Victor Ene
@victorene
Freelance photographer based in Germany
My name is Victor Ene, I’m a freelance photographer currently based in Hamburg, Germany. Before I started my photography adventure, I used to work as a bartender. Imagine making drinks and cocktails all day long and being able to experiment with all kinds of flavours, colours and textures… Plenty of opportunities to be creative! Just incredible. But when I got promoted to management, I suddenly lost a big part of me and I somehow felt that I couldn’t express myself anymore.
"As a counteract, I turned to photography."
I worked in a highly stressed environment and sometimes it felt like even on a day off I couldn’t relax, unwind and forget about work. Photography became a relief for me: I kept myself busy whilst being creative at the same time. I could have searched for something else as a creative outlet, but I guess photography was the most obvious option to me. I lived in Greece at that time, in Halkidiki, and all you could find around was just beautiful and picturesque, so I wanted to capture that and show it to the world. Additionally, seeing so many photos of so many beautiful places all around the world made me wanna do the same, capture and share my view on it. I have always wanted to travel; seeing new places and learning about different cultures is something I was very curious about. So nowadays I try to travel as much as I can. It was very hard at first; being introverted, traveling was a huge step out of my comfort zone.
"I used to see the world as such a hostile and unfriendly place and I always seeked to isolate myself; I never wanted to meet new people."
"I think most of the challenges of introversion are about being around people. Lots of people especially."
It makes us spend an excess of energy just from the way our minds work and how we constantly process all the information from everything that happens around us. Expressing yourself and making yourself present in a place is another barrier. I used to teach bartenders in the past, but talking to people in a familiar and comfortable environment is entirely different from being in a different city, different country, on the other side of the world. This previous experience in teaching helped me with my photography when I just began doing it; starting slowly by first going to a place I knew so it was less probably I would need anyone’s help. Asking for directions was such an inconvenience and when you are in a different country, even with all the technology nowadays, you will find yourself in need for directions more often than you think. As an introvert, interacting with strangers is such a difficult thing; you always overthink, feel that people watch you and judge you. Not doing it though, might result in losing the opportunity of getting that shot that you have been dreaming of.
Plus, my vision of the world has changed after seeing so many wonderful places and meeting so many wonderful people; now I can’t wait to explore it more. Photography was a huge help and my wife has been the biggest fan since I started all this, supporting me 110% along the way. Plus, she is an expert when it comes to booking flights and places to stay.
"One of the most amazing places I have seen has been by far Bangkok; an impressive city with so many things to offer."
From beautiful modern architecture to golden temples, floating markets and night markets, this place has something for everyone. Bangkok was life changing. I always thought it’s a dangerous city to visit and I have to admit that I was a bit uncomfortable and anxious thinking of my trip there. Looking back to it now, I see how misplaced my fears and expectations were, and how lucky I am for having been able to visit this great city. Bangkok made me feel small and out of place in a nice way, like I was in a new environment that wanted to teach me things, have me experience and see things I hadn’t encountered before. Thailand in general was such a beautiful adventure. The nature, the culture and the beautiful islands, meeting with travelers from all around the world…
"But still, Bangkok won my heart. And the Ancient City, Muang Boran, is definitely a must see if you’re there."
"Each place I visit, provides me with a different inspiration."
I love using Google Earth and even social media to find cool and interesting places to shoot. Inspiration can come from everywhere, but just like with other things, sometimes we pursue it so fiercely that in our chase to get them we forget why we started looking for it in the first place. I think inspiration tends to avoid you the more and the harder you try to find it. So you have to surround yourself with things that make you feel comfortable; listen to music, watch a movie you like or just go for a walk and be out in the nature. Taking things slow from time to time will help regaining your balance. Have you ever had that feeling when you are just going about your life and suddenly you feel a kind of rush hitting you and your mind gets filled with excitement? That’s how inspiration feels to me; as soon as that happens I think the best thing to do is to transform that feeling into something you can actually touch and see.
"That’s why I always carry a small notebook and a pen so I can draw it or write it down, because no matter how good your memory is, having stuff written down will help you being productive."
"Based on inspiration, emotions and creativity I start envisioning a photo."
I create the photo in my mind and try to replicate it, although each and every time, the photo I take is different from the photo I had envisioned. Of course, to get as close as possible to that idyllic image, I use post processing techniques. Whenever I edit a photo I try to ensure that the final outcome and the ultimate look of the photo will give the same emotion I felt when I was taking that photo. When editing I think it is always important to show the world your version of reality and the way you perceive it. You should never be afraid to use all the available tools to enhance your vision, because it’s your own piece of art. Usually I play with the colors to highlight certain elements to draw people’s attention to what I find interesting in my images. Sometimes I even use photoshop to remove distracting elements or to add visual flair to it, like adding stars to a sky without stars.
"I go after that ‘wow’ factor when editing, creating an image people would love, something that would never make the viewers feel tired or bored when seeing it."
"To reach the full potential of my photos and edits, I tried to experiment with different styles of photography."
By that means, I taught myself as much as I could regarding a variety of techniques, subjects, compositions, etc. It is definitely a good thing having a wide spectrum of skills and I like learning new things. Out of everything I have experimented with, I have to say that drone photography is one of my favorites; being able to see ordinary things from an extraordinary point of view makes it extra special. Overall, landscape photography is great because of the whole experience behind; the research, the planning, the trip to get there and then the challenge and joy of capturing the actual photo.
In the near future, I want to enhance my ability to shoot more than one genre. Especially commercial and automotive photography is something I haven’t tried that much. Experimenting more will improve my skills and broaden my knowledge around photography; the only way of going forward is by constantly learning and trying new things. Currently I am back at bartending part time in order to sustain myself, pay the bills and all that, but I truly hope to turn this into a full time career and discover more of myself and the world along the way.
"I am already trying to build the base needed for a full time photography career, such as creating a website and making myself known. We all have to start somewhere, right!?"
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