Behind the Scenes

From 1958 to 1961, Joachim Giesel learns the photographic trade in Hanover. In the middle of the 20th century, the focus of his training was still on technical aspects. His workbook from his vocational school days contains notes on the chemical processes from negative development to the finished print, as well as descriptions of cameras such as the Linhof Technika and the Model III G from Leica. During his career, Giesel would draw on a whole reservoir of analog and later digital cameras to realize his projects. Equipped with 35mm cameras from the Leica M series (35mm), a Hasselblad 500c in medium format (6×6) and a large-format Cambo Wide (9×12), Giesel can be found at work. However, there is always a color film at the ready, which is indispensable for commercial shoots. It is not unusual for Giesel to have several cameras around his neck. For the Grenzland-Niemandsland project (1965-1989), he designed his own large-format camera, for which he used a historical plate camera as a model. This enabled him to use sheet films that were larger than standard negative films and to take pictures that were characterized by a high depth of field and attention to detail in order to meet his requirements.

Adrian-Rezan Öner