Each month I collaborate and create art together with Katja Riga. We photograph along a theme and then pair up our images together in a video call. With this collaborative diptych we weave our lives together. We bridge space and time and create a connective experience.
What have I gotten out of collaborating?
1. Friendship
Katja is a fellow photographer based in Germany who I’ve met on Instagram. I never expected to make friends via social media, as before starting my photography and film business I never really was on there. However, it has been a wonderful way to meet fellow artists from around the world. I really value the friendship and connection this collaboration has given me. Having no ‘official colleagues’ was something I missed when I started my business, and it is wonderful to have found many supportive fellow photographers via Instagram.
2. Learning
We sometimes use different photographic genres or techniques as our monthly theme. We have used for example double exposures, motion blur and have played with light and shadow within our project. I really enjoy learning new things as I believe this will make me a better photographer. Learning also keeps my love for photography burning brightly.
3. Accountability
Our photography diptych has been ongoing for the past 12 months. Being accountable to someone else has really helped me in being consistent with photographing my own life. If it was just dependent on my mood, I might not have photographed my family or taken self-portraits as often as I do now. Having all these personal images is something I am so grateful for.
Overall, working together with Katja on our monthly photography project has been so valuable to me. It has very much pushed me creatively and I can only recommend you to try out a collaboration in your own art too.
You can read more about our collaborative art project in my interview with For The Love Of The Photograph.
Do follow me on Instagram or Facebook to not miss out on seeing my monthly collaborative art project.
