by Yvette Depaepe
Published the 20st of November 2023

Adam Dauria's work is continiously like discovering the beauty within a rough gemstone. He wants to share and reveal that beauty to the viewer. He cannot imagine a life without the possibility to express himself as an artist and also believes that taking a picture is always akin to capturing a piece of your inner self. He quotes Cartier-Bresson: 'It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera… they are made with the eye, heart, and head.'  I invite you to learn more about the person behind Adam's photographs through this interview and to wander through his work which really touches the heart and the soul.

'Unschlüssig'

Dear Adam, first I would like to thank you so much for taking the time to answer this questionnaire! To begin, please introduce yourself shortly and tell us more about you, your hobbies or other projects you are involved in!

Hello Yvette, thank you for your kind invitation to be a part of your beautiful work! I am Adam D'Auria, and I live in Hünxe, Germany. I'm 44 years old. I've always been a very creative person. I love creating things as much as I enjoy consuming art, such as photos, movies, and music. So, all my hobbies always involve something creative.

When and how did you start your photographic journey?

It all started around 2012. Back then, I didn't have enough money to buy a proper digital camera, but 35mm film was affordable, and I could at least manage to buy old analogue cameras like the Minolta DSLR and other inexpensive ones like the Recesky TLR. My first foray into photography involved working with expired film and toy cameras. It was great fun, but eventually, I wanted to evolve as an artist.
I bought a used Sony A500, mainly because it could use all my Minolta lenses, and I aimed to take a more serious and less playful approach to creating photos. Like most beginners, I found myself chasing beautiful sunsets and landscapes. While lomography with expired film was enjoyable, the results in the lomography scene didn't hold much significance. I wanted my images to have more impact. So, I transitioned to digital photography and post-processing.

For many of us photography is either a hobby or a way of life. How would you define your relationship with photography?

For me, it's quite simple – you can't separate me from photography. There's a popular quote from Cartier-Bresson: 'It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera… they are made with the eye, heart, and head.' That certainly resonates with me. I can't imagine a life without the possibility to express myself as an artist. I always have a camera with me. While others may just see roads or buildings, ordinary everyday things - I see leading lines, contrasts, colours, patterns, textures, and potential motifs. It's almost like an addiction.

'Zweisamkeit'

'Minor Pains'

What would be the most important experience so far that has influenced your steps in photography?

That would be the discovery of the works of Paulo Abrantes. Before encountering his work, I was content with creating pleasing landscape and sunset photographs in my local area. However, Paulo Abrante's work introduced me to a new approach in crafting art: his work is emotionally charged, haunting, and it stirs something in the viewer's eye. You can literally immerse yourself in his images. While landscapes can be beautiful, Paulo's photos speak to my soul. Suddenly, my landscapes appeared clichéd and uninteresting. It inspired me to transition from capturing beautiful sunsets to expressing something more personal in my work...

You have your own style but your work is very diversified.  I see architecture photography, cityscapes, street and action photography.
Can you explain why this is?

Well, I simply enjoy taking photos, and I don't want to limit myself to just one style. Perhaps it's a bit like comparing The Beatles to AC/DC. Both are immensely popular and successful music bands, both are masters at what they do. However, when you listen to AC/DC, you might sometimes think they're writing the same song repeatedly, with slight variations over time. On the other hand, the Beatles began as a pop band but later evolved into an open-minded and creative group that wasn't afraid to experiment with new styles and elements.
Consider the band Queen: it's always been rock music, but they've incorporated numerous 'non-rock' elements into their songs while remaining a rock band. I see myself like the Beatles or Queen; I love to grow and experiment with different styles to become a more well-rounded photographer, all while maintaining and developing my unique signature.
Additionally, I see a benefit in this approach. By mastering different styles, you learn new techniques. For instance, I applied the multiple exposure technique from my action photography into my street photography.

'Ruhr Games 2023'

'Gangbild'

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

It depends – in my street photography or my dark and moody landscapes, technical perfection is not as critical. For example, in the moody landscapes, I use grain, controlled blur, and gritty textures to enhance the mood of the scenery. 

'Exit Strategy'

'Deep Polarity'

'Visions Of A Forest'

On the other hand, I recently had the privilege of taking portraits of elderly people in a retirement home. I was 100% motivated to capture the shots perfectly. I used my best camera and my sharpest lens, striving for perfect exposure, precise focus, and meticulous framing of my subjects.

What generally is your relationship to your subject matter beyond being an observer?

I believe that capturing a photo of someone or something is always akin to capturing a piece of your inner self. No ambitious artist shares their work without revealing a part of themselves within it.

'Waldenbuch I'

'Borrowing Time'

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

Not really. I increasingly focus on street photography. In street photography, you need to be prepared for anything at any time. Anything can happen anywhere, and it's unpredictable. You can't control anything except yourself and your camera.

'Arc Héré'

'Viuzze Strette'

'Siena'

Describe your overall photographic vision.

If I could, I'd be capturing moody, foggy landscapes all the time as they best represent me as an artist. I also have a passion for street photography, but it's essentially a substitute for the moody landscapes I truly desire to create. Unfortunately, I now live in a region where fog seems rather rare, and I need fog for such images. There is no fog in the summertime. Additionally, I work a full-time job, making it challenging to pursue this type of photography frequently. Since I cannot photograph beautiful foggy sceneries, I opt for the next best thing: capturing people in urban areas engaged in various activities.

'Will You Wait'

Can you please tell us something more about your workflow from the idea to the final product?

Taking the photo is only the first step in the process. When I capture an image, it's like discovering the beauty within a rough gemstone. The next step is to refine it to reveal that beauty to the viewer. This refinement process occurs during post-processing in Adobe Lightroom and Silver Efex. It involves tasks such as sharpening, straightening, exposure adjustment, contrast enhancement, and the conversion to black and white. In my landscape photography, I also work with grain and grunge filters. I may add or remove unimportant elements from the scene until everything is just right.

'Nothing Left To Abandon'

'Øresundsbron'

'Düsseldorf Rain 2021'

Where do you look to find inspiration and what inspires you the most?

I often find inspiration in a good photo-book or by browsing through the feed on websites like 1x.com. Occasionally, a beautiful scene in a movie can inspire me to create a beautiful photo. I'm a big fan of the movies directed by Andrei Tarkovsky. nearly every scene in his films resembles a perfect photograph.

Many are of the opinion that the gear is not very important when the passion for photography is strong. However, can you please share with us what gear you use (camera, lenses, lighting, tripod, etc.)?

I believe that having the appropriate gear is very important. Can you imagine Cristiano Ronaldo kicking with flip-flops? Every artist needs their suitable tools to produce their best work. Both inferior and superior gear can be helpful when used correctly. Occasionally, I challenge myself with 'cheap camera challenges' to create something remarkable with a less capable camera. I also enjoy collecting old cameras, which allows me to appreciate how advanced modern cameras have become. While it's true that you can capture a good photo with a less capable camera, modern technology makes the process easier and more reliable. I have a wide selection of lenses and cameras to choose from. My favourites include m43 cameras for street photography and Sony full-frame cameras for my professional paid jobs

'Eisenbahn'

'Ghost Of Mimoyecques II'

'Zeitalter'

What would be your favourite photo? Please tell us the story behind it.

I've seen many outstanding and inspiring photographs over time, but 'Soon After Silence' by Paulo Abrantes was the first photo I saw from him, and it completely changed my approach to photography. Look at the blur, the use of negative space, and the perfect contrast. It's incredible, both frightening and beautiful. This photo rendered my nice sunset photos meaningless, even though I used to love capturing them. It marked the starting point of my journey as an artist.

Who are your favourite photographers or mentors whose works have influenced you and your photography?

I have discovered many inspiring photographers in the last few years, artists like Olga Karlovac, Eduardo Teixeira de Sousa, Saul Leiter, Vivian Maier, and more recently, Alan Schaller. All of them have had an impact on the way I approach photography. However, the photos by Paulo Abrantes showed me that a photograph can be so much more than a cliché landscape sunset. It can be something that reaches deep into your soul. His work completely transformed my approach to photography. Without him, I would probably still be focusing on capturing those nice sunset scenes..

Now, since we have almost reached the end of this interview, I would kindly ask you to share with us your plans or photographic projects you would like to be involved in.

I want to continue growing and experimenting as a photographer while preserving and developing my own signature style. I believe that photographers will need to find ways to distinguish themselves from AI-generated photography. AI is an unstoppable force, so all artists will need to adapt to this new situation. In 1839, with the advent of the Daguerreotype, it was photography that forever changed the world of painting. AI will likely have a similar impact on photography. Photographers will need to create images that AI cannot replicate. In my opinion, a unique style is something that AI is unable to reproduce.

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

Dear 1x, you are still my benchmark for photography, despite all the changes in the last years that sometimes have been quite bumpy. I am thankful to the privilege to be interviewed here and I am even more thankful to 1x.com for helping me to curate my own images. 1x certainly helped me to find out what path I want to walk to further grow and evolve as an artist.

'Wanderlust On Halt'