PORTSMOUTH & SOUTHSEA'S No.1 for ARTS, CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

Created Local: @Brewmage

In the thirtieth edition of our special features celebrating our favourite south coast based Instagram users, I catch up with Alexander Geisser (@brewmage).

Can you tell me a little about yourself?
My name is Alexander Giesser and I’m a German photographer now living in Portsmouth after spending a few years in NYC, Los Angeles, and Massachusetts.

Can you tell me more about your photographic experience; is this something that you’ve studied or maybe a hobby that you’ve developed?
Photography started as a hobby many years ago with my first solo trip to San Francisco in 2006. I remember being really excited as I just got the Sony Ericsson K750i back then with 2 megapixels and a Zeiss lens!

Later on I had a Sony Cybershot DSC-H5 before going tiny and ultra portable with a Canon PowerShot SD780 IS. After that we enter a long spell of exclusively camera phone pictures and now I’m back after saving and pulling the trigger on a drone, a longtime dream of mine that went unfulfilled for too long. It’s a ton of fun and it fills me with joy.

Do you have a favoured camera or device that you use for your Instagram photography?
My Pixel 3a does a decent job as it’s on me all the time anyway, but 95% of my Instagram is shot on a DJI Mavic Air I only adjust in Lightroom. I don’t like doctoring shots in Photoshop.

My Pixel 3a does a decent job as it’s on me all the time anyway, but 95% of my Instagram is shot on a DJI Mavic Air I only adjust in Lightroom. I don’t like doctoring shots in Photoshop.

 

Exploring the theme of local, the south coast has a wide variety of climatic conditions, buildings and landscapes. Are there any places or environments that are personal to you or that you love to photograph?
I’ve only been here for three weeks but I LOVE Langstone Harbour (the tint of the water is surreal and almost tropical around golden hour) and nearby Hayling Island. Being by the water again is very important to me after living in the mountains for the past years. The boats and seagulls immediately made me feel home. I’m also very much looking forward to autumn and taking pictures of the beautiful colours I can only imagine this area gets, especially up by Hambledon Vineyards.

For you what makes a good photograph stand out?
To me a good photograph has some inviting power to it. It has layers and is “gemütlich” (comfy) and/or has a pattern that’s sleek and elegant, if that makes sense.

Would you say that you take photos more for yourself or for others?
I like to take pictures for others. To me it’s the whole point of the sharing economy of social media like Instagram. It inspires people to get out or supplies escapism to those who can’t. But it also has intrinsic value as it’s kind of therapeutic to take in the surroundings and live in the moment you preserve.

Are there any other photographers who either influence you or that you would encourage our readers to also check out?
Not really photographers, but I do enjoy the work of both Iz and Johnny Harris (YouTube) and over the past weeks discover more and more of the Strong Island and UK photography community, which has been very cool so far.

If you would like to get involved or know of a photographer that you think should be on our radar then please drop me an email at stuart@strong-island.co.uk.


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