We are holding the book “Diamond Times” in our hands. And yes, it really sparkles. A colorful, cheeky and joyful journey through the photographs of German artist Ben Bernschneider.

Coming from the advertising scene, the multitalent is used to putting out his creative feelers to many different directions. He does movies, photographs, and writes and calls many awards his own already. It is his artistic soul that always directs him to break out, to impel and to reinvent himself over and over again. His favorite subjects? Preferably pretty girls, summery lifestyle and classy cars. Which we clearly don´t mind to indulge in either.

How would you describe yourself?
One of the good guys.

A beautiful image…
… is something that makes my heart skip and my knees weak. Usually with palm trees and/or girls on it.

 When I click through your portfolio on your website I see lots of classical commercial work. On Instagram I feel that you work from the recent months is quite different though. Do you break out in a new direction?
Absolutely. After 4 years of adapting and copying people who shoot fashion and doing things that I thought would suit me best for making some money, I now started creating things that my heart wants. I now love my pictures. And I know that the money will follow.

Analog Photography is the great love of many photographers. What´s the thing that excites you about analogue photography?
It think first of all it is not the final product that excites me most. It’s the handling, the physicality and the way I shoot when I shoot film  – and the playing around with something that belongs to my youth, to good times and to an whole era that I love dearly. Waiting for the film to develop alone makes so happy and excited. And a very important aspect for me: it’s fun and separates me from my assigned work, which is 99% shot digitally. To the final photograph: it looks better, crisp but never that oversharp, the skin color is always nicer.

You come from the advertising industry, but you quit. Do you benefit a lot from this work experience for your photography?
I was a copywriter, I wrote TV movies, I wrote a novel, I directed commercials and music videos. And I spent years feeling so bad being „jack of all trades – king of none“ thinking „why the fuck didn’t I know earlier what to do with my life?“ But as time passed by I learned that it is so good knowing all sides to the story and the business. Looking back I thought it all was a waste of my lifetime – but now I feel that I have a certain maturity.

How difficult is it really to live from being a photographer?
Some months it’s hard, some not. The thing is that it shouldn’t matter. I do it because I have to do it. And most of my money still comes in from being a director and editor.

Art and commerce – does that fit together for you?
I don’t really know what makes something art. I guess all personal work that excites you is art. And everything with commercial endeavors is commerce. But if people come up to you and book you to get the style of your personal stuff then both things get mixed. So all commercial work where the „artist“ has the last saying remains art, I guess.

In December you’ve released your first successful book “DIAMOND TIMES”. How long did it take to find the title?
A bit longer. The working title was „GIRLS ON FILM“. But I needed something, a term, that described a feeling that I had 1986 when I was 10 years old, living in Brazil. I had nothing in mind but girls and movies. Living in Brasilia (a spitting image of the suburbs where kids out of Steven Spielbergs movies used to live) me and the others from our American school ran into the mall to watch THE GOONIES and BACK TO THE FUTURE dreaming of some glorious days to come. Sadly I haven‘t returned to this place since 24 years. But nothing in my whole life had a deeper impact than this popcultural decade. Sometimes nowadays, when I am shooting pictures, this feeling returns. Then I realize that these times full of youth and exploration and carelessness exist detached from the 80s. Times that mean so much to me and will always touch my heart. I call these times: DIAMONDTIMES. And yeah, it fits my logo, the diamond.

 Your second book is already work in progress. What will you do differently compared to the first one?
Technically I will shoot most of it on slide film, which I love dearly. The colors, the high range of contrast blows me away. And I will try to always make it better. Doing a piece of work is always therapeutic, it’s always a catharsis because when choosing the final pictures I learn a lot about myself and why I evolved in a certain direction. Besides that half of the book will be shot in the States. LA and Palm Springs. I hope it all works out a I imagine it.

You have won a number of awards, had many publications and made ​​several videos. Until today, what are you most proud of?
Oh, I don’t know. Nothing yet, really. Maybe being interviewed by C-Heads! And shooting a worldwide campaign for American Apparel would probably make my chest proudly burst to pieces.

You started as Jonas. Now you are Ben. Already an idea who you will be next?
Let me explain that: while I was living in Cologne and writing movie scripts in a big production circle, the protagonist of my films was always named „Ben“, so the people nicknamed me „Ben Bernschneider“. The alliteration with the two „B“s got stuck in everyones head, but I forgot about it. Years later, after working 5 years as a copywriter in an Ad Agency I had a nervous breakdown and decided to stop working in an office and pursue my dreams of creating pictures again. I needed to shed my skin, so If people looked my work up on the internet they shouldn’t find my advertisement work. Overnight I was Ben again. And free. I will probably stick to that.

Where can we find you on a Friday night?
At home cocooning with my fiancée Henrike Fehrs (a german actress), drinking beer & gimlets, watching 80s movies and making plans for what happens at daytime.

The most important thing in life is?
To have something in life that you love.

Many Thanks for your time!
You are more than welcome. I love C-Heads truly. <3

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benbernschneider.com
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