by Yvette Depaepe
Published the 11th of March 2024

To Adam Neuba, photography is like an 'undiscovered country'. Developing a photographic scene from scratch, building it up or staging a familiar motif in a new way and capture it with the camera is simply a great feeling. Adam is fascinated by the creative work with light and the unique effect of this medium on a well thought-out, minimalist motif. Discover his unique world through this interview and learn more about this fine artist...

'Solitaire'

Briefly tell us about yourself, your hobbies and other jobs/ What first attracted you to photography?

My photographic journey began about 15 years ago, when my daughter was born. Naturally, I took lots of photos and found joy in photography. For a long time I was more of a "casual snapper" with no particular focus. I tried out many genres, some landscape and architecture photography. But what bothered me about this type of photography was that you always had to be on the move to find good motifs. And that's how I got into macro photography, which I can do also at home whenever I have time. But unfortunately, "classic" macro photography only aroused my enthusiasm for a short time, because at that point I had already decided to try something new and unconventional. And with "Lost in Space", after a lot of thinking and experimental working, I took my first picture, with which I was able to occupy a photographic niche.

Professionally, I have a doctorate in chemistry and work as a scientist at a university. As a father of three children, I don't have much time for other things besides photography. I'm a real family person, so spending time with my family is very important to me. I also do some sport, but I'm also interested in politics, art and science.

'Lost In Space'

Describe your overall photographic vision.
For me, photography is like the "undiscovered country". Every picture, with every insect or other motif, is an individual piece and always confronts me with new challenges that have to be solved. Basically, my image ideas are almost always driven by the challenge of photographing something new or showing a different perspective or level of representation of a perhaps already well-known motif.  Developing a photographic scene from scratch, building it up or staging a familiar motif in a new way and then capturing it with the camera is simply a great feeling. But I am also fascinated by the creative work with light and the unique effect of this medium on a well thought-out, minimalist motif.  

'kosmos'

'Balanced'

Why are you so drawn by creatively edited photography / Nature meets technics especially?

First of all “Nature meets Technics“ is simply the result of intensive empirical attempts to develop and present something new in the field of close-up photography. I think, the photographs of this series combine many fundamental aspects of photography that are crucial for a good picture. Above all, however, the theme of "nature vs. technology" is of current interest and touches people. The pictures show a strong contrast in terms of content and theme as well as photographically, whereat the clarity and order of the motifs with defined lines and shapes play a special role. So targeted digital post-processing allows me to create the final shape of my artistic photographic vision of the piece. The adjustments in the areas of light, shadow and contrast are consistently aimed at lending the work my personal way of seeing, as well as at amplifying the desired impact on the beholder. This step enables me as an artist to find full expression creatively and freely, completely independently of the practical limitations that sometimes come to bear in the real world of close-up photography.

'The Jumper'

'The house spider'

'Curved'

What gear do you use (camera, lenses, bag)?/ What software do you use to process your images?

I have a lot of equipment for the practical realisation of my ideas, such as various tripods, lifting devices, self-made diffusers, tweezers, but also simple things like wooden wedges and small and large spirit levels. In the meantime, however, many components made of stainless steel and aluminium have accumulated and new ones are constantly being added. But the most important thing is the lighting. Sometimes I work with up to five LED lamps at the same time, because there always has to be enough light to illuminate all the elements of a scene. I currently shoot my photos with the Nikon D850 and the Nikon 60 mm micro lens. I mainly use Lightroom and Photoshop for image editing.

Do you prepare carefully the locations where you are intending to photograph? / Can you tell us something more about your work flow?

When I have an idea for a picture, many things happen in my head at first. I plan the photo in detail, think about how I can realise it and can already see what the picture might look like in the end. I also have to take practical things into account here, because the more time you invest in good preparation, the easier it is to realise the photo. Stainless steel is also particularly tricky to photograph because it often creates harsh light reflections and looks different depending on the light setting. Perspective is also very important, and it takes a lot of time to find the right angle to photograph the metal part and the animal as a harmonious unit. Light and perspective are therefore the most important design elements in my type of photography. Working with diffusers (sometimes one behind the other) is fundamental here in order to achieve a soft light and minimise harsh reflections.

Once the setting has been determined, I slowly approach the insect, position it and photograph it from different perspectives. Then I look at the initial results and decide what I need to change or optimise. As some insects move around a lot and don't stay still the way I want them to as a photographer, it can take several evenings before I get the photo I want, depending on the insect. Here too, you have to develop strategies as to when the best time is to photograph the animals. I make sure that I don't work with the insects for too long at a time, because they react very sensitively to stress and good pictures are then hardly possible. But very often the right insect isn't there, so I have to look for it or put a project on hold for the time being. I therefore often work on 2 or 3 projects at the same time.

The shooting is always an exciting moment because it shows whether all the plans actually lead to the desired result. However, you often have to adjust things spontaneously and creatively to get the desired image. At the end of each shoot, I usually end up with a selection of around 20 to 25 pictures, from which I choose one and then finalise it later on the computer.

'3 under the Cloud'

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

I am a flawless autodidact and believe that "learning by doing" is one of the best ways to improve yourself. Of course, this requires the courage to always critically analyse your own images and skills. This leads to an empirical process in which your own photographic skills are always improved a little and ideally focused and optimised on a certain style. Patience and, of course, a high tolerance for frustration are also essential. Even today, I still look at the pictures from my first few years and think critically about what I could have done better. Such an analytical approach is also very useful for making specific work processes more efficient or optimising image processing.

'Linden Fruit'

'The Cosmic Game'

'Running Man'

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

There were two artists who accompanied and inspired me early on in my photographic development. At first glance, it may seem to have nothing to do with close-up photography, but Frank Loddenkemper's  pictures, with their clear structure and lines as central elements as well as his excellent processing and emphasis of individual elements, had a particular influence on me. And when I think of fine art and macro photography, it's the artist Levon Biss (https://levonbissstudio.com/). He understands like no other how to use light as a medium and creative element alongside structure and colour.

'Look'

'I see you'

Describe your favourite photograph taken by you and why it is special to you? 

Two years ago, "Lost in Thought" was a key experience for me as an experimental photographer and artist, showing me how I can realise my own visions with creativity, patience and perseverance. The picture shows one of my favourite motifs, the beautiful millipede Atopochetus dollfusi. As simple as the picture looks, the planning and realisation took a lot of effort and time.

'Lost In Thought'

'Walking on Saturn's Rings'

How has your history and life experiences affected your photography?

I think the artist and scientist in me are inseparably interwoven. Many aspects from both worlds are united in photography and enable me to take an alternative view of the world and to produce new links among elements of a scene. For many years, my principal task as an experimental chemist was virtually a passion: the design and synthesis of new bio-mimetic molecules inspired by nature. In photography, I create minimalist compositions using elements from nature and man-made technology. The two are united by an important aspect of my personality: the drive to creatively develop new things and realize them as tangible, visual objects comes from within me. 

'Watertanks'

'The Explorer'

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 will keep my creative-experimental style and also try to use new materials in my photography. Let's see where that takes me! As you can see I also enjoy creating minimalist still life photographs in black and white and still have a few ideas that I would like to realise.

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

When I came across 1x for the first time I just thought: Wow! what great artists and fantastic pictures! For me 1x is a pool full of inspiration and a great way to discover ideas and images from photographers from all over the world, but also to share my images with them. It is a great honour and pleasure for me that my pictures are shown here on 1x and that I was able to give the interview.

'In The Lab'