Sascha Unger – Berlin iphoneographer Extraordinaire

Just over a year ago I started noticing the beautiful photographs of Sascha Unger on Flickr. Sascha’s home base is in Berlin, a city I have never been to, but after seeing his inspiring work, Berlin has moved to my ever-growing list of places to visit.

In fact, what also struck me about Sascha’s work was that he seemed to be constantly travelling to various European cities. I was able to get a grand tour of Europe without leaving my house!

Sascha’s work also attracted me with his great expanses and very minimalistic views which permeate his images. The clean lines, sparse distractions, with very few people all conveyed an extremely artistic eye and somebody who saw the world in a very interesting and unique way.

I hope you all enjoy this interview along with getting to know the work of an outstanding iphoneographer.

Sascha’s work can be found on EyeEm, IG, and Flickr.

1. Please briefly describe yourself, including where you are from and where you are currently living.

My name is Sascha Unger. I was born 42 years ago in the city of Oberhausen in Western Germany. For many years I lived in Duisburg, but in 2008 I had to move for my job to Berlin.

I am an editor and work for Europe's biggest daily newspaper - so I have to deal with photos every day. Photography is also one of my favourite activities that I like to do in my spare time. I also enjoy travelling and reading books on architecture and urban construction.

2. What sort of rituals or routines do you have that help you foster your creative spirit or put you in a more creative mindset?

I never put myself under pressure to be creative. There were times when I didn‘t take, edit or upload photos for weeks or even months. I also don‘t go particularly on photo sessions, but I am photographing everyday life instead, a lot of architecture and things that I encounter on my way through Berlin and other European cities.

3. I have noticed that you get to travel quite a bit. Do you find it easier to be creative while you are away from your “home base” or do you feel that your creative juices flow wherever you may be?

This keeps the balance. Of course it is easier to find suitable photo subjects when you're on holiday or on a city break. But I find it equally interesting to photograph in my familiar environment - I often discover things I've never seen before and love to share these with other people all over the world.

4. Do you think people are born with a creative “gene” or do you think creativity is something that can be nurtured and grown through exposure to various cultural activities?

Every child is creative and born to explore the world. It is the responsibility of parents and the society to foster this creativity. Unfortunately, this is becoming increasingly difficult in our society which is tending to uniformity.

5. Do you have a background thread or theme that permeates throughout your art-work? By this I mean, do you have some sort of recurring emotional theme present in your artwork and or life?

Honestly - no. I try to find a sort of beauty in every piece - even if it's an abandoned or desolate place, a dark subway station or - at first sight - horrible concrete buildings. So my background thread is something like an urban catalyst. But of course I love to photograph pretty places too...

6. Please explain your thoughts on what “reality” is? I am interested in what your own personal definition is and how it affects your artwork.

Difficult question. I think reality is all in our minds. Our brain creates everything we see, so therefore reality is not real. It’s only the way your mind makes it out to be… So photography is a kind of a created reality too. My photos are my reality, and maybe not yours. This is mesmerizing.

7. What is it that made you decide to be an artist? Do you remember the exact moment... and how it happened?

It was the moment when I got my iPhone 3G five years ago. Of course I was taking photos on holidays since I was a child, but never with a special artistic standard. In contrast, the iPhone was a challenge, because the camera was so bad that it came to my own creativity to make the best of it. I also was impressed by the processing options, the various apps. Then my Flickr account two years later was the trigger for me to deal seriously with iPhoneography.

8. And finally, what do you believe is the true mission of an artist?

Oh, that‘s quite difficult. I‘m still trying to figure it out. The most important thing is that you don't have to care about people‘s opinions, about likes and followers. But don't post too much - nobody wants to see 20 shots or more of the same subject. So my personal ambition is to offer variety.

(Cecily Caceu)