Interview with Ida Fiva Bech, LICC Winner in SHOOT (Photo/Video) in the Non-Professional category, in which she shares her excitement about embracing a bit of unpredictability in her work. She also believes that to truly communicate through art, you must infuse a part of yourself into your creations.

 

 

 

Congratulations on your LICC win with the “Untiteled” project! Can you share the story behind this series and what motivated you to focus on this particular subject matter?

I have always been a person who asks questions about the way we live and why we do and act the way we do. We have so many rules on how to live and how to think, and it seems like most of us just follow the heard, and we put up these invisible boundaries for ourselves.  This project can be seen as both personal (how we treat ourselves) and as a bigger picture of how humans live (not in harmony) with nature. We are nature, but we live and behave as if we are not.

The emotional depth and narrative strength of “Untiteled” are striking. How did you approach capturing such intimate and powerful moments, and what techniques did you use to convey the essence of your subject?

I often have limited time and limited space to shoot, and I find that quite exciting to be a little out of control. This picture was taken in my home “pop-up” studio. I don’t rent a studio, so I work at home or outside. I have a big, hand painted backdrop that I can hang up in my living room when I need a studio. The model in this picture is my daughter, and since she is a teen, her patience is quite bad. I knew what emotion I was looking for, and throughout the shoot I felt the resistance, and that was needed to make this picture. Very simple techniques—just a backdrop, the model, and daylight. 

Photography often involves a delicate balance between technical skill and emotional and/or concept expression. How did you navigate this balance in the “Untiteled” project, and what specific challenges did you encounter during the creative process?

This is the magic of photography! You don’t need two hours of picture-taking with joy and classic music to have a great result. I used to think that I needed to have control over everything in a shoot. I am often disappointed when a shoot is done because it didn’t  turn out the way I wanted, but after post-production, it often turns out to be better than expected. I work very intuitively and practice letting go of more and more of the ability to control everything. 

Can you briefly tell us about your background and what inspired you to pursue a career as a photographer? What motivates and drives your work?

As a child and teenager, I liked to draw. I always had the drive to create something. My father was an artist, a painter, and a photographer, so I grew up with the smell of turpentine and a darkroom. It looked so exciting to both take and develop photos. At first, when I started photography, I was drawn to portraits. But when I understood that I could make art out of my photography, it was a new world of opportunities for me. I am educated as a teacher, but photography has been a great part of my life for 20 years now, and I will keep developing for the next 30 years! It is a great motivation in the unknown. I don’t know what I will make in the future because it doesn’t exist yet. 

What, in your opinion, are the most important factors in creating great artwork?

You need a vision or a theme that is important to you. Then you will point your camera or pull the trigger when you see it/feel it. You need to put something or parts of yourself into your work to communicate. The viewer doesn’t have to understand the same as intended, but it can be felt at some level. And great art doesn’t give any answers, it asks questions.  The most important thing is the feeling a picture gives and the energy or calmness it brings. 

Winning the LICC “Best in Shoot” prize is a testament to your creative vision. What does this award mean to you personally and professionally?

I am humble and grateful for winning the “Best in Shoot” prize. It gives me motivation to keep on working on this series and to get my visions out. Personally, it is a great statement. It’s in an artist’s nature to doubt, and I think that is important, but with this achievement, I can at least say that this one is good enough! Professionally, it gives me opportunities. 

Looking ahead, are there any new themes or concepts you’re excited to explore in your future work, and how do you see your photography evolving in the coming years?

I want to keep on exploring my main theme, because the opportunities are endless. But I have to narrow it down to smaller pieces. I don’t think our happiness lies in doing what everyone else is doing. We have choices every day. Photography is a choice. And I have to choose to make art. The world changes, and so do I, and I am just going to follow my intuition and see what happens. The most important thing is to keep on making pictures, good or bad, because I learn something new every time and therefore both I and my art evolve.