by Yvette Depaepe
Published the 21st of February 2022

Sita Gramich loves Art, including photography when it is affecting her artistic soul.  Her work is diversified : documentary, conceptual photography, portraits and dance photography in particular. Sita often uses creative editing to enhance the beauty and quality of her images and to express her vision and emotions.

Learn more about her through this interview and enjoy ! 

'There's fire in her'

Briefly tell us about yourself, your hobbies and other jobs.

My name is Sita and I'm based in Indonesia, Jakarta. I am half German and half Indonesian. My hobby is photography. I work as a general practitioner in a hospital in Jakarta. Whenever I’m off duty, I usually spend my time taking photographs. To me, it is a way to reduce work stress, especially during the pandemic.

How has your history and life experiences affected your photography?

Photography was introduced to me by my father when I was 10 years old. He was a photographer who had worked as a journalist and publisher in Munich. He always emphasized the importance of good compositions in addition to in addition to shooting techniques.

Which are your most important experiences that has influenced your art?

Thinking about that, my sense of art was heavily influenced by my environment. Since my childhood, I used to visit photo and painting galleries, to watch art shows and movies  which unknowingly affected my artistic soul.

What first attracted you to photography?

I fell in love with photography because we can freeze a moment but when looking beyond the image it becomes a story telling about that moment.

Describe your overall photographic vision.

My vision is to make people happy by sharing the photos I took from them and also to make the viewers from all over the world enjoying them.

Your work is diversified.  I see documentary, conceptual photography, portraits and many dance photographs?  Can you explain why this is ?

Sometimes, an image looks flat, ordinary and boring. However, with a little bit of help from some creative editing programs, the same image can tell many more stories to the audience. Besides that, creative editing is also my way to express my vision and feelings about the stories and moments I portrayed and that I want to share.

'caci dance'

'The Preacher'

'Potterie cleaner'

'Trapped'

'Me and my shadow, like the wallpaper sticks to the wall'

'light and shadow and red'

'Wushu elegance'

'Modern dance'

'once upon a dream'

What is more important to you, the mood, /story behind your images or the technical perfection?

In my opinion, the mood, story behind the picture, and technical perfection are equally important and inseparable. It seems difficult to me to have an interesting picture if one of those criteria is ignored.

Do you prepare carefully the locations where you are intending to photograph?

Locations should be prepared, together with the props as well as the selection of models and lighting arrangement, to ensure it will make sense when doing the post processing

What gear do you use (camera, lenses, bag)

Canon 5D mark iii, Canon Eos R,  Fuji XT 3
LENS 24 70 /  70 200
As for the camera bag, I don’t really have a tendency towards a specific brand. Mine is a fairly inexpensive one that I have been using for quite some time. Important to me is that it is durable, waterproof, and has many utility pockets.

What software do you use to process your images?

Photoshop cc 2019

Can you tell us something more about your work flow?

It’s simple. I usually go with a group of friends to take photographs together. The storyline has being discussed earlier. After we agreed on the locations, the models are prepared for the photoshoot. During the photoshoot, we have to use tripods to minimize image adjustments in the final process. I then edit the images in photoshop, usually I stack them layer by layer. I erase the overlapping parts using brushes to keep only what I want. When  everything is done, I adjust the colours. Sometimes I add a texture to make the main subject standing out.

What is your most important advice to a beginner in creatively edited photography and how do you get started?

My best advice, keep trying. Follow your imagination and dreams. Make unique work looking different from the others.

Who are your favourite photographers and more importantly, how has your appreciation of their work affected how you approach your own photography? 

Sebastian Kisworo (kisworo) is my favourite photographer. Every time I see his work, it takes me a while to interpret what he wants to tell. His photographs inspire me a lot because of my 'wild' interpretations which at the end are giving me much inspiration to create my own works.

Is there any specific photo taken by another photographer that has inspired you a lot and why?

'Hard Decision' by Sebastian Kisworo

This photo has a very simple composition and the conversion to black and white make it stronger. Simple till you can start focusing on the story behind it. I like the medium he chose, the shadow on the wall, the girl and a hanging rope which represent what's going on in her head. It's not easy to express people's mind in an image.

Are there any specific directions that you would like to take your photography in the future or any specific goals that you wish to achieve?

I haven’t got the time or chance to set up an exhibition. I would really love to do so one one day. And of course, I love travelling. I will keep on exploring the world and capturing beautiful landscapes and people from different cultures through my photograph

Describe your favourite photograph taken by you and why it is special to you?
I have a few favourite photographs ;-)

'come fly with me'

At first, this image seemed flat and boring to me. After looking more closely, I found the way the fabric was falling, is very beautiful. I then added 1 layer of empty space and a box.  After working on the colours, I really liked the result. Finally after editing, the song “Come fly with me“ by Frank Sintra came to my mind.

The woman  and the candle cage … I tried to add arms and hands that I took from the model itself from various poses. I choose three poses and combine them into one.

Nightmare….The inspiration is from movies, I really like sally’s mood. She is  very passionate about the role.

'Lets have fun...'

I made this picture to wish my friends a Merry Christmas.  I love it because Windy's mood looks very natural.  This image is made of 3 layers.

Is there anything else you wish to add  and what do you think about 1X as a home base for your work?

I’m happy to be a member of 1x because I get a lot of constructive criticism and advice in  addition to compliments when sharing my best work.  To me, 1x is the best photography community on the net.

Thank you for your kind collaboration and fine answers, Sita.