Behind the Scenes

There are two opposing poles in photography: the craft on the one hand and art on the other. While photography was taught as a craft at West German vocational schools in the 1970/80s, courses at art colleges mostly focused on the medium as an art form. Although Joachim Giesel considers himself a craft photographer, he combines both approaches in his work as a trainer and lecturer. By 2006, he had trained fifteen apprentices, including the photographer Dirk Meußling and the photographer and curator Tomas Weski. The trainees at Atelier Photographie Joachim Giesel have the privilege of having a master at their side whose business is different from the simple passport photo studios where many vocational school students learn their profession. Here they gain an insight into the working methods and productions of a sought-after photographer whose commissions cover a broad spectrum both inside and outside the studio. In this way, they can acquire skills that prepare them for their professional life in the competitive market. During the 1980s/90s, Giesel taught at universities in Wuppertal, Hamburg, Hildesheim, Bielefeld and Dortmund, where he imparted his practical and theoretical knowledge to students in courses such as Scenic Photography in Advertising and Introduction to the Technique of Photojournalism. He also offers workshops for amateur and professional photographers on portraits, human portrayals, stage and nude photography.

Adrian-Rezan Öner