A life behind the lens: The intimate world of Louise Amelie

From east Berlin childhood to an instinctive path into photography

There was never a single moment when Louise decided to become a photographer—it had always been a part of who she was. She grew up in East Berlin, in a family where photography was ever-present. Both of her parents were avid photographers, and at a very young age, her father gave her a small half-automatic plastic camera. From that moment on, documenting life through a lens became second nature.

As a teenager, Louise received her first analog camera (an Exa 1b) and began intuitively grasping the fundamentals of photography. After finishing school, she was uncertain about which path to pursue, but friends and family repeatedly affirmed, “Louise, you’re a photographer.” In many ways, it was never a conscious decision—it simply felt predetermined. She later formalized her path through academic study, though by then she had already been working in the field for several years.

Louise’s visual language developed gradually, and it was often others who helped her recognize it. People would come across her work—sometimes in magazines without her name attached—and immediately say, “That has to be yours.” That’s when she realized she had formed a signature style, even if unconsciously.

Her work is consistently centered around people. Even when a person isn’t visibly present in the frame, there is always a human presence—emotional, relational, psychological. Louise is deeply fascinated by the human experience and moved by the trust others place in her to share their stories. She views photography as something profoundly intimate, yet potentially intrusive or even violent, and therefore approaches each subject with care, reverence, and responsibility.

Though she rarely appears in her own images, Louise is often told that her presence is strongly felt in them. She has a way of creating a certain gravity in the room—an unspoken trace that lingers even from behind the camera. Many of the people she photographs look directly at her, and in that eye contact, a silent dialogue unfolds—an intimate and beautiful exchange that becomes integral to the final image.

Her aesthetic is defined by emotional closeness, both literal and metaphorical. She often works mere millimeters away from her subjects. Her portraits convey strength—sometimes quiet, sometimes overt. Even when vulnerability is present, she strives to portray each person with dignity and depth. She wants viewers to feel that these are people worth seeing, worth remembering.

Photography as a way of being

Just as her journey into photography began organically, Louise’s path into documentary photography unfolded naturally. She started by capturing the world around her, often photographing individuals from the graffiti scene. That early work led her into the hip-hop and music communities, which in turn opened doors to commercial assignments. Yet, throughout all of it, documentary approaches remained at the core of what drives her.

Even in her commercial projects, clients frequently reference “authenticity”—a word that deeply resonates with her. Louise consistently strives to stay connected to something grounded and honest, while acknowledging that truth is never absolute. Still, she believes in the essential act of attempting honesty—of capturing people as they are and leaving room for complexity and ambiguity.

In her view, especially in times of growing social and political polarization, genuine human encounters are more necessary than ever. Her work aims to create spaces for these encounters—spaces that confront prejudice, pose difficult questions, and invite real connection. Sometimes those questions reaffirm beliefs; other times they dismantle them. Louise embraces that tension, believing the world exists not in absolutes but in contradiction and nuance.

Her current style exists in a space between pure documentary and subtle orchestration. While rooted in reality, her images occasionally involve intentional staging—not to distort the truth, but to draw out deeper emotional or psychological layers that might otherwise remain hidden. Her work now lives in that fluid zone between reality and interpretation.

Louise’s evolving dialogue between intimacy and migration

For Louise, every documentary series she creates is deeply personal. Whether developed over years or captured in the span of a single day, her work stems from emotional urgency and authentic connection. One such series emerged spontaneously during a family gathering at her grandmother’s house. With no prior plan, she hung a piece of molton fabric as a backdrop and began photographing her family. The process was instinctive, fast, and honest—an unplanned yet intimate glimpse into something true, despite the absence of preparation and missing relatives.

At the other end of her practice, Louise engages with long-term themes such as intercultural exchange, migration, and the broader idea of human movement. She is drawn to the contrast between humanity’s historic fluidity and the static, often restrictive borders imposed by modern societies. Her work questions how we reconcile this tension—how we make sense of a world where movement is natural and necessary, yet increasingly unequal and inaccessible.

These projects are never fixed; they evolve organically. Some may appear complete after a year but continue to grow through new encounters and collaborations. For Louise, photography naturally extends into film, text, and other artistic forms. She values when her work sparks involvement from others, allowing their contributions to reshape and expand the narrative. This kind of exchange holds deep significance for her.

At its core, Louise’s personal work is a reflection on what it means to be human. She hopes it fosters empathy, challenges assumptions, and captures something essential—without objectifying the people she photographs. Her aim is always to create images that resonate with the heart.

A multisensory approach to visual storytelling

For Louise, moving image is a natural extension of her photographic work. She approaches both mediums with a shared sensitivity and visual language. Film offers her a unique way to explore rhythm, time, and voice—dimensions that still photography can’t always fully capture—though the two remain deeply interconnected in her practice.

Collaboration is also central to her creative process. As the founder and chair of ArtCity, an international arts and culture association based in Berlin, Louise regularly engages with artists from diverse disciplines and cultural backgrounds. These exchanges continually challenge and enrich her own artistic perspective, expanding the boundaries of how and what she creates.

While she doesn’t consider herself a writer, Louise has always been drawn to the power of language—particularly in spoken form. She finds strength in direct interaction and is fascinated by nonverbal communication. For her, color, texture, rhythm, and sound are all meaningful languages. She collaborates closely with graders, sound designers, and musicians whose sensibilities align with hers, enabling her work to resonate not only visually but emotionally.

A constant in her work is a deep attraction to the tension between stillness and movement, clarity and ambiguity. Whether working in black and white or color, Louise holds a clear, often unspoken vision for how an image should feel. Her aim is to evoke emotion through form, creating a sense of emotional clarity without the need for explanation.

A journey through movement, curiosity, and creative freedom

For Louise, it’s the constant change that defines her relationship with photography. No two days are ever the same. She works with a wide range of individuals—many of them creative minds she deeply admires—who challenge, support, and often reshape the way she sees the world. Her work takes her across different places, offering intense experiences and the freedom to follow her curiosity wherever it may lead.

Photography, for her, is a means of giving visibility to people and stories that might otherwise remain unseen. She carries that responsibility with intention, knowing it adds depth and purpose to her practice.

Above all, photography represents freedom. It is Louise’s way of engaging with the world—of connecting with others and expressing what matters to her most. While the work can be exhausting, and moments of stillness or certainty are rare, she embraces that fluidity. She doesn’t seek security; she seeks movement, discovery, and truth. And photography remains the tool that enables her to pursue exactly that.

A path of purpose in the creative process

For Louise, the hardest part of her work is also the most meaningful. The uncertainty, the constant change, and the responsibility she feels toward the people she collaborates with can sometimes feel overwhelming. Yet, these challenges are precisely what she loves about this life.

She carries a deep awareness that comes from working so closely with others and does not take lightly the trust placed in her when someone allows her into their life or emotional space. Translating those intimate moments into something tangible is never easy. The process—from idea to image, from connection to final outcome—demands both sensitivity and perseverance.

The pace of her work can be intense, and things rarely unfold exactly as planned. Setbacks, delays, and compromises are part of the process. But she pushes through, maintaining focus on the story she wants to tell. For her, much of the work isn’t glamorous; it’s about staying committed when things get messy or uncertain, convincing others—and sometimes herself—that the vision is worth pursuing.

One of the most difficult aspects is the time she spends on tasks beyond photography itself: research, writing, production, and endless computer work. But she accepts it as part of the journey. When she sees the many brilliant, creative people who believe in her work and stand beside her, she’s reminded why she chose this path—and feels compelled to keep going.