigger and bigger. I put my whole energy and thoughts in it. I was organizing everything and made many appointments.  Most of the time I went home to the models, brought some wine and relaxed energy with me. I talked a lot to the person and then I setup my equipment.

Then it was time for a hand-job.  Mostly I was in the same room, sometimes I went out and just came in the end for taking the photos.  Sometimes I had couples and they helped each other. Sometimes the people watched porns or looked at hot pictures.

After we laughed and talked about the moment. Happy and thankful for the experience.