About bettinath
My name is Bettina Theuerkauf, I am a 23 year old student, studying Media Technology in Germany. It was due to my courses that I bought my first camera only a few years ago and since than I stuck with the subject. I always knew that I could not work primarily in an office in front of a computer but rather have to go out into the world and be creative, work with people. Before photography I felt lost, as I couldn’t find any creative field that would keep my interest for a long time. The moment I held my first camera in my hands it seemed like new gates have opened and I suddenly started reshaping my life in order to become a photographer. I started self-educating myself in the fields of photography but recognized that it was not enough. At this moment I was not sure in which fields of photography I wanted to work so I decided to take my obligatory internship with a fashion photographer in Hamburg, Germany for half a year. It helped me a lot concerning the technical aspects and I learned how to work with clients and models. It was a good experience but I soon had to discover that I prefer the un-staged “real” photography, telling true stories, working with “real” people.
For me, photography is more than just taking pictures; it is the possibility to tell stories, stories that have to be told in order to inform, to change something in myself as well as the people surrounding me. I love the way photography makes it possible to grasp moments that otherwise would be forgotten. Photography allows me to travel places I would never have visited and to meet people I would never have met otherwise.
As my university didn’t offer enough photography courses I decided to take a voluntary semester abroad in England, just for focusing on photography and photojournalistic courses. Through this semester abroad, I had the opportunity to get to know Britain’s oldest man, the reverend Thomas Reginald "Reg" Dean. He passed away on the 7th January 2013,, only two month after me visiting him, aged 110 years and 63 days. It was due to photography that I had the honor of visiting him and experiencing his admirable positive attitude towards live which he still showed after living through two world wars and despite being bound to bed the last months of his live. He taught me that no matter what happens around you, how much misery is following your life and the life of others, it’s us, every one of us who can change something, even if its only the attitude towards one subject. I think that every person can teach you something, no matter what age, which life story, which social class, which culture he belongs to or had.
Photography is teaching me as a human being interacting with my surroundings, giving me the opportunity to reflect upon it and giving me the chance to share those experiences with others. The longer I take pictures the longer I see its necessity. I no longer just take pictures but rather start living what I do. It is giving me so much personally that I finally know what I want to do in the next years. I want to become a photojournalist and I am ready to do everything necessary to get there!
